The Stag in my Wild Hunt World

Herne, in my Wild Hunt Series, is the son of Cernunnos, Lord of the Forest. In actuality, Herne was a legendary hunter/demigod figure in Celtic Mythology. But regardless of whether it’s my world, or actual mythology, both Herne and Cernunnos are represented by the sacred stag. There are a number of variations on the mythology of the stag, but within my Wild Hunt world, I’m building a mythology where the King Stag of the woodland is the Hero, on the Hero’s Journey, and he’s also the spirit of the forest.

He meets and mates with the Goddess of Sovereignty—the Goddess who is the goddess of the land. When she gives permission for the Hero to mate with her, her acceptance of him legitimizes the hero. They are suited for one another, and quite often the Hero doesn’t fully recognize/understand the power the Goddess of Sovereignty possesses. But when they unite, they form a whole—the Lord and Lady of the Woodland.

The stag is also a symbol of prosperity and leadership, he rules the forest, and he’s a bounty for hunters. While most mythologies focus on the nature of the White Stag, I wanted to change it up. Silver is the Goddess’s natural metal, and so the Silver Stag ultimately belongs to the Goddess.

When he’s in his stag form, Herne is as big as a red stag from Europe—and they were huge.

If you haven’t read my Wild Hunt Series yet, I encourage you to give it a try. My readers who were addicted to Otherworld seem to be really loving the Wild Hunt world—and it’s a world in which I plan to be writing for quite some time.

Reading Order:

1. The Silver Stag: KINDLE & PRINT | NOOK | iBOOKS | KOBO
2. Oak & Thorns: KINDLE & PRINT | KOBO | NOOK | iBOOKS
3. Iron Bones: KINDLE | NOOK | iBOOKS | KOBO
4. A Shadow of Crows (pre-order): KINDLE | NOOK| iBOOKS| KOBO