Herla or King Herla ( Old English : * Her(e)la Cyning ) is a legendary leader of the mythical Germanic Wild Hunt and the name from which the Old French term Herlequin may have been derived. Herla often has been identified as Woden and in the writings of the twelfth-century writer Walter Map , he is portrayed as a legendary king of the Britons who became the leader of the Wild Hunt after a visit to the Otherworld , only to return some three hundred years later, after the Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain .
36-453: Map's tale occurs in two versions in his De nugis curialium . The first and longer account, found in section 1.12, provides far more detail; it tells of Herla's encounter with an otherworldly being, his journey to the latter's homeland, his transformation into the leader of the Hunt after his return to the human realm, and, finally, the disappearance of Herla and his band during the first year of
72-683: A tournament in Louvain The legendary fighter Gado and a supposed Roman invasion of Offa 's kingdom Tales of Andronikos I Komnenos Gillescop the Scot The Welsh and their hospitality Tales of King Llywelyn and his wife; with a reminiscence of a discussion of the Welsh between Walter Map and Thomas Becket Tales from South Wales: Conan the Fearless, Cheveslin the Thief, and
108-752: A borderer to the Welsh": Walter Map, De Nugis Curialium distinctio 2 chapter 23 ^ Ruickbie , 2004, p. 68 References [ edit ] Antonia Gransden, Historical Writing in England, c. 550 to c. 1307 (London: Routledge, 1974) pp. 242–244. Leo Ruickbie, Witchcraft Out of the Shadows: A Complete History . Robert Hale, 2004. Levine, Robert. "How to Read Walter Map." Mittellateinisches Jahrbuch 23 (1988): 91-105. Made available online by prof. Levine . Editions and translations [ edit ] Mapes, Gualteri . De nugis curialium distinctiones quinque . Latin text edited, with
144-416: A brief discussion of incubi and succubi Brief meditation on fantastic narratives and their theological implications; tale of a knight of "Lesser Britain" (i.e., Brittany ) who rescued his dead wife from the fairies Tale of demonic infanticide Tale of Saint Anthony , who encountered both a centaur and (apparently) Pan while searching for Saint Paul Anecdote about an unknown knight at
180-431: A brief justification of fiction and its pleasures The friendship of Sadius and Galo The quarrels of Parius and Lausus The story of Raso the vavasour and his wife The story of Rollo and his wife Distinctio quarta [ edit ] Autobiographical prologue and "epilogue" Copy of the letter (sometimes found among the works of Saint Jerome ) in which Valerius advises Rufinus against marriage Story of
216-460: A brief satire on the court of King Henry II Story of Salius Story of Alan, so-called King of Brittany (apparently Alan Fergant ) Story of the merchants Sceva and Ollo Distinctio quinta [ edit ] Prologue; reflections on fame and the chansons de geste Story of the unidentified Apollonides, rex in partibus occidentis ("a king of the western regions") Life and character of Godwin, Earl of Wessex Life of Canute
252-541: A description of their interview with King William I (already told in Distinctio secunda but here the tale includes details not found in the earlier account) Story of Gerbert of Aurillac ( Pope Sylvester II ) deceived by the Devil Story of the cobbler of Constantinople Story of the merman Nicholas Pipe; anecdotes about phantom herds of animals; story of King Herla (already told in Distinctio prima );
288-551: A female huntress (Lord of the hunt), commanded by Gwen to complete the wild hunt. Song of the Huntress, Lucy Holland (March 2024) De nugis curialium Book of 12th century anecdotes by Walter Map De nugis curialium ( Medieval Latin for "Of the trifles of courtiers" or loosely "Trinkets for the Court" ) is the major surviving work of the 12th-century Latin author Walter Map . He
324-817: A figure that usually is said to be Woden in his guise as leader of the Germanic Wild Hunt and thus the name is thought to be related to the French Harlequin (variant form of Herlequin , Hellequin ), the leader of the Wild Hunt in Old French tradition. The later Germanic tribe of the Heruli are also related to Herla. Also, King Herla possibly is related to the German Erlking (best known from Goethe's ballad Erlkönig ). Herla,
