Invocations, Songs, and Prayers to Herne
Invocation of The Horned God
— Author unknown
Cernunnos, Guardian of the cauldron of plenty, I call to You.
Horned One, Dark One, Receiver of the Dead, Granter of Rest, I call to You.
God of freedom, God of sexuality, God of cleansing, God of rebirth, I call to You.
Mighty Lord of the Woods and Animals, Hunter and Hunted, I call to You.
I pray you to be present with me in this Sacred Space.
Let Your gaze fall upon this Sacred Ground.
In-dwell my rite and to give me Your blessing.
Great Horned One, come into Your Circle!
Charge of The Horned God
— Author unknown
Hear ye the words of Cernunnos, the voice of the Horned One, He whose names are un-numbered:
I am the wild hunter of the forest deep, And I am the fire upon the hill, And I am the sower of the seed, And the tiller of the soil of the earth. And I am the golden warrior whose arrows are the shafts from the sun. The thunder is my hoof fall; The wilderness is my shrine. I wield the oaken staff, The elements at my call. By day I am the sun, by night I ride upon the wild winds.
I am a stag, a tree and mountain. My seed works within the earth's dark womb, For I am the Horned One; Sire of the Universe. In the wilderness doth my spirit dwell, And all wildlings and fugitives of oppression are cherished within my heart. To such as thee, my hidden children I am provider and protector. For all things wild and free are in my keeping. And all things of beauty and freedom and love delight me. Swiftly I come to merriment and laughter, for these are my invocations. For I am the Lord of all life.
Yet also I have a dark face, For I am Death. The Reaper of Souls. And terrible is this my dark face to those who know not the mystery. Yet to my hidden children, who know and love my spirit, My dark face is also sweet For tis the face of deep and hidden wisdom.
For I am the giver of knowledge, Life and death are mine to give. From death thou shalt be reborn, unto new life and love. Therefor seek my spirit and know me, Bright and dark .Then shalt thou know my mystery. For I am the Ancient One: My faces outnumber the stars. I am the Horned One of un-numbered names, I am the gentle and the fierce.
I am Cernunnos, the Ancient One, Lord and Sire of the Universe
Prayer to The Horned God
— by Patti Wigington
God of the green,
Lord of the forest,
I offer you my sacrifice.
I ask you for your blessing.
You are the man in the trees,
the green man of the woods,
who brings life to the dawning spring.
You are the deer in rut,
mighty Horned One,
who roams the autumn woods,
the hunter circling round the oak,
the antlers of the wild stag,
and the lifeblood that spills upon
the ground each season.
God of the green,
Lord of the forest,
I offer you my sacrifice.
I ask you for your blessing.
Running with The Horned God
— by Jim Garrison, contributed by Auria
The leaves dance on the autumn wind, a swirling, skirling waltz of orange, yellow, and brown. I can smell the coming rain. I stand in the twilight. Waiting. Listening to my heart... each moment I linger in this place I can hear the drumbeat of my ancestors in my blood more clearly. A sense of calm descends upon me, the calm before the storm.
He approaches.
The trees sway in the chill breeze that whispers to me of the coming winter, and the long sleep during which the trees dream the world back into being each year. I stretch my limbs and concentrate on my breathing... each exhale curling from my lips like wisps of smoke. My skin grows warmer despite the wind, and I almost lose myself to the rythm of my breath.
He is nearly here.
The Sun sets behind iron-grey clouds, and darkness fills the air. I wait in the shadows, looking out over a lake teased by the cold wind. My breath comes to me with the peace of a dancer, and the fire within my bones kindles into a flame that must move. Swaying in the rapidly dimming twilight, I feel the call.
He is here.
No candles light this place. No circle marks the space. No incense fills the air, nor any chant... I stand surrounded by silent trees and the whispering wind. My heart is my drum, my breath is the smoke I offer. With a shiver I feel the presence of the one I have sought. I see clearly in the gathering gloom, and the mist begins to fall, drops running off of my hair and beard. With a snort I stamp the ground and the urge to run oversomes my vigil as the familiar weight of antlers settles upon my shoulders.
