Book of Eucalypt

This morning I had the honour of being interviewed for the Voices of the Temple podcast about my new book, Herne the Hunter: Myth, Legend and Devotion of the Horned God.

It was 4am my time. I had the equivalent of three cups of coffee during that interview to ensure I could speak, that I didn’t yawn, and that I could banter.

I think I did ok!

But naturally, like with any interview (my experience has only ever been job interviews until now), there’s always that ONE QUESTION that I reflect on afterwards and think, “Gosh, I wish I had answered that better.”

At 6am, as I tried to will myself to sleep before starting my workday, I sent myself a rambling voice-to-text email about all the things I wished I’d said. This post aims to take that email, where I was struggling to speak coherently, and turn it into something a little more articulate.

The question was regarding literal hunting in relation to Herne the Hunter. I remember focusing on the idea of the skill required to take up a role such as being a hunter—forgetting to mention that there is so much more to Herne than being “the Hunter”.

In the same regard, it would be like my title being “Rowan the Accounts Person” because that’s my job. My 8-5 is Accounts Payables and Receivables. While I’m quite happy to talk about the frustrations of trying to apply a complex payment without a remittance, system issues, and where on earth that one cent is hiding so I can balance my EOM reporting… it’s not the entirety of who I am.

Modern culture has a habit of reducing people to a single function. We introduce ourselves through our jobs. We measure worth through productivity. We ask children what they want to be when they grow up, when what we often mean is what occupation they want to have.

Yet none of us would want to be remembered solely by our employment.

I’m not simply an accounts person. I’m a writer. A Devotee. A friend. A partner. A collector of young Simba bibs and bobs. A person who gets far too excited when I find a new source for a research project. I am all of these things, and more besides.

Hunting was Herne’s profession. It was his skill mastery. It required patience, discipline, knowledge of the land, understanding of animals, physical endurance, and the ability to make difficult decisions. These qualities remain part of his nature and are reflected in many of the lessons he teaches.

But it was also only one aspect of who he was when human, and now as a God.

Damh the Bard speaks of this perfectly in his song Noon of the Solstice:

I’m the Horned God
I’m the face in the trees
I’m the breath of the wind that rustles the leaves

We are all so much more than the sum of our parts and, in turn, so is Herne.

He is an aspect of the greater Masculine Divine, the Horned God.

He is the loyal one who sacrificed himself before his Regent.

He is a fierce protector of those loyal to him.

He loves sex. He loves alcohol and tobacco. He loves horses and his dogs. He loves sport. He loves his garden. He loves foraging in the wilderness. He loves quietly observing the world around him and watching the seasons change.

He is the hunter.

But he is also the guardian, the lover, the reveler, the teacher, the friend.

And if we focus solely on hunting, we miss so much.

We miss the man who was loyal beyond reason. We miss the God who stands watch over those under his protection. We miss the one who delights in good company, good drink, and the simple pleasures of being alive. We miss the quiet observer who can spend hours simply watching the woods breathe and change around him.

We miss the God.

One of the greatest gifts Herne has given me is the reminder that joy is not frivolous; that there is devotion in doing the things that make us feel fully alive.

There is devotion in tending a garden. There is devotion in learning a craft. There is devotion in spending time with loved ones, in exercising our bodies, in walking through the bush, in cheering on our favourite sporting team, in sharing a drink with friends around a fire.

These things are not distractions from life – they are life.

Herne loves when we, as his followers, pursue the hobbies, passions, and simple acts that bring us joy. He encourages us to develop our skills, honour our commitments, protect those we love, and find wonder in the natural world around us.

Perhaps that is why the question lingered with me after the interview.

Because if someone only knows Herne as a hunter, then they only know a fraction of him.

And if we only know ourselves through a single role, then perhaps we only know a fraction of ourselves as well.