Episode 74 - THE WILD HUNT AND THE WITCHES

Historian Ronald Hutton debunks the shamanistic pagan roots often attributed to the Wild Hunt. The podcast explores the origins and transformations of the Wild Hunt, its connection to witchcraft and the witches Sabbath, and its decline by the 16th century. It also discusses the medieval tradition of 'the rides' and their influence on the development of the early witch's Sabbath stereotype. The absence of night roving spirits in early trial records and a new definition of the Wild Hunt are explored. The podcast challenges traditional labels and discusses the need for new terminology.