Interview with Herne the Hunter

I'm pleased to sit down with the legendary Herne, a leader of the Wild Hunt, and an entity that many claim is an euhemerized version of the great Horned God (though some partisans claim he is an euhemerized version of Woden) that was once worshiped throughout Europe. We'll be discussing his contemporary career, and his recent decision to not appear in the film adaptation of Susan Cooper's "The Dark is Rising".

Jason: Herne, thank you for joining us.

Herne: No problem, thanks for having me.

Jason: You have had a long career in the arts. Many claim that your first big break in the entertainment industry was a mention in William Shakespeare's "The Merry Wives of Windsor".

Herne: Yes, that was a lucky break. While I was generally known through old folk-tales and whispered superstitions, Shakespeare's mention of my legend really opened some doors for my career. But I didn't want to rush into a lot of projects like some legendary beings do and over-expose myself, so I waited until the 19th century when I was given an idea I really liked by this writer William Harrison Ainsworth (a real "axe and neck man"), who wanted to tell my story in his novel "Windsor Castle".

Jason: Of course, after "Windsor Castle", you seemed to re-emerge as a figure for worship. Anthropologist Margaret Murray claimed that you were a God of the Witches, and with the repeal of the Witchcraft laws in the 1950s figures like Gerald Gardner said  that they had been worshiping you and other Horned Gods for quite some time. Were members of The Wica (aka "Wiccans") worshiping you and similar entities for hundred, perhaps thousands of years?

Herne: Ah, the Witches, nice people. I especially liked Gardner and his lot, what with the naked rites and whatnot. As for how long... lets just say there is a non-disclosure agreement in place. Don't want to spoil the mystery do we? The new Pagans really helped me feel like my old self again. I was even able to get a bit of work for some of my old chums like Weyland and Morgen. Especially Morgen, she did really well with the "Mists" project.

Jason: Of course this renewed popularity scored you appearances in several books, and got you your first television series "Robin of Sherwood". In which you played a priest of Herne, who in turn channeled you. Was it a difficult role to play?

Herne: Not so hard since most of the appearances of the priest were while I was supposed to be speaking through him. So it all worked out rather nicely. It was a fun little project. It certainly made me the envy of the neighborhood, you don't see Aradia getting that sort of work. Obviously the history is a little spotty, the real Robin Hood being a Christian and all, but the heart was in the right place and it was a fun experience.

Jason: Now one of the novels you appeared in during this time was Susan Cooper's "The Dark is Rising", which features you in a thrilling chase scene. The novel was recently adapted into a movie by Walden Media and re-dubbed "The Seeker". I understand you dropped out of filming and they had to re-shoot the ending.

Herne: Don't get me started! That production was a dog's breakfast from the very beginning! They took a lovely little young adults novel and twisted it into something profane. An American kid? A twin brother? Just awful. I tried to make the best of it, but I kept getting into arguments with [director] David Cunningham over religion, and when I tried to get them to listen to Susan about salvaging the picture they just kept making excuses about the budget. So I left. I was certainly not the captain of that ship and I had no intention of going down with it.

Jason: Reviews out this week are generally unfavorable, some would say downright awful, so it looks like you made the right decision.

Herne: Lets just say that if you mess with the stag, you get the horns.

Jason: Indeed. Any other projects coming up?

Herne: I have some cameos lined up, more appearances in novels, steady work really. I don't want to commit to a feature role unless I really like the script. I did some comedy with Terry Pratchett, that was an interesting change of pace, always good to stretch yourself. But with the growth of Pagan religions, I don't feel I have to compromise as much as I used to in order to get work, but I'm always open to smart projects that make good use of my talents.

Jason: Thanks for talking to us today.

Herne: My pleasure.