How did Eredin become the wild hunt.

[Antiks07]

How did Eredin become the wild hunt.

From what I understood in the books the wild hunt was something totally different than in the games. In the books eredin is in command of the red riders which is like the army of his world. I believe he can shift between worlds. Then all of a sudden in the games his red riders are actually the wild hunt and they kidnap ppl to fight ....what exactly?? Another faction in the Aen Elle world ? I know humans are like slave/servants in the the Aen Elle world. After reading the books I was confused about this whole situation.

 

[Rawls]

From what I understood in the books the wild hunt was something totally different than in the games. In the books eredin is in command of the red riders which is like the army of his world. I believe he can shift between worlds. Then all of a sudden in the games his red riders are actually the wild hunt and they kidnap ppl to fight ....what exactly?? Another faction in the Aen Elle world ? I know humans are like slave/servants in the the Aen Elle world. After reading the books I was confused about this whole situation.

The Wild Hunt is the human perception of the Red Riders. They are one in the same. It is briefly mentioned in "the Lady of the Lake" by Eredin in two different parts of Chapter Five.

Spoiler

Know too, that you will get no help from your innate talents. Do not make any attempt to try and jump. If you did, know that my Dearg Ruadhri – my Red Horsemen, are able to cross the chasms of time and space.’

And then later ...

‘Freedom,’ he spat. ‘You are still talking about freedom. What would you do if you finally regained it? Where would you go? Do you realise that you are on our world at the moment, not only in space but time. Time flows differently here that there. Those whom you knew as children are now elderly, those who you once knew have long since died.’

‘I do not believe it.’

‘Remember your legends. Legends about people missing and returning after a year, only to see the graves of their relatives covered by grass. Are you going to say that they were pure fantasy, things taken from stories? You are wrong. For centuries, people have been kidnapped, snatched by riders, by the Wild Hunt. Abducted, exploited and then thrown away like an empty shell once consumed. But do not expect to be that lucky, Zireael. You will die here, you will not see the graves of your friends.’

So the connection there is that the "Red Riders" are what is perceived by the humans on the continent as "the Wild Hunt." It is easy to miss in that chapter.

 

[ph3s]

It's messed up. WH is elves' legend actually. But it's a video game based on the books. So they are free to do whatever

Spoiler

"there is the legend of the Queen of

Winter, travelling across the country through a blizzard on a sleigh drawn by white horses.

She sows hard, sharp, tiny shards of ice as she goes and woe betide he should one of these

shards pierce his eye or his heart. That someone is lost forever. Nothing will be able to cheer

him, all that is not the pure white of snow will become for him ugly, hateful, disgusting. He

will not know peace and, forsaking all, will follow the Queen in pursuit of his dream and his

love. Of course, he will never find it and will die of sorrow. Apparently in this city, in ancient

times, such a thing happened. It's a beautiful legend, isn't it?"

"The elves know how to dress everything up with pretty words," mumbled Geralt sleepily,

tracing her shoulder with his lips. "It's not a legend, Yen. It's a beautiful way to describe the

terrible phenomenon called the Wild Hunt, a curse apparent in certain lands. An irrational

collective insanity drives people to follow the ghostly procession racing across the sky. I've

seen it. Indeed, it's not uncommon in winter. I've been offered a lot of money to end the

curse, but I didn't take it. Nothing can stand against the Wild Hunt..."

 

[Avaricious]

Even in the books the Red Riders have always been the Wild Hunt, there is a lot of evidence that heavily implies. It's pretty much outright stated when the unicorns say that Eredin and his riders wander the worlds as impotent ghosts.

 

[Antiks07]

Ahhh I get it now. So the ppl the kidnap and leave with no memory after are actually the slaves that Ciri sees working around the castle. I guess the pile of bones she finds are ones that died. Weird the return some of themand wipe their memory. I knew eredins red riders could travel through time and space but didn't put two and two together that the humans viewed them as the wild hunt.

The books and games are extremely detailed. I don't think I've ever played anything else with such a deep lore before. It's too bad witcher 3 isn't the first in a trilogy of games instead of the last.

 

[dmcaldw]

Ahhh I get it now. So the ppl the kidnap and leave with no memory after are actually the slaves that Ciri sees working around the castle. I guess the pile of bones she finds are ones that died. Weird the return some of themand wipe their memory. I knew eredins red riders could travel through time and space but didn't put two and two together that the humans viewed them as the wild hunt.

The books and games are extremely detailed. I don't think I've ever played anything else with such a deep lore before. It's too bad witcher 3 isn't the first in a trilogy of games instead of the last.

A little to the off topic side but in same genre I think the game does a pretty good job of demonstrating how the truth of perception can be bent i.e. Geralt being the butcher of white orchard or the truth of the Sabbath .
I think this was exposed in the second game as well .