@juergen_hubert Huh. Interesting. Hawaiian legend includes at least two sets of night spirits -- the menehune, who can only be seen by children and a small number of humans, and the nightmarchers who can only be seen at risk of violent death.

These night folk are somewhere in between in function. They're busy doing something when disturbed by humans (menehune are busy workers), posing a risk of injury to human observers (not as violent as nightmarchers, but still...).

@femme_mal

Yeah, I noticed the parallels when I did my research for Wild Hunt phenomena. And I am curious what other, similar phenomena exist around the world.

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@juergen_hubert There will be similarities as you noted but there will also be distinct differences due to location. Hawaii had no game animals to hunt until well after the legends of Hawaiian night spirits were born -- there will be no wild hunt there for this reason. The necessity of fish ponds to Hawaiians explains the menehunes' role as invisible workers creating essential infrastructure.

If only we had equivalent night workers now.

@femme_mal

I'm using "Wild Hunt" in a broader sense for linked phenomena which do not necessarily include hunting - it's just that the "Hunt" is the most well-known expression in Central Europe.

Related phenomena include the above-mentioned Night Folk:

https://wiki.sunkencastles.com/wiki/Category:Night_Folk

Processions of ghosts:

https://wiki.sunkencastles.com/wiki/Category:Procession_Of_Ghosts

or the Wildg'fahr:

https://wiki.sunkencastles.com/wiki/Category:Wildg%27fahr

And, of course, the "Wild Hunt" is called the "Raging Army" in parts of Germany, without being noticeably different in character.

@juergen_hubert I see, thanks. Nightmarchers definitely fall under the parade or procession, and if there was another category for militia/military night spirits they would also fit.

I suspect there is a category for hunting because of the commonality of the activity and essential nature to many cultures.

Ditto for night spirits who work; menehune are like the shoemaker's elves (AT type 503).

@femme_mal

Though in Central Europe, hunting was associated with the nobility - and it was not a good idea to get into the way of a hunting parties of nobles, either (even when they rode through your fields).

@juergen_hubert Perhaps that's another factor in the origin of some night spirits: nobles who inspired fear by day may "own" the spirits roaming at night.

The nightmarchers were supposed to be spirits of the Hawaiian noble class' military, for example.

@femme_mal

Yeah, there are all sorts of inspirations which flow into the more popular myths, and trying to find a single point of origin is usually a fool's game.

Which is why I am _deeply_ skeptical of the notion that the Wild Hunt is supposed to be an echo of Odin from Norse mythology.