Overview: Who is Herne the Hunter? Is he an ancient Lord of the Forest, the ghost of a disgraced forester who haunts a tree in Windsor Great Park or a character invented by a playwright for the conclusion of his play?

To find the answer, take a deep dive into 400 years of literature, entertainment, history and worship to discover more about the mysterious figure so many hold in great affection.

Verdict: In English folklore, and the way that I grew up with this lore (being British) was that Herne the Hunter is a ghostly phantom said to haunt Windsor Forest and Great Park, appearing as a horned rider with stag antlers, chains, and a pack of hounds; and who first appeared in print in William Shakespeare’s 1597 play The Merry Wives of Windsor.

Indeed, that was seemingly the earliest mention of Herne, but it is impossible to know how accurately or to what degree Shakespeare may have incorporated a real local legend into his work - though there have been several later attempts to connect Herne to historical figures, pagan deities, or ancient archetypes.

Regardless, Herne became widely popularized after his appearance in Shakespeare’s play, and the supposed location of Herne’s Oak was, for many years, a matter of local speculation and controversy. Indeed, being a little history buff on this very same subject, I can add that some Ordnance Survey maps show Herne’s Oak a little to the north of Frogmore House in the Home Park (adjoining Windsor Great Park).

However, this particular tree was felled in 1796. In 1838, Edward Jesse claimed that a different tree in the avenue was the real Herne’s Oak, and this gained in popularity especially with Queen Victoria.

But, getting back on prose track, most of what author Andrew Anderson has written here within Herne the Hunter: The Lord of the Forest revolves around the importance of evidence, as he himself freely states. It considers what documents and study of historical context tells us about Herne, thus trying to unpick where our beliefs about him actually came from.

In closing, the book is a fascinating adventure from start to finish of someone who was either a mythological being of flesh and blood, or who was simply just a figment of Shakespeare’s wild imagination. Either way, the book is a powerful ode to a figure that, perhaps, not many know much about and really should.

About the Author - Andrew is a member of The Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids and is the current editor of the order’s Magazine, Touchstone. He recently retrained as an Environmental Manager, turning his passion for wildlife and sustainability into his career. His books, The Ritual of Writing, Artio and Artaois and The Magic of Cats, are available through Moon Books. Andrew lives in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire.

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