360-605: A king of the Britons , meets with an unnamed dwarven king with a great, red beard and goat's hooves , who is mounted on a goat. They make a pact: if the latter attends Herla's wedding, Herla will reciprocate precisely one year later. On the day of Herla's marriage, the dwarf king attends with a vast host, bringing gifts and provisions. The dwarf king's followers attend to the wedding guests so efficiently that Herla's own preparations are left untouched. The otherworldly king then reminds Herla of his promise, and departs. A year later,
396-591: A monk of Gloucester Anecdotes of Peter of Tarentaise Anecdote about a hermit, a demonic pet snake, and foolish charity A meeting with Luke of Hungary (afterwards archbishop of Esztergom ) at Gerard la Pucelle 's lectures at the University of Paris ; Luke's later encounters with the warring royal family of Hungary, Géza II , his sons István III and Béla III and brothers László II and István IV , as told to Walter Map by Hugh of le Mans , bishop of Acre Welsh religious practices, as exemplified by
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#1732776400389432-822: A preface, by Thomas Wright . London, Camden Society , 1850. At the Internet Archive ; also at the Internet Archive: archive.org . Map, Walter . De nugis curialium . Latin text edited, with a preface, by Montague Rhodes James . Oxford, Clarendon Press , 1914. Anecdota Oxoniensia, Medieval and Modern Series , 6. At the Internet Archive. Map, Walter. Walter Map's De nugis curialium . Translated by Montague R. James. With historical notes by John Edward Lloyd . Edited by E. Sidney Hartland . London, Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion , 1923. Cymmrodorion Record Series no. 9 (translation). At
468-647: A retainer in the household of William de Braose, Lord of Bramber Helya, a Welsh hermit in the Forest of Dean Tale about Cadoc , Welsh king and saint Tale of the Welshman Gwestin Gwestiniog and his fairy bride; the tale of their son Triunein Vagelauc, his service at the court of the king of Deheubarth , and an attack on King Brychan of Brycheiniog (i.e., Brecknock ) Tales of Wild Edric , his fairy bride, and their son Alnoth; with
504-485: A rough draft of the opening of Distinctio prima ). This concluding chapter begins with a citation of the words of Saint Augustine : "I am in the world and I speak of the world, but I do not know what the world is". Notes [ edit ] ^ C. N. L. Brooke, "Map, Walter (d. 1209/10)" in Oxford Dictionary of National Biography , Oxford University Press, 2004 Paysite ^ Literally "I am
540-405: A small bloodhound, advising him that no man should dismount his horse before the dog leaps down. After Herla and his band return to the human realm, they encounter an elderly shepherd, whom Herla asks for news of his queen. The old man, astonished, replies, "I can barely understand your speech, for I am a Saxon and you are a Briton." The elderly shepherd described a legend of a very ancient queen of
576-492: A story from Hay-on-Wye Revenants , citing Gilbert Foliot and Roger, bishop of Worcester Revenant from the Historia Caroli Magni (pseudo-Turpin) A ghost story from Northumberland The benefits of not following proverbial advice Brief conclusion in which Walter calls himself a "huntsman" ( venator ) who brings home game for the reader Distinctio tertia [ edit ] Prologue;
612-649: A tale of devil-worship which illustrates the development of medieval ideas of witchcraft Narrative of a meeting with the Waldensians , who had come to the Third Lateran Council at Rome in 1179 to petition Pope Alexander III for the right to preach Story told by Philip of Naples of a meeting in Montenegro with three hermits, a Frenchman, an Englishman and a Scot Distinctio secunda [ edit ] Prologue Anecdote of Gregory,
648-544: A three-hundred-year-old genetically reconstructed and cerebrally augmented Basilosaurus by the name of Zalophus; the aardmen, hybrids of dog and man; hydrapithecenes, human-fish or human-cuttlefish hybrids somewhat resembling Davy Jones and his crew from the Pirates of the Caribbean film series ; and sagittals, whelks genetically engineered to be worn as a bracelet and, when its host feels threatened or agitated, extrude
