I hated being a Youth - as in "the youth of today", aka teenaged. Childhood was interesting, but youth was something that didn't agree with me. What I really wanted was to hibernate for 7 years, from the ages of 12-19 until I turned back into something recognisably human. If someone had offered me the option to do so, I'd have taken it, but sadly they did not and I had to take my own measures.
These measures included being paranoid, anti-social and cultivating a yak-type hairstyle which still stands me in good stead. The upside was that since I isolated myself very effectively from my peers, I had a lot of time on my hands and read obsessively. Bear in mind that I am still incapable of going anywhere without at least two paperbacks stashed in my handbag. At that stage of my life, I read while walking down the road. Myths, legends and fantasy were my areas of choice, and this is where the Yeth Hounds come in.
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| Illustration by Anne-Marie Perks |
The origins of the hounds possibly lie in flocks of migrating geese. Human imagination has turned that eerie sound into spectral hounds. They cannot be turned aside. If they catch your scent, they will run you down and there is no escape. Lean white hounds, with baleful eyes and red ears, they race across the autumn and winter skies, led variously by the devil, Herne and Odin. Typically the hunt is not evil. It can be summoned for a purpose however, and as a neutral force, will obey a sufficiently powerful caller whether good or bad.
I've got to admit that the first time I read about the hounds, I stayed awake all night jumping at shadows and fleeing under my duvet at all the night sounds I'd never noticed before. They still terrify me. Now however, I'm more interested in them for the way they keep popping up in mythology and I'm still curious about why they should be such a northern phenomenon.
All that self-imposed isolation meant that I at least emerged from my teenage years very widely read indeed. Completely lacking in social skills mind you. Which may have contributed to my disasterous start in the romance game.
All this is a very long time ago now, but the me that emerged from the youth-phase is still the me I wake up with. Most of the basic obsessions were in place and while some of them have mellowed, others have evolved and grown deeper. Maybe the hounds got me after all. Some things can't be escaped.
Great post! I, too, felt alienated as a teenager. By the time I was a senior, I was dressing like a punk rocker, lost in my music, dreaming of leaving my hometown in the dust and moving faaaar away.
ReplyDeleteI didn't particularly want to move away (we lived on the outskirts of London), but I did want to be human again. Going to university helped a lot.
DeleteThe geese theory is interesting. They are haunting in the dark and the fog when you can't see the birds.
ReplyDeleteI loved my teenage years and as a high school teacher I try to ease that tough time for kids.
Did you now? That's interesting. I've always wondered what it was like to enjoy being a teenager as most people I've met seemed not to very much.
DeleteGreat too that you see the need for help during those years. Everyone is so very fragile and stupidly tough at the same time.
I didn't know that the Wild Hunt was such a widespread myth, but it doesn't surprise me, it's powerful indeed. I came across it in a couple of book about Germanic myths (one named Dietrich of Berne as its leader). I used to listen out for them on stormy nights.
ReplyDeleteI have this (half-serious) pet theory that in Europe at least, myths get darker an more terrifying with the weather getting more gloomy the higher you travel north. Greek mythology can be quite scary, but it's nothing compared to the whole concept of Ragnarök. I mean, the Norsemen had gods that knew perfectly well how and when they were going to die, if that isn't gloomy, I don't know what is. It may also explain why Goth came from Germany and Great Britain (lots of rainy days, but mild winters) and why all that really brutal metal comes from Finland and Norway (winters that will hold you hostage for weeks).
That makes a great deal of sense. I hadn't thought about the weather as a factor - but how could it not be?
DeleteExplains my sunny temperament ...
DeleteI too was a geeky teenager but at some point something must have clicked in my head and lead me to think that LARPing was the way forward to become social again. Now I don't know how much you know about Larp, but back when I seriously started playing again on a weekly basis the ratio of men to women was something like 10:1 so I went from geeky teenager with bad hairdooes to wanted woman of awesome. I can't say that it didn't feel good that every man wanted to make sure you were alright but some times I would find myself wanting to be home with a book and when I was finally home with a book I wanted to go larping. I wish someone had invented the Kindle back then as I am sure it would have saved me lots of money and backpains from tugging around at least a couple of paperbacks.
ReplyDeleteOddly, for someone whose professional life revolves around drama and spends a lot of time on costumes, I deeply dislike dressing up myself - which has kept me away from LARPing.
DeleteIt is, of course, one of the ironies that whatever we're doing, we tend to always be looking forward to doing something else. Often without in any way diminishing the fun of whatever the original thing was. If that makes any kind of sense.
'Bear in mind that I am still incapable of going anywhere without at least two paperbacks stashed in my handbag.'
ReplyDeleteKindred.
'Now however, I'm more interested in them for the way they keep popping up in mythology and I'm still curious about why they should be such a northern phenomenon.'
Me, too -- after reading this post.
Kindred indeed.
DeleteJedediah has a good theory above.
I don't think I'd heard of Yeth hounds before, but now I must seek them out. In truth, I haven't read much northern mythology and probably should.
ReplyDeleteNorthen mythology as a very different flavour to Greek and Roman. For want of a better off the cuff description, I think I'd go with "primal". I like it very much. Some of the images and stories are unforgettable.
DeleteYou could have been describing my own youth at the beginning of this post.
ReplyDeleteIf we'd have met at that age, do you think we'd have recognised each other? I was so paralysingly shy and paranoid that I really didn't believe anyone would ever like me.
DeleteLove your post, and totally identify with what you're saying. I was pretty much the same in my youth - still am, truth be told:)
ReplyDeleteI hadn't heard of Yeth hounds before, but I will always remember the first time I came across the term 'Gabriel hounds' - namely when I picked up the book by Mary Stewart entitled *drumroll* 'The Gabriel Hounds' lol Not a mythological book by any means, but if you enjoy romantic suspense with a gothic-ish atmosphere (if my memory serves me right), you will greatly enjoy Mary Stewart's work. Her writing still blows me away, after all this time.
All right, will be back soon to explore further:) Ciaos:)
I read a lot of Mary Stewart at one point and should certainly revisit her.
DeleteWelcome - very nice to see you here and I hope you find things to enjoy.
Hi Amanda .. great post - I didn't get into that genre .. though loved historical romance and read loads - and because I was at public school - social norms weren't great! Such is life .. cheers Hilary
ReplyDelete