Herne the Hunter
Antlered and shadow-swift, Herne haunts Windsor Forest. Once a royal huntsman, he rides in storms and punishes oath-breakers, leading a ghostly chase through the woods.
Story beats
- 1) Herne saves a king’s life; jealous rivals frame him. Shamed, he hangs himself and returns as forest wraith.
- 2) He appears with rattling chains and antlers, chasing deer—or the unfaithful—under moonlit oaks.
- 3) Folktales link him to the Wild Hunt; hoofbeats and horns mean travelers should leave offerings.
- 4) Breaking oaths in the forest draws his ire; honest hunters may earn his guidance.
Context & symbolism
Herne blends justice and wildness: a wronged retainer turned guardian. Antlers mark liminality between man and beast; chains recall his unjust death.
He warns against treachery in service and the cost of pride within royal courts.
Motifs
- Ghostly huntsman
- Forest justice
- Antlered human-animal hybrid
- Storm chases and horn calls
Use it in play
- Break a curse by clearing Herne’s name at court.
- Join his hunt to chase a greater evil through spectral woods.
- Appease Herne with an oath and oak offering for safe passage.
- Get caught between Herne’s justice and the Wild Hunt’s chaos.
Comparative threads
- Wild Huntsmen: Odin, Gwyn ap Nudd.
- Antlered figures: Cernunnos, horned forest spirits.
Hooks and campaign seeds
- An oath-breaker flees into the woods; Herne follows. Do you aid or hinder?
- Herne’s chains are stolen; unrest spreads until they’re returned.
- A king dreams of antlers; interpret it before the hunt rides.