We run in the twilight.
Lost to the animal pleasure of intense exertion we run through the trees, around the shores of a cold, black lake in the rain. We are as one; no thoughts do we share, only scents, sights, feelings, and sweat. Running in the dark, we both abandon the pretenses of the daylight world and embrace the truth, waiting for us all deep within our cells, our dreams, our souls. For an eternal moment, I know the awful bliss of truly being alive, and then I stumble.
We part.
Everything is quiet... there is only the patter of the rain on my back to distract me from the drum-beat within my chest. As if waking from a dream, perhaps another reality, I slowly become aware of my body, my surroundings, and the rain upon my face. Steam rises from my bare flesh. I get up from the moss and mud, and I feel the familiar weight of flesh and blood. The wind steals my heat from me and I stand, looking out over a black lake that shines with moonlight coming from a break in the clouds.
He still runs.
We've run full circle and I'm back where I started, only everything is different now. I've changed. I can hear His throaty laughter in th night, and something deep within me stirs with a deep longing to go running in the twilight once more.
Cernunnos Sleeps
— by C. Hue Bumgarner-KirbyThe Old God sleeps
Down in the dark, moist,
Odorous underfoot,
Waiting for us
To put down our roots
Cernunnos (Originally Actaeon)
Author Unknown
Cernunnos, Lord of the Forest
Stag and Wolf, Come!
Guardian of the Grove,
Lord of the Trees,
Horned One, Come!
Bring Us the Fruits of Your Wisdom,
Bring Us the Fruits of Your Wisdom.
Cernnunos Call
by Ivo Dominguez, Jr. (Panpipe)
Cern-nu-noh-oh-oh-oh-os
Stag Horned Hunter, Hunted One - Join Us Now
Cern-nu-noh-oh-oh-oh-os
Greenwood Lord Of Life And Death - Join Us Now
Cern-nu-noh-oh-oh-oh-os
Herne And Pan And Every Man - Join Us Now
Cernunnos Chant
by Kate West
Cernunnos, Horned One
Cernunnos, King of the Sun
Herne the Hunter and Hunted
Stag God of the Earth
God Chant
by Herne
Herne, Cernunnos, Hu Gadarn
Pashupati, Actaeon... Karhuhas
Herne, Horned One
— by Circle in the Greenwood
Herne, Horned One,
Hunter 'neath the Northern Sun,
Watcher at the Gates of Winter,
Flame on the Wind.
Herne, Hunter Of Souls
by Ivo Dominguez Jr.
Herne, Hunter Of Souls
We Hear Your Horn,
We Hear Your Hounds
Throughout The Starry Woods
Herne, Hunter Of Souls
In Underworld And Overworld
Your Hunt Goes Ever On
Herne Who Hears
by Ivo Dominguez, Jr.
Herne Who Hears All Living Things
Hear Our Call To You
Herne Whose Name All Nature Sings
Hear Our Call To You
Moon Stag, Horned One, Green Man, God
Draw Near, Come Here, Be Here, Now
Hoof and Horn
by Ian Corrigan
Hoof and horn, hoof and horn
All that dies shall be reborn
Corn and grain, corn and grain
All that falls shall rise again.
Horned One, Lover, Son
by Buffalo
Horned One, Lover, Son - Leaper In The Corn
Deep In The Mother - Die And Be Reborn
Horned Stag
Author Unknown
Horned Stag, Run Through the Wood,
The Wood of Gold and Green
Lead Us Down the Ancient Path
To Mysteries Unseen
Horned Stag, Run Through the Wood,
The Wood Both New and Old
Teach Us of the Ancient Ways
Your Wisdom to Unfold
Lord Of The Greenwood
by Ian Corrigan
Come The Lord Of The Greenwood, Greenwood {3 times}
And Court The Lady Fair
In The Heat Of Their Passion, Passion {3 times}
The Corn Will Rise Again
Three-Fold God Chant
by Ivo Dominguez, Jr. (To the tune of Peter (Sparky) Soderberg's Triple Goddess Chant.)
