The Santa Compaña — Spain's Wild Hunt of the Dead

The Santa Compaña (Holy Company) is the Galician and Asturian equivalent of the Wild Hunt — a nocturnal procession of the dead that wanders the roads and paths of northwestern Spain. Unlike the martial Wild Hunt of Germanic tradition, the Santa Compaña is a solemn, funereal procession: a line of ghostly figures in white robes, each carrying a candle, led by a living person who has been cursed to carry a large cross and lead the dead on their nightly rounds. This living leader is unaware of their role — each night they are compelled to rise from their bed and lead the procession, returning before dawn with no memory of what occurred, though they grow increasingly pale and wasted. The only way to escape the curse is to pass the cross to another living person encountered during the procession. Those who see the Santa Compaña but are not taken must draw a protective circle on the ground, carry an item of power (such as a black cat or a crucifix), or throw themselves face-down and refuse to look. In Galicia and Asturias, the Santa Compaña tradition remains a living part of folk culture, and sightings are still occasionally reported in rural areas.