HERNE THE HUNTER
The horned man. He is traditionally a fearsome figure, the leader of The Wild Hunt, a band of Hell-hounds, white dogs with red ears, who chase in Mid-winter, so that farmers used to lock up all their livestock so that they would not be driven mad by the sounds of the hunt. He occurs across Europe under various names and genders including Berta, Holt, Selga, and Herla, and may be a version of the old French Celtic antlered god Cernnunos.
At the back of the picture a car exhaust was put to blend in with the trees as a symbol of how modern life is encroaching on the forests that he inhabits as we cut them down to build roads. He is shown making an arrow, ready for the hunt.
All images and text Copyright © 2003 Caroline Blackburn.