Im reading some books and collecting all the literature references regarding the myth of the "Wild Hunt".
I was planning to do this since 2010, and those months of hype and expectations have created a nice chance to dive into this amazing europe-wide "legend".
In fact there are dozens of variations and forms of the concept of the legend of the "Hunt", and even more references in the "classic" literature.
(from pre-christian "ctonian" myths, to some of their adaptations that you can find in Dante, Boccaccio, some German literature, Northern miths, and so on..)
I ve also find a local adaptation which was still told in oral form even in the IXX (19th) century in the near-alpine area of my country: Italy.
(You can find a piece of the original italian text in my signature image)
Anyway, here's a quick English translation:
"When the mountaineers,
who find themself rejoined by the Winter,
ears the scary hissing of the wind,
they think that many spirits have equally joined together,
and that they wanders,
running madly on the crests of the mountains, in the obscure woods, on the edge of glaciers and depth unknown while making a deafening noise.
Sometimes they still remember 'the purpose' of a famous warrior,
who became passionate for the Hunt, and started searching for it.
Sometimes they still remember some of the Old Gods,
in whose their ancients mountaneer-fathers of centuries ago were fervent believers,
and because of this,
they are all equally swept up, in the vertiginous charge of the Wild Hunt."
A nice example of "Middle-Age Equity", huh? XD
Well at least, I guess that this legend fits perfectly with the Witcher lore..
Can't wait to be Geralt again.
Brace Yourself! 19th of May is Coming!
Alx