The Horned God
Horned Gods have been worshipped since man began, and the wearing of horns has long been seen as a symbol of power and virility.
Not only that but they represent strong links with nature and the fertility of the land. There are many images of horned figures from cave paintings onwards. It was only in the Middle Ages that Satan began to be depicted with horns, cloven hoofs, etc as a way of 'proving' that Witches worshipped a demon or devil.
To Witches the Horned God is the consort of the Great Mother. He is seen as a young man in the spring, as her husband at Beltane, and her partner thereafter. He leads the Wild Hunt which starts at Samhain. The Horned God has many names, the Celtic ones being Herne or Cernnunos; Herne being the sound that the female deer makes when calling for the Stag. Cernnunos is possibly the earliest known written form of his name. Other name include Pan and Faunus, bit he is also referred to as the Hunted and the Hunter, the Stag God, Lord of the Forest and the All Father.
It is worth remembering that he is just as divine as the Goddess, and that the way to redress the gender imbalances of recent times is not by relegating him to second place, but by seeking a true balance. Just as day needs night, light needs dark, male needs female, so in the Craft we worship the Goddess and the God, equally and in balance and we should seek that balance in our lives and ourselves.
"Hear the Hunter call from a distant horn, heralding a storm that is rising."
~from the Real Witches Year by Kate West |
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