Cernunnos/Herne

It is the image of Cernunnos/Herne we think of as the "Lord" or "God"

Cernunnos is a Roman name meaning "horned one." His Celtic name is unknown, although he may be associated with Derg Corra, the early Celtic "Man in the Tree." He is the mysterious horned deity worshipped by Iron age Celts across Europe until the end of the first century. Very little is known about Cernunnos except his name and his image. To the Celts as Cernunnos, the Horned God was more than just a fertile being.  He is found throughout the Celtic lands and folklore as the guardian of the portal leading to the Otherworld. The name Cernunnos is known only through damaged carvings found at Notre Dame. In these carvings, a deity with short horns carries the incomplete inscription 'ERNUNNO'. He was such an important deity to the pagan Celts, that his image and prowess became a major target for the early Christian church. It is his image that is believed to have been adopted for their mythos of the Devil 'deo falsus' or the false god. His status as the god of Hell would coincide with the view of the pagan Celts as the guardian of the Otherworld.

The image depicting Cernunnos which appears above, is from the "Gundestrup Cauldron," a ritual object of unknown use discovered in pieces in a peat bog in Denmark.

Herne is a British deity know as "Herne the Hunter", the British version of the Horned God; he is seen as the leader of the Wild Hunt. As an antlered giant, he is rumoured to still survive and live in the forests of Windsor Great Park. As the story goes, Herne was one of the King's huntsmen in the Great Park, a man skilled in woodcraft. One day when he and the King were out hunting a huge stage they were racking turned on the King charging to gore him. Herne bravely stood in its way and saved the King's life, but he was seriously gored himself.

From a beech tree a wizard called Phillip Urwick appeared. He bade the King to strap the dead stag's antlers to Herne's head. The King bound Herne to an oak to support him, and miraculously he survived. The King was forever grateful and Herne became his favourite head huntsman.

Urwick tended Herne back to health in his hut on Bagshot Heath. Two of the other huntsmen became jealous of the King's favourite and some say they framed him for poaching and others say they struck a bargain with Urwick to remove his skill at woodcraft. Whatever the cause, Herne hanged himself in shame from his oak but his spirit was restless - and the wild hunt had begun.

The two treacherous huntsmen were impelled by Urwick to ride with Herne for all eternity and to this day the hunt is seen or heard in Windsor Forest and as far away as Cookham Moor and Huntercombe Manor which gets its name from the hunter.

His longevity is owed to the cult of Cernunnos, who have also linked his generosity to provide for the tribe to the legend of Robin Hood. Some suggest that Herne was the father to Robin of Loxley; which is probably more an association since Herne is a much older figure in legend and myth. In this ability to provide for the tribe as the great Hunter of the wood, he is forever linked to the Horned God.

Click here for "Charge of the God"