The Daedric Doctrines: The Lord of the Hunt

> Auf dem Lande auf dem Meer
lauert das Verderben
Die Kreatur muss sterben

-Rammstein (Waidmanns Heil)

In celebration of the day, I will kick off with The Lord of the Hunt, and how he relates to the full realization of the self.

"Hunting" is a broad topic. It refers to the stalking of animals, laying of traps, killing and harvesting animals, or, in a less literal sense, the pursuit of a goal.

Hircine always struck me as undeserving of the little development he has. ESO has a few new books on him, but nothing to the degree that it has for Meridia, and the information isn't exactly ground-breaking. Hunting contains so many implications, from literally killing game, to carefully tracking your way through life in pursuit of an ultimate goal. But enough with the introduction.

Hircine represents hunting, Lycanthropes, and the cycle of nature.

> The Hunt

Hunting teaches us many things. It teaches us patience, wit, subtlety, and a steady hand. The violent barbarian alerts his prey, but the silent hunter may pierce the heart effortlessly.

Hircine's Law of Fair Hunt says that one should never take "a quarry that had no chance of escape." Hircine respects the game of life. We should respect the game of life if we are to expect respect from others. Do unto others what you wish for them to do unto you. Stalk with meaning, and hunt with zeal, but do not take the prey you have not earned. He also teaches respect of Prey, and says the hunter is to thank his kill for the sacrifice.

The Hunt could be a metaphor. We hunt our goals, in the same way the woodsman hunts the bear, for the bear is his goal. Hircine could be seen as the god of perseverance, victory, and "get to it."

Discipline is always important. You won't get anywhere trumping through the woods, your prey will escape. You won't find anything without a keen eye, you'll never find the tracks. You'll never kill anything with a shaky hand, you'll miss the shot. Hircine teaches mastery of the self in a practical way. Some deities preach purity for purity's, but Hircine teaches us to master ourselves only so much that we may apply it. He is a practical god.

> Lycanthropy

Lycanthropy is Hircine's gift. It makes the afflicted more in line with his ideas. The Lycanthrope hunts at night, and is hunted during the day. It teaches his students the values of being the prey. It takes as effort to run as to chase.

Lycanthropy is, in a way, humbling. You become part-animal. You have to be more in touch with nature. It instills the values of Hircine. Silence must be practiced to keep your nature hidden. Vigilance must be exercised to know if you are to transform. And discipline must be utilized to keep hold of your humanity (or merity, whatever).

Some might see Lycanthropy as an innately bad thing, but I doubt that. Zeus once turned a man into a Wolf (as an act of punishment, but regardless, he has that ability), and, a similar idea, Viking Bereskarn were said to transform into bears during battle. Even gool ol' Dungeons and Dragons doesn't peg Lycanthropy as inherently evil. Different Lycanthropes have different alignments, with some, like Werebears, even being creatures of good. Lycanthropy is not a curse, it is a lesson that brings us closer to Hircine.

> Nature

Hircine represents the natural flow of creatures. He is Darwin incarnate. The creatures that die in the hunt were too weak to run, and the creatures that were unable to hunt were too weak to chase. Hircine is the motor that drives life to constantly improve.

And for all the killing in his domain, Hircine may also represent life. Hunter deities, like Artemis, Diana, Cernnunos, and Pinga often encompass fertility. Hunting is the act which brings food to the hunter's family. The hunter feeds his village, and raises his children to be like him. Hunting has to permit the animal population to be able to sustain itself. If too many members of a population are killed, the creatures will not be able to reproduce. As Hircine destroys he creates. There is a balance in nature that Hircine moves to uphold.

> Conclusion

Hircine is a wild beast that has been sorely unrepresented in the lore. He was a star in Bloodmoon, but not much lore came from that. Expect more posts like these, I hope to cover all of the Daedra, and the lessons they teach us about ourselves.

> It's night again
Night you beautiful
I please my hunger
On living humans
Night of hunger
Follow it's call
Follow the freezing moon

-Mayhem (Freezing Moon)