Holy Green Oak King, Tower High, Tower High,
Horned One Come To Us
Holy Holly King, The Evergreen, Evergreen,
Horned One Come To Us
Shining Lord Pan Come Dance With Us Dance With Us,
Horned One Come To Us
We All Come From the Horned God
Author Unknown
We all come from the Green Lord, and to Him we shall return.
Like an autumn leaf falling to the forest floor.
We all come from the Horned God and to Him we shall return.
Like a wild stag running from the hunter's bow.
We all come from the Sun God and to Him we shall return.
Like a spark of flame rising to the heavens
Cernunnos
by Silver Branch
(Refrain)
Horned one the Hunter
Horned one the Lord
Horned one the Hunted
Horned one Cernunnos
The Antlered One
The Mighty Stag
Whose ancient powers
Never flag
Oh Cernunnos,
Oh Cernunnos
Otherworld King
The Sacred Oak
The Wild Man
Of cunning folk
Oh Cernunnos,
Oh Cernunnos
Keeper of life
Guide at the end
Protector of
Both beast and men
Oh Cernunnos,
Oh Cernunnos
Unleash your soul
Let it dance free
Through wild woods
Come run with me
Oh Cernunnos
Oh Cernunnos
Cernunnos,
Oh Cernunnos
(Refrain)
Hymn to Herne
by SJ Tucker
You can say your prayers, work your rites
burn your little candles day and night
you can shimmy 'til dawn to the pounding drums
but you best be ready when the Horned One comes, yeah
If you wake to the sound of a hunting horn,
dance a ring in the gathering storm.
If the Solstice time gets your panties in a wad,
it's just the coming of the Horned God
chorus
He will call you out, make you sweat,
give you a blessing that you'll never forget.
So revel in the chase and let your heartbeat run:
Blessed are the children of the Horned One!
Hunter who tracks outside of time,
guardian lord of ancient rhyme,
brother stag in the musky glen
and consort of the Goddess in her woodland den,
we call you forth as we make our way,
walking in your power every day.
Guide us true in our hunt this night
and maybe even later in the Great Rite!
chorus
He will call you out...
If you wake to the sound of a hunting horn
dance a ring in the gathering storm
revel in the chase and let your heartbeat run
but you'd best be ready, little one!
You'd best be ready when the Horned One comes!
chorus
He gonna call you out...
The Hunter/Cernunnos
by The Moors
When in the wooded place I be
Then in the sacred grove is he
The God of Hunters, King of Creatures all
His horned head I see.
I sit beside him on the ground
As those in Gaul of bird and hound
His name is written but once, my Cernunnos
And still I know the sound.
He rules life and death
And guards the Otherworld
From where all forces flow
And all events doth know.
I know he will come
I've done the dances
Stay beside me now
Lord of the Antlers, Come...
Oh, when sun and moon
They rise up on yonder hill
He will rise inside me and
So shall ever be, shall ever be.
