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Hircine
Religious information
Pantheon	Daedra
Artifacts	Savior's Hide, Hircine's Ring
Physical description
Gender	Male
Chronological and political information

[Source]

"The daedric prince Hircine is also known as the Huntsman of the Princes, and the Father of Manbeasts. He can call upon the Wild Hunt to punish those who defy him."

―The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Hircine (in Daedric script, )is a Daedric Prince whose spirit is the hunt; the sports of Daedra; the greatest game and the chase and sacrifice of mortals. He is known by the titles 'The Huntsman of The Princes', and 'The Father of Manbeasts'. The summoning date of Hircine is the 5th of Mid Year.

In The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Hircine can be summoned in his shrine if the summoner offers a wolf or bear pelt.^[1] Hircine always accepts summons from the witches of the Glenmoril Wyrd Coven of High Rock. ^[source?] Hircine is also known to have met with Sotha Sil in 1E 2920 ^[2]

Circa 3E 430, Hircine appeared in Solstheim, a disputed island between Morrowind and Skyrim. Roughly every one thousand years Hircine comes to the island to perform a hunting game. To the Skaal, this period is known as the Bloodmoon Prophecy. His coming is always preceded by three signs: "Fire from the Eye of Glass", "Tide of Woe" and "Bloodmoon", when the young moon itself runs red. Hircine is responsible for the creation of Lycanthropes, which are mentioned below.

In the novel "The Infernal City", Hircine attempts to hunt down the heroes as they take a shortcut through Oblivion to Vivec city.

Hircine's plane of Oblivion are his realms known as Hunting Grounds.

LycanthropesEdit

Hircine is the patron and creator of the lycanthropic condition. Evidence of this is given when, during the Bloodmoon, Werewolves (also known as Hircine's Hounds) acted as the hunters while the inhabitants of the Solstheim were their prey. The individual that can defeat the hounds is honored and would receive favors by the Prince himself, and face Hircine's aspect in one-on-one combat. He is believed by devotees and Hircine himself to be honored to be the prey of the Prince, though very few have survived this battle.

One artifact can suppress the bloodlust suffered under the lycanthropic condition; Hircine's Ring. Sometime before the Warp in the West, this ring was reported resurfaced in the Iliac Bay. The ring makes the Lycanthrope wielder able to turn to beast form or back at will, and suppress the hunger. During the Bloodmoon in Solstheim, the enchantment somehow was changed. The ring can allow any person to turn to beast form at will but for Lycanthropes the Bloodlust is still there.

On a side note, the witches of the Glenmoril Wyrd Coven of High Rock are known to be worshippers of Hircine, and they will often perform a summoning for anyone that can pay their price. The witches are also able to cure anyone of Lycanthropy, an ability that is alluded to in the book.

The infected person, with the assistance of the witches, must perform a ritual called The Rite of the Wolf Giver. It is a complex ritual of dark magicka, requiring the sacrifice of both flesh and innocence. And certain ingredients, which are petals of a wolfsbane flower and one bunch of ripened belladonna berries, are needed by the witches to concoct a potion for the rite.

ArtifactsEdit

One particularly famous artifact of Hircine, and the one he is most commonly associated with, is the Cuirass of the Savior's Hide.^[3][4]

The book, Tamrielic Lore, has this to say about the Cuirass:

"The Cuirass has the special ability to resist magicka. Legend has it that Hircine rewarded his peeled hide to the first and only mortal to have ever escaped his hunting grounds. This unknown mortal had the hide tailored into this magical Cuirass for his future adventures. The Savior's Hide has a tendency to travel from hero to hero as though it has a mind of its own."

―Tamrielic Lore^[src]

This artifact has surfaced multiple times, such as in Battlespire Crisis, where it is required to wield the Spear of Bitter Mercy.^[5] Another occasion when it was shown was in Tel Fyr, the house of Divayth Fyr. Divath, an ancient Telvanni wizard and also an artifact collector, was once able to procure the artifact. He then invites Thieves to steal them from the Corprusarium ^[6] It then later appears in the Oblivion Crisis, as a reward for completing the Hircine's Shrine Quest.

Another artifact gifted by Hircine is the Ring of Hircine available in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. The ring allows the wearer additional werewolf transformations each day. At the end of the quest, the player must select to side with the werewolf or the hunters. If the player sides with the werewolf then they get the Ring of Hircine whereas siding with the hunters gives the player the Savior's Hide. An alternative is to side with the werewolf and to get the ring and then kill and skin him before leaving the grotto.^[1]

The Rueful Axe was created by Clavicus Vile so the father of a Hircine worshipper could cure his daughter's curse, by killing her.

TriviaEdit

• Hircine means "of, pertaining to, or resembling a goat."
• Hircine in Bloodmoon is voiced by Jonathan Bryce.
• Hircine in Skyrim is voiced by Craig Sechler, who voiced the High Elf, Wood Elf, Dark Elf Males, and Adoring Fan for Oblivion. Craig Sechler also voiced Gallus, and Peryite for Skyrim.
• Hircine's appearance and association with hunting is possibly inspired by real life horned deities such the Celtic god Cernunnos, the Wiccan Horned God and Herne the Hunter of English folklore.
• When speaking with Angi, the Dragonborn has the option of saying that his/her skill with a bow exceeds that of Hircine himself.

AppearancesEdit

• The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall (First appearance)
• An Elder Scrolls Legend: Battlespire
• The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind (Mentioned only)
  • The Elder Scrolls III: Bloodmoon
• The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
• The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

ReferencesEdit

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
2. ↑ 2920, Rain's Hand (v4)
3. ↑ Tamrielic Lore
4. ↑ Modern Heretics
5. ↑ An Elder Scrolls Legend: Battlespire
6. ↑ The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind