Don: equivalent of the Irish Dana, mother-goddess.

 

Math: brother of Don, god of wealth and increase.

 

Gwydion: son of Dana, god of science and light, slayer of Pryderi.

 

Arainrod: daughter of Don, goddess of the dawn whose name means silver wheel .

 

Gilvaethwy: son of Don.

 

Amaethon: child of Don, agriculture deity.

 

Govannan: son of Don, god of smithcraft, equivalent of Irish Goban.

 

Nudd or Ludd: son of Dana, god of the sky.

 

Penardun: daughter of Don and Llyr.

 

Nynniaw: child of Don.

 

Gwyn: child of Nudd, Warder of Hades.

 

Nwyre: child of Arianrod and Gwydion,  deity of atmosphere and  space.

 

Llea Llaw Gyffes: son of Arianrod and Gwydion, god of the sun, equivalent of the Irish Lugh.

 

Dylan: son of Arianrod and Gwydion, god of the sea.

 

Iweriadd: mother of Bran and Branwen, wife of Llyr, daughter of Don.

 

Llyr: husband first of Penardun and then of Iweriadd. King of the Tuatha De Danaan, father of Bran, Branwen and Manawyddan.

 

Bran: giant god of Hades, a minstrel; afterwards Urien.

 

Branwen: goddess of love.

 

Matholwych: King of Ireland.

 

Manawyddan: equivalent of the Irish Mananan, god of the sea, enchanter.

 

Rhiannon: mare goddess.

 

Nissyen: son of Eurosswyd and Penardun.

 

Evnissyen: son of Euroswydd and Penardun.

 

Pwyll: head of Hades, husband of Rhiannon.

 

Pryderi: son of Rhiannon and Pwyll, husband of Kicva.

 

Anlawdd:

 

Custennin: begat Goreu, Erbin and Gwyar.

 

Erbin: begat Geraint.

 

Igerna: wife of Uther, mother of Arthur and Gwyar.

 

Uther: same as Bran.

 

Arthur: Gwydion

 

Gwyar: also known as Gore, goddess of war.

 

Lot: same as Llud.

 

Gwalchmai: son of Lot and Gwyar, falcon of May, aka Llew Llaw Lyffes and later Gawain.

 

Medrawt: son of Lot and Gwyar, same as Dylan and later Sir Mordred.

 

Gwalchaved: son of Lot and Gwyar, Falcon of Summer, later Sir Galahad; originally identical with Gwalchmai.

 

 

 

    There are many different ideas among modern Pagans about what a "Wild Hunt" is and I thought that I would list some of them and their supporting legends here. You must realize that not all modern Pagans consider all of these a "Wild Hunt." These are ideas that I have either heard or read about. I have been a practicing "ceremonial magician" for seventten years and a student of both Paganism and various witchcraft "traditions" during those seventeen years. Most of my studies occurred simultaneously.

 

 

In at least one "Dianic Tradition," the "Wild Hunt" is the quest for love and/or sex. The WildHunt is the act of wooing your prospective lover(s) and the consummation of that relationship (not just sexually). The Wild Hunt is sometimes seen as the lifelong relationship that some people have with each other and their respective responses toeach other. This is very seriously not considered to be a negative Wild Hunt because the accepted goals of boh parties are Love, happiness and personal fulfillment. Interested parties should read "The  Spiral Dance" by Starhawk among others.

 

    Among various traditions who claim to practice in the Celtic Tradition, the Wild Hunt takes on a totally different meaning, although for some reason, it involves the Greek goddess, Diana and has a less than pleasnt outcome.

 

 

    This is an old Cornish version of a widely accepted tale. Devil's Dandy Dogs, a very diabolical pack, hunts the countryside for human souls...

 

    An Highlnd version incorporates The Sluagh, or the Host, which is a bunch of the unforgiven, dead Highland Fairy folk...

 

    In both of the above medeival tales, witches join the phantoms and the ghostly train led by the Greek goddess, Diana. It should be noted that everyone who joined Diana on these "Wild Hunts" was an active participant in everything that was done by Diana and her ghostly train, which could include but was not limited to, causing milk-cows to "go dry," water wells to go dry and even the death of a particular human.

 

 

    In this version, the Wild Hunt is a furious bunch of ghosts of the restless dead, who ride through the sky on their phantom horses, accompanied by their spectral hounds, shrieking and making all manner of wild noises.

 

    In another legend, Herne the Hunter is said to appear at times of national crisis in Windsor Great Park. He wears stag antlers and leads his Wild Hunt of red-eared hounds across the sky.

 

 

    In 1986, I met a particular practitioner in the Nordic Tradition who told me that the Greek goddess, Diana, would help bring about "Ragnorak" which is the death of the Old Gods and countless numbers of their followers and that it was a Nordic Pagans duty to follow Diana's path. Other Pagans were not to be spared and in fact were to be hunted by every Nordic Pagan unless they could prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that they were being true to the Old Gods and the true test was their willingness to wage war on "the infidels" or hypocrite Pagans. It sounded a bit like a kangaroo court to me. I have been told recently (finally?!?) that not all Nordic Pagans believe exactly this way. They do have a habit of calling themselves heathens rather than Pagans. Most Pagans call themselves either Pagans or neo-Pagans.

 

 

    I have a fairly good library, and I have been searching out various "Wild Hunt" tales for years and if you know of others as well as a valid literary source to back it up with, let me know. I have also been asking other Pagans to tell me of any other "Wild Hunt" legends only to be treated less than politely, because supposedly everyone is supposed to know all about this subject which is perhaps mentioned in three of  the many books that I own. Many Pagans have never heard of Starhawk's version or of one the modern Nordic beliefs although they claim to be experts on modern Pagan (neo-Pagan) beliefs and practices. Take care in who you choose as a teacher and read as many books as you can!