Cernunnos
by Faith and the Muse
Beneath the sediment of aeons
In ancient repose
My trust lay eroded by age
The old glory faded
And past times forgotten
My reign given way to my rage
Harmonious the centuries
The land and I were one
My soil, my water, my air
Bringer of light
And master of night
In balance, the earth in my care
But with the passing of days
A new wind came blowing
With whispers of change on its wing
This tide of corruption
Laid siege to my world
Usurping the throne of a king
Your new gods, your new ways
All seek to dispel me
With doctrines of fear built on lies
The hidden one, no longer
I claim my dominion
To the sun of your age, I arise
Of your anger
Your ignorance
Your blindness
Your greed
Your progress
Your conquest
Your mania
Your need
Your sorrow
Your sickness
Your final, parting breath
Your hatred
Your bloodshed
Your future
Your death
I will have none
I will have none
I will have none
I will have none
I, dread lord of shadows
With broken spell
Unto this rotting age
I bid farewell
Blessed be
Herne
By Jenna Greene
Chorus 1: Herne Herne Herne
I seek you in the woodlands
Herne Herne Herne
Your fire rages in my heart
Herne Herne Herne
Mist and shadows call thy name
Herne Herne Herne
The Wild Hunter rides
Vs.1: Wood nymphs embody colored, dancing leaves
Ban shees, ban drees sing through the trees
The darkness calls unto my soul
The darkness calls unto my soul
Vs. 2: Stag and stallion, guard and guide
Riding through the autumn skies
I hear the bay of charging hounds
I hear the magic horn resound
Bridge: Seeker of truth, nature's alchemist
Crowned with the great stag horns
He who wears the torc of pow'r
Rider of the wind and storm
Chorus 2: Herne Herne Herne
I realize now I am part of the chase
Herne Herne Herne
The hunter and the hunted
Herne Herne Herne
I am the wind, the wind untamed
Herne Herne Herne
I am the dreaming earth
Vs. 3: Come to me in the golden fields
The sword of darkness now you wield
As the wheel begins another course
Fill me with your primal force
Bridge: Seeker of truth, nature's alchemist
Crowned with the great stag horns
He who wears the torc of pow'r
Rider of the wind and storm
Chorus 1: Herne Herne Herne
I seek you in the woodlands
Herne Herne Herne
Your fire rages in my heart
Herne Herne Herne
Mist and shadows call thy name
Herne Herne Herne
The Wild Hunter rides
The Wild Hunter rides
Wild Hunt
by Inkubus Sukkubus
Herne, Herne, Herne, Herne!
Come with bright eyes a-flashing
Come with your dark hounds crashing
Come rend the sky asunder
Come with the rain and thunder
Break all that lies before you
Take all that dies around you
Ride with the Hounds of Hell
Fly with the Hounds of Hell
Take me to the Wild Hunt
Break me with the Wild Chase
Take me with the Wild Hunt
Take me riding wildly with the Wild Hunt now
In darkest green you move now
With oak and ash and thorn now
The cloak that's swathed around you
Denies I've finally found you
I've sought your untamed beauty
Within the hearts of men
I've found both love and cruelty
In equal parts within
Come with those bright eyes flashing
And with your hounds a-crashing
I feel I've always known you
Tho' none would ever own you
Proud Herne to ride beside you
And leave the dying day
But who knows who is hunted
And who shall be the prey?
Song To Herne
by Lucidian
The Promised Child, the Newborn King, reborn upon the land.
Growing tall from Spring to Fall, raised by the Mother's hand.
Horned King of Woodland Glade, mirth and fertility,
The Mighty Warrior, Jack-in-the-Green, Oak and the Holly King.
(chorus)
Herne the Hunter, hear our praise to Thee!
Death and Rebirth, On the Spiral Tree.
His sacred animal's spirits soar, we join then at His call,
The serpent, ram, bull, and boar, King Herne is Lord of All.
Lord of the Dance, Thy Consort waits to join in love's embrace,
Love consummated, blade and chalice, join in Sacred Space.
(chorus)
Herne the Hunter, Lord of Death, now rides upon the night,
On His Dark Steed, His Hounds of Hell, fill all creatures with fright.
But fear Him not, His will is kind, He is as wind on grain,
That blows it back into the soil, to rise from Earth again.
Hunter and hunted, pursuer and prey, the two are really one,
The Divine Sacrificial King, our Lord Herne has become!
(chorus)
Raise The Stang
by Lucidian (Lyrics and Music by F.Brewer)
Forest deep by the light of full moon
Approaching the sacred ash tree
Touching the branches with tingling hands
A gift from the Horned One to me.
Forked staff cut with my knife
To serve me as I will serve thee.
An offering left in a crack in the bark
A gift to the Horned One from me.
(Chorus)
Raise the Stang! Raise the Stang!
Raise the Stang! For my Lord
Tubal Caine Horned King
Raise the Stang! For my Lord.
I shod thee with a nail of iron
For to contain the power.
Within the body of the shaft
The Goddess’ magick altar.
I purify thee in the fire
With water I sprinkle thee
I plant thee upright in the earth,
Blow air on three times three.
(Chorus)
I bind thee to me with my cord
The spirit of Mother invoke
I charge thee with her magickal power
The sacred tree in the grove
Horned King of the woodland glade
Of hunting and fertility
The promised Child and the Jack-in-the-Green
The Oak and the Holly King.
