"In our childhood," says Reginald Scot, "our mothers' maids have so terrified us with the oughe divell having hornes on his head, fier in his mouth, and a taile, eies like a bason, fanges like a dog, clawes like a beare, a skin like black coal, and a voice roaring like a lion, whereby we start and are afraid when we heare one crie Bough! and they have so fraied us with bull-beggers, spirits, witches, urchens, elves,hags, fairies, satyrs, pans, sylens, Kit with the cansticke, tritons, centaurs, dwarfes, giants, imps, calcars, conjurors, nymphs, changling, Incubus, Robin Goodfellow, the spoorne, the mare, the man in the oke, the hell wain, the fier drake, the puckle, Tom Thombe, Hob gobblin, Tom Tumbler, boneles, and such other bugs, that we are afraid of our owne shadowes."

-Discoverie of Witchcraft, London, 1584
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The Feast of the Huntsman:
A Sorcerous Communion with the Black Hunter,
Based on folklore and inner keys of Traditional Witchery



Go into a field on a windy night, make it remote from towns, lights, and homes. Place a bowl and cup on the ground, and ring it with white stones. Let your mind fill with the sounds of baying hounds far in the distant night, and walk around the cup and stones thrice against the sun, from left to right. If the moon is bright, you need no light, but if the moon is deep in wane, then light a taper or lantern flame.

Kneel facing north and close your eyes, and feel the earth tremble from the pound of a horse's hooves,See in your mind's eye the approach of a terrible black hunter, but see a ghostly white stag's face and horns coming through the night. Behind this ghostly white face and within it, see a black-skinned man with terrible horns and a long hunting staff. Small spurts of flame dance near the ground, from the mouths of the hounds. Pounding hoof and baying hound should fill your inner ears.


Hold your hands to the north, palms open and facing away from you, and say, over and over again:


Hellekin, Hellekin, Black Hunter Grim,
In the name of the Three Faerie Virgins,
Milia, Achilia, Sibylia,
Come forthwith and count me friend!

Hound-Master, Hunt-Master, Strike me not
But draw near and bless my cup.
In the name of the Faery Lady that you love
With you I wish to sup.

Hellekin, Hellekin, Black Hunter Grim,
Elf-Master and King Below,
In the three holiest names of Sibylia
Come forthwith and count me friend.

For I am a son/daughter of the Old Ways,
I put no faith in churches or christian men.




Keep this up until one of the following things happens:

You hear the actual baying of hounds;
You hear a horn being blown;
You hear a sound you cannot identify, or the sound of something large crashing through the darkness;
A sudden wind grows strong and blows by you, or the weather becomes more agitated;
You hear a rumble of thunder;
You feel a deep, powerful or dark presence surrounding you and permeating the Land about you.



Bow to the Hunter, whose presence should be felt. Pick up the cup, which should have ale or red wine in it, and turn it counterclockwise three times, then place it down and do the same with the bowl, which should have some bread or meat in it, and say the following over both of them as they sit in the circle of stones:


Janicot-Vindonus, Black Hunter, Hellekin,
On the Hell-track ringed by Ratchets Grim,
King of Ghostes and Shadowes, Oughe-Divell,
In pursuit of Dame Sib, Our Ladie Owle,
Touch here this ground, this bowle and cup
Then all night I sall feast in lucke.




Eat and drink. Pour the remains of the cup and leave the rest of the meat or bread on the bare ground, in the circle of stones. As you pour the drink on the earth and lay the bread or meat there, say:

Black Hunter, in the clamour of thy ghostly chase,
By thy merciless hounds, may my foes be hunted;
By female faeries may my tomb be haunted,
To know death not in their deathless arms
To look forever on the faery-virgin's face.



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