Book Review: Pagan Portals - The Wild Hunt

Fairy and folklore expert Morgan Daimler's latest book is on The Wild Hunt, and it's brilliant. I was delighted to read it before it's officially published next month.

The concept of a group of spectral horsemen and hounds swooping down from the sky in relentless pursuit of their prey, animal or human, is a topic that fascinates me both as a writer and a witch who might potentially be out in the wilds of nature at a time the Hunt is said to ride.

But what exactly is the Wild Hunt and who leads them? Well, there are many theories and many folktales from around the world that seem to fit the archetype, but are they the same phenomena or just similar?

The answer seems to be, no one quite knows, but this book offers an overview of the various entities that could be called by that name, or operate in a similar way. Morgan is renowned for her painstaking research into the topics of all her books, and this is no exception, but this new title in the Pagan Portals series far more than a scholarly exploration of folklore. It's also about how to deal with "the spirits who hunt the skies". It covers how to avoid them, how to work with them in pagan ritual as safely as possible, and even includes a guided visualisation to meet them.

Here's the synopsis of Pagan Portals - The Wild Hunt offered by Moon Books on the publisher's website:

"This book is an introduction to the Wild Hunt, the group of spirits which hunt the sky, heralded by the baying of hounds and the sound of horses' hooves in the air. With stories from across Europe and its history, the Wild Hunt is as intriguing today as it's ever been, and many modern pagans are drawn to learn about it and even interact with it. Here you will explore the history of the Wild Hunt and similar groups of spirits from Europe to the US, looking at who may lead the Hunt and what its wider purpose might be."

You can view Pagan Portals - The Wild Hunt on Amazon

(Please note: I earn commission from some links)

About the author

Morgan Daimler teaches classes on Irish myth and magical practices, fairies, and related subjects in the United States and internationally. She has been published in multiple anthologies as well as articles in various magazines, and she is one of the world's foremost experts on all things Fairy. Besides the titles available through Moon Books Morgan has a high fantasy novel 'Into Shadow' through Cosmic Egg and has an urban fantasy/paranormal romance series called Between the Worlds. Morgan has also presented papers on fairies and on fairies and witches at several university conferences.

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