(Chorus 2x)
Herne, Odin
by Lorelei Greenwood
The name Herne is pronounced "HERN-ah", Atum is "AH-toom", Cernunnos is "kerr-NU-nos" and Mananan Mac Lir is "ma-NAN-on mac leer"
Herne, Odin, Atum, Cernunnos,
Visnu, Zeus, Mananan Mac Lir
Herne, Odin, Atum, Cernunnos,
Visnu, Zeus, Mananan Mac LirChorus:
High, raising up the Horned One,
Oh, fill my soul
High, raising up the spirit
Oh, make me whole
He is the strength of the Sun at the Solstice,
He is the Oak in the acorn seed
Sound of his heart like the thunder of hoofbeats
Call of the spirit of Nature freed
(chorus)
I know a man who is Hunter and Hunted,
Giving his life as the Wheel turns on
He is the grain that is cut for the Harvest,
He is the hope of the newborn Fawn
(chorus)
Herne, Odin, Atum, Cernunnos....
Wild Hunt
by Heather Alexander
Ride with the wind
Through the fields and the trees
'oer the hills with your kin
'til you can't feel your knees
on a steed that won't hear
though you wail and you cry
for your reins will not steer
and you never will die!
Come and ride!
Come and ride!
Mystified by our powers!
Come and ride!
Come and ride!
Soul denied! You are ours!
Come and ride!
Come, join the hunt
For the fox running fast
We will ride in the front
You wil take up the last
Through the night and the cold
Through the mist without rest
Cursed by magic of old
You will never be blessed
You'll be aching with grief
For the light of the day
For your lack of belief
It's the price that you pay
You've forgotten your ways
And refused to hold true
'Tis the end of your days
'Tis the ending of you!
The Hunt is On
by Heather Alexander
Sound the horn loudly, call the hounds!
We will ride proudly through hunting grounds
Who shall win?
Blessed stag, or mortal kin?
Fast through the winding woods we push
Flash of a tail within the bush
For the stag is swift and the stag is fleet
And he hears the sound of thundering feet
Here then gone, clansmen cry,
"The hunt is on!"
It is more than sport 'tween beast and man,
For the stag is sacred to our clan
And we dare not risk the forest's ire
For if we can't kill then We'd best not fire
Here then gone, clansmen cry,
"The hunt is on!"
Sound the horn loudly, call the hounds!
We will ride proudly through hunting grounds
Who shall win?
Blessed stag, or mortal kin?
Let the death be clean as life's released
So we show our honor to the beast
For your own death you will understand,
When you hold life's blood within your hand
Here then gone, clansmen cry,
"The hunt is on!"
Though we draw a bow and we wield a blade
We respect the code that nature made
For we know not when the shadows fall
And the huntsmen comes to take us all
Here then gone, clansmen cry,
"The hunt is on!"
Sound the horn loudly, call the hounds!
We will ride proudly through hunting grounds
Who shall win?
Blessed stag, or mortal kin?
We are born, then gone
Clansmen cry, "The hunt is on!
The hunt is on!
The hunt is on!"
Hail the Horned One
(© Lorelei Greenwood) [Source: http://www.lorelei-greenwood.com/chants]
(Call and response)
All cry Hail to our God and Lord
(Hail the Horned One)
Death and life in his shining sword
(Hail the Lord Sun)
Born is he from the Lady's womb
(Hail the Horned One)
Turn the Wheel - it becomes his tomb
(Hail the Lord Sun)
Brother, Lover, Son is he
(Hail the Horned One)
In his Lady's company
(Hail the Lord Sun)
Mighty Hunter, wond'rous horns
(Hail the Horned One)
Life to death, and is reborn
(Hail the Lord Sun)
(All)
Hail the Horned One, great is he!
Runs the Wheel of the Year as Three -
Brother, Lover, Son is he
With his Lady's company
Hail the Horned One! Hail the Lord Sun!
Hail the Horned One! Hail the Lord Sun!
Hail!