684-885: Is an American writer. Hand grew up in Yonkers and Pound Ridge, New York . She studied drama and anthropology at the Catholic University of America . Since 1988, Hand has lived in coastal Maine , the setting for many of her stories, and as of 2000 lives in Lincolnville . She also lives part-time in Camden Town , London which has been the setting for Mortal Love and the short story "Cleopatra Brimstone". Hand's first published story, "Prince of Flowers", appeared in 1988 in The Twilight Zone Magazine , and her first novel, Winterlong ,
720-406: Is supposed to illustrate the trickery of the elder races, such as the dwarves. That, for ignorant men, their miniature kingdoms harboured dangers which could bring even a king to his knees. It also is an example of the widespread belief that time in the elfin realms passed more slowly than it did on Earth. The story bears strong resemblances to the Welsh tale of Preiddeu Annwn or the "Spoils of
756-609: The Inkpot Award in 2018. She also writes movie and television spin-offs, including Star Wars tie-in novels and novelizations of such films as The X-Files and 12 Monkeys . She contributed a Bride of Frankenstein novel to the recent series of classic movie monster novels published by Dark Horse Comics . One of Hand's themes from the Winterlong saga is the remorseless exploitation of animal and plant species to create what she calls "geneslaves." Examples include
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#1732776400389792-679: The historical fantasy Mortal Love (2004), a Washington Post Notable Book; the psychological thriller Generation Loss (2007), and the World Fantasy Award -winning " The Maiden Flight of McCauley's Bellerophon ". Her story collections are Last Summer at Mars Hill (1998) (which includes the Nebula and World Fantasy award-winning title novella); Bibliomancy (2002), winner of the World Fantasy Award; and Saffron and Brimstone: Strange Stories , which includes
828-512: The Britons bearing the name mentioned, the wife of King Herla, who had disappeared with a dwarf king into that very cliff and was never seen again. The shepherd also added that currently the Saxons had been in possession of the kingdom for the last two hundred years, and had driven out the native Britons. Herla, who thought he had been away for just three days, is so amazed he barely could stay in
864-509: The Great and his dealings with Godwin Henry I of England and Louis VI of France The death of William II of England , regum pessimus ("the worst of kings"); Map 's first-hand account of the character of King Henry II ; and Map 's description of his own running dispute with Henry's illegitimate son Geoffrey A satirical comparison of the court of King Henry II with Hell (essentially
900-867: The Internet Archive. Map, Walter. De nugis curialium . Edited and translated by M. R. James . Revised by C. N. L. Brooke and R. A. B. Mynors . Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1983. (Latin text and facing-page English translation). At the Internet Archive. Authority control databases [REDACTED] International VIAF National Germany Israel Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=De_nugis_curialium&oldid=1253465725 " Categories : 12th-century books in Latin British literature Works by Walter Map Wild Hunt Hidden categories: Articles with short description Short description matches Wikidata Elizabeth Hand Elizabeth Hand (born March 29, 1957)
936-820: The Mountain , founder of the Assassins Founding of the Knights Hospitaller Foundation of the Cistercian Order with anecdotes of Stephen Harding , Bernard of Clairvaux and Arnold of Brescia Further anecdotes of the Cistercians, Benedictines , Grandmontines and Carthusians Gilbert of Sempringham and his Order The heretic or robber bands known as Routiers , Brabantians or Brabazons The heretics called Publicans and Patarines ; this section includes
