Mythology of The Witcher - The Wild Hunt - European - Extra Mythology

We're doing something a little bit different for this Extra Mythology. We're examining the intersection of real world mythology and fictional world mythology in The Witcher. One of the main antagonists in The Witcher 3 is a spectral force named The Wild Hunt. Well, kinda spectral. Turns out there's a whole big deal with some portals and elves??? But there's also an equivalent, from many different places all over the world. Slavic folklore tells of riders that come with baying hounds and winter winds. They take all different forms, but all share one thing in common: you don't want to be taken by them, wherever they may go.

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♪ Music: "Extra Mythology Theme" by Big Giant Circles

[JohnnyElRed]

Honestly, in northwestern Spain and Portugal we have a very similar myth to the Wild Hunt, but also very distinct. The Santa Compaña. (Or Holy Company)
They are a processions of the deceased in white garbs. Whose job, sometimes, is to go around villages to collect the souls of the recently deceased to travel with them. In which case, if you cross pathes with them or watch them from your window, you might see the face of a neighbour of yours between them, only for you to learn the next morning that he died during his sleep.
But other times, if you are unlucky enough to find them in your way during the night, they will make you carry the cross as head of the procession. In which case, you better pray you find another living person on your path, to whom you can pass the cross in your place. Because if not, before morning arrives, they will take you with them to the other side.

[JohnnyElRed]

"And worst of all... humans."
*GASP!* So man was truly the monster all along!

[braydenperry]

Love the opening, and how you are bringing games and mythology together in this episode

[anungunrama]

I would love to see the mythological comparisons to Lord of The Rings and The Hobbit explored in a video.

[thearchitect]

“You know that actually sounds like mindflayers in dnd, making a note to explore their mythology as well some day.”
Everyone that likes dnd:
That was very cash money of you

[brianweaver]

As the riders loped on by him, he heard one call his name
"If you want to save your soul from hell a-riding on our range
Then cowboy, change your ways today, or with us you will ride
Trying to catch the devil's herd across these endless skies."

[advanceringnewholder]

4:32 Wait Wait Wait. This is kinda similar to the tale my father told me about the black hunter. The myth goes as follows: The Black Hunter (not the actual name because i name it based on the descriptions given in the tale. Also the tale is from South Borneo, Indonesia. So expect some translation error) will show up in the forest in rainy weather but the sun is still shining. We call it "hujan panas". This weather is believed to be when our world and the other world (alam ghaib in Indonesian) is at the closest and all sorts of demons and ghost and djin will come out. This black hunter is dressed all in black and bringing with him dogs and a blow dart. Just like in the video, it is better you spot him first than otherwise. If you spot him, you better run, go home to your camp and hide inside mosquito net, he can't see you inside, still coming closer tho but to the Hunters eyes, the mosquito net is a thick thorny swamp, he and his dog wouldn't seek further. But, if he spots you first, he will shoot a dart at you with a traditional dayak blowgun. If it hit, you'll be bleeding and he will drink your blood and leave. You aren't dead...yet. You'll be weak and lethargic. And slowly dying a few days later. My father said that my grandpa encounter one, luckily my grandpa see him first.

It's a different story but kinda have the same feel.

[xSuperSS]

Wow you just pissed off Andrzej Sapkowski so much by potraying Wild Hunt to be added by CDProjekt Red xD

[ach]

Dear Authors, here 5:38 you are wrong - the Wild Hunt appears in Witcher 3 because its story is based on Andrzej Sapkowski novels - it was not just an artistic decision of CDPR writers as the Wild Hunt is essential in story of Ciri and Geralt that game and books portait.

[weldonwin]

Toss a coin to your Patreon,
Oh viewers of Youtube,
Oh viewers of Youtube...

[hamishsewell]

An Extra Mythology episode on Frank Herbert’s Dune would be a must see, given the Islamic influences

[jonathanfaber]

0:40 I love how the kid's got a controller that's not plugged in

*tosses multiple coins to my narrator

[shahshah]

This is such a wonderful series and this is an especially well thought out episode. I would love to see more of how mythology impacts our entertainment products, not just games but movies, books and music too. Thank you for the beautiful episode!

[DWViking]

I love the integration of fictional mythology, it works so well and I like how you related it back to the real world. Definitely do more

[cybermat]

Umm... You guys know that most (if not all) lore of Witcher games is taken from novels written by Andrzej Sapkowski? Right? This include wild hunt too.

[UltimateVegetto]

Hmm, honestly, I felt there were things missing in this video. You mentioned the rumored pack of dogs and the cold storm that the riders bring with them, but didn't really connect it to the Wild Hunt and how the Witcher series explains both these phenomena. Also some more historical backgrounds into this myth itself would've been great. Where did it come from? why was it so persistent? Is it directly correlated to sudden winter storms? Stuff like that.

[thegreyman]

Wait a minute! This reminds me of Mari Lwyd, the festival with the Horse Skulls on poles and garb that barge into peoples house and dances and stuff, scaring people and taking their food from passing door to door!

It’s an age old tradition, and that might be a link to this as well!

[revoltaiignoto]

The Mythology surrounding the Wild Hunt is so strong that many inmigrants brought it to the continent and is actually the origin of the tales of riders in the sky, as you may know it from the song or the ghost rider comic.
Many figures have been said to lead the Wild Hunt, from Satan to King Arthur spirit, Francis Drake, Odin and the Valkyries and if Im not mistaked Mathias Corvinus the Black from Hungary. As a trivia, you may found all of those legends in the Gacha Game FGO where both Francis Drake and Arturia Alter Lancer both uses the Wild Hund as part of their habilities.

[VarangianGuard]

This was a magnificent episode! Many new things were learned about the lore of the Witcher.. I will however say one thing.
I would never personally worry about the Wild Hunt invading my home, because All-Father Odin and his Riders are always welcome by my fireside.

[vetonrecica]

0:35 yes, I also like playing the witcher with a toddler.