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There does seem to be similar ideas to the Wild Hunt in India and Tibet, so here comes the sequel. Yepp, kids, it´s folklore night!
Is there similar folklore in India or Tibet, involving dakinis and shamans?
Yes—India (especially Himalayan regions) and Tibet have strikingly similar folklore to the European “Wild Hunt,” involving sky-traveling spirits, dākinīs, wrathful deities, and shamanic spirit processions.
They are not identical, but the motifs—night journeys, airborne hosts, spirit processions, storms, and dangers of being “taken”—are close parallels.
Below is a clear map of the major analogues.
🇹🇩 1. Tibet: Dākinīs, Spirit Riders, and Sky Processions
⭐ A. Dākinīs (khandroma / ḍākinī = “sky-goer”)
In Tibetan Buddhism and pre-Buddhist Bön:
Dākinīs are literally “sky-travelers,” often seen flying through the air with retinues.
They appear as:
peaceful or wrathful female beings
protectors of tantra
guides or abductors of yogis (depending on the story)
Some texts describe hosts of dākinīs moving through the night sky, especially during tantric rituals or around cremation grounds—conceptually close to the Wild Hunt’s skyborne procession.
⭐ B. Bön Shamans and Sky-Riding Spirits
In Bönpo traditions:
Shamans (bon-po, ngakpa) undertake “soul flight” into the sky.
They call or encounter armies of spirits, many of which travel through the air.
Some are dangerous: meeting a “host” of wrathful spirits at night can cause illness or possession.
⭐ C. “Chögyal’s Hunters” and wrathful deities
Certain wrathful deities ride with retinues of ghosts, demons, and animal-headed spirits.
For example:
Pehar (oracle deity) travels with spirit soldiers.
Mahākāla is often depicted accompanied by a host of flying demons.
Yama and related kings ride across the night sky in judgment episodes.
Folklore says that:
hearing strange noises
seeing sky-lights or blazing apparitions
encountering a “spirit wind”
can indicate a procession of these beings.
⭐ D. “The Eight Classes of Spirits”
Tibetan cosmology includes lu, gdon, tsen, nyen, etc.—many of them:
travel in groups,
move through the air during storms,
punish humans who cross forbidden times or places.
Some ethnographic accounts describe them as “armies” or “hosts” that pass over villages.
→ This is one of the closest parallels to the Wild Hunt.
🇮🇳 2. India: Yakṣas, Vetālas, Pretas, and Night Processions
India does not have a single “Wild Hunt” myth, but many regions have analogous ideas.
⭐ A. Vetāla and preta processions
In Indian (especially North Indian and Himalayan) folklore:
hosts of pretas (dead spirits)
vetālas (ghoul-like beings)
travel through the night, particularly around cremation grounds.
They sometimes appear as:
fiery shapes,
flickering lights,
airborne beings,
or processions accompanied by howls and wind.
Crossing paths with these beings is highly dangerous, just like the Wild Hunt.
⭐ B. Himalayan “Night Spirits” and Shamanic Beliefs
Among the tribal and shamanic traditions of:
Himachal Pradesh
Uttarakhand (especially Garhwal and Kumaon)
Nepal (Tamang, Gurung, Sherpa)
Arunachal Pradesh (Adi, Apatani, Nishi)
there are stories about:
flying witches (similar to dākinīs)
armies of dead souls traveling on storm winds
spirit hosts led by mountain deities
gods who ride in the night with retinues
Shamans (jhakri, bongthing, pawo) can:
“ride the wind,”
follow deities in spirit-flight,
or be attacked by airborne spirit hosts.
⭐ C. The “Bhairava's Procession” Motif
In some Shaiva traditions, Bhairava is accompanied by:
ghosts,
demonesses,
dogs,
yoginis,
and wild spirits.
Some folklore describes this group roaming the night, especially during funerary or liminal times.
This is conceptually close to Odin’s ghostly troop.
⭐ D. Yoginī / Yoginī Kaula traditions
Indian yoginīs (cognates of dākinīs) often:
fly through the night sky
travel in groups
appear as a circle (cakra) of airborne goddesses
This becomes especially intense in 64-Yoginī temples and Śākta tantra.
Some texts explicitly say yoginīs snatch or seize the unwary—paralleling the Wild Hunt’s power to abduct.
❄️ 3. Shared motifs with the Wild Hunt
Across Tibetan and Indian mountain traditions we see:
| Motif | Scandinavian Wild Hunt | Tibetan / Indian Parallels |
|---|---|---|
| Night sky procession | Riders across the sky | Dākinī hosts, yoginīs, tsen spirits |
| Storm winds | Furious winter storms | Spirit-winds (rlung), storm deities |
| Leader deity | Odin or a spectral leader | Pehar, Mahākāla, wrathful kings |
| Danger to humans | Death, madness, being taken | Possession, loss of soul, illness |
| Accompanied by lights | Fire, meteors, aurora | Sky-fire, glowing spirits, tummo flames |
| Time of year | Yule, liminal nights | Losar (New Year), solstices, eclipses |
| Shamans interacting | Rare in Europe | Extremely common in Tibet/Himalayas |
Structurally, the parallels are very strong.
🧭 Conclusion
Yes.
India and Tibet have multiple traditions that resemble the Wild Hunt motif:
Tibetan dākinī hosts
Bön and Buddhist spirit processions
Himalayan shamanic “spirit winds”
Shaiva Bhairava-and-ghost retinues
Yoginī and preta flights
Their roles—warnings, omens, dangerous encounters, and spirit abductions—match the underlying Indo-European and shamanic pattern seen in the Wild Hunt.
If you want, I can go deeper into:
Tibetan dākinī lore (especially the difference between worldly and wisdom dākinīs)
Himalayan shamanic “night processions”
Yoginī / ḍākinī connections between India and Tibet
Whether these traditions are historically related or independently developed
Just tell me which direction you’d like.
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