972-614: The Nebula Award-winning "Echo" (2006). Mortal Love was also shortlisted for the 2005 Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Adult Literature. Among Hand's other recent short fiction, "Pavane for a Prince of the Air" (2002) and "Cleopatra Brimstone" (2001) won International Horror Guild Awards. Most recently, she won the Shirley Jackson Award for Generation Loss and the World Fantasy Award in 2008 for Illyria , and
1008-771: The Otherworld" and the First Branch of the Mabinogi to which it may be connected, with Herla replaced by Pwyll . The legend of King Herla figures in The True Annals of Fairyland in The Reign of King Herla , ed. Ernest Rhys. http://www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0014/28103/C_Fairy_tales.pdf and in Elizabeth Hand 's historical fantasy novel Mortal Love (2004). Herla is referred to as
1044-458: The boy Eudo deceived by the Devil Story of a Cluniac monk (already told in Distinctio prima ) Story of a knight of "Lesser Britain" (i.e., Brittany ) who rescued his dead wife from the fairies (already told in Distinctio secunda ) Story of Henno-with-the-Teeth (probably the Norman nobleman Hamon Dentatus ) and his Melusine -like wife Story of Wild Edric and his fairy bride; with
1080-442: The dwarf king sends for Herla, who summons his companions and selects gifts to take to the dwarf king's wedding. The party enters an opening in a high cliff, passes through darkness, and then enters a realm seemingly lit by lamps. After the wedding ceremony, which lasted for three days in the dwarf king's realm, is over, Herla prepares to depart. The dwarf gives him hunting animals and other gifts; in particular, he presents Herla with
1116-459: The history of his own time. Some are from personal knowledge, and apparently reliable; others represent popular rumours about history and current events, and are often far from the truth. Outline of contents [ edit ] Distinctio prima [ edit ] A comparison of royal courts with Hell; Hell and its mythical inhabitants Courtiers and serfs (including a conversation with Ranulf de Glanvill ) The legendary King Herla and
Herla - Misplaced Pages Continue
1152-766: The origins of the Wild Hunt Tale of an early king of Portugal (probably Afonso I or Sancho I ) who had his wife murdered Anecdotes of the poet Giscard de Beaulieu and of another Cluniac monk The capture of Jerusalem by Saladin on 2 October 1187 Founding of the Carthusian Order Founding of the Order of Grandmont by Saint Stephen of Muret Founding of the Knights Templar by Hugues de Payens with anecdotes of their early years The senex Axasessis or Old Man of
1188-424: The reign of Henry II of England (a synopsis of this longer version appears below ). The second account, found in section 4.13, includes only the ending of the earlier version. Herla is not mentioned in the second account by name; instead, Map refers to the entire host as "the troop of Herlethingus" ( familia Herlethingi ). King Herla is a modernisation of an Old English form reconstructed as * Her(e)la Cyning ,
1224-525: The saddle. Some of his men jump down from their horses, only to crumble quickly into dust. Herla warns his remaining companions not to dismount until the dog alights, but the dog, Map says wryly, has not yet alighted, and Herla and his host have become eternal wanderers. Map notes, however, that some say Herla's band plunged into the River Wye during the first year of the reign of King Henry II (the year 1154), and has never been seen since. This folk tale
1260-525: Was an English courtier of Welsh descent. Map claimed that he was a man of the Welsh Marches ( marchio sum Walensibus );. He was probably born in Herefordshire , but his studies and employment took him to Canterbury , Paris , Rome and to several royal and noble courts of Western Europe . The book takes the form of a series of anecdotes of people and places, offering many sidelights on
1296-603: Was published in 1990. With Paul Witcover, she created and wrote DC Comics ' 1990s cult series Anima . Hand's other works include Aestival Tide (1992); Icarus Descending (1993); Waking the Moon (1994), which won the Tiptree Award and the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award ; the post-apocalyptic novel Glimmering (1997); contemporary fantasy Black Light (1999), a New York Times Notable Book;
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