The Wild Hunt

The Wild Hunt Rides, seeking their prey

Hoofbeats that thunder, as the hounds bay

Cries and shouts, of triumph and glee

Echo across the sky, as their quarries flee

They hunt not by scent, but by the aura of blame

That soul-staining miasma of guilt and of shame.

Their victim knows the wrong they have dealt

A trail that marks them, as long as it's felt

The Innocent and Just, need not fear the hunt's horn

For their action was Right, and the weight they have borne

The Guilty, the Wrong, shall find no peace in this life

Until the Hunt ends, and feasts on their turmoil and strife

The Wild Hunt rides, their prey once more in sight

Hunt and Prey both will end, at the first dawning light.

There are many legends about the Wild Hunt, and their identities and purpose.

Some sources claim they are Pagan gods, ranging from Odin and the Valkyries, to pre-Christianity UK or Eurpean Deities, to an apparition of the Devil and his demons. They also show up frequently in early and modern fantasy and fiction, which doesn't make distinguishing the legends any easier.

One interesting legend I found, however, mentioned how the Wild Hunt chose their prey: through the scent of guilt. This intrigued me, because unlike the mortal Justice System, which is as flawed as its creators and executors and can get things wrong, in this legend, the act committed by the unfortunate criminal left its own mark, and turned the Wild Hunt from wicked entertainment into a kind of divine justice that intervened where mortals failed or fell short.