Today we introduce a new feature: stories that made The Wild Hunt‘s editors stop, reread the headline, and mutter, “Wait… what?”
Sometimes the Hounds are simply confused. Sometimes they sniff the trail, tilt their heads, and decide it isn’t worth chasing. And then there are those other times—they sniff and, well… pee on it.
Welcome to What the Hounds?
Catholic Protest Targets Lughnasa Festival at Navan Fort
ARMAGH, Northern Ireland — A small group of Catholic activists gathered outside Navan Fort on Friday to pray what they described as a “rosary of reparation” ahead of the annual Wickerman Gathering, an event celebrating the ancient Celtic harvest festival of Lughnasa. Protest organizer Gerry McGeough characterized the festival as a “satanic pagan festival” and argued that it represented a revival of beliefs he considers incompatible with Christianity.
Speaking to Armagh I, McGeough claimed the historic site of Emain Macha (Navan Fort) had been an important center of pre-Christian religious practice where he believes human sacrifices once occurred, asserting that Christianity’s spread across Ireland suppressed what he described as demonic forces. He cited Saint Patrick and Ireland’s Christianization as evidence that pagan practices had been overcome and should not be revived.
The Wickerman Gathering, held annually at Navan Fort, is promoted as a cultural celebration of Lughnasa featuring storytelling, ritual, music, and the ceremonial burning of a 30-foot willow-and-hazel wicker figure. The event is presented by organizers as a celebration of Ireland’s ancient heritage rather than a reenactment of historical sacrifice.
McGeough argued that many modern attendees view the gathering as harmless entertainment without recognizing what he considers its deeper religious significance. Referring to the festival’s climactic spectacle, he stated, “But the wicker man, of course, is a very ancient pagan symbol in which human sacrifice took place, and people were actually burned alive. So we’re here as an act of reparation.”
The protesters said they were encouraged by supportive responses from passing motorists and expressed confidence that Catholicism remains resilient in Ireland despite declining religious observance. McGeough concluded that the demonstration was intended both as a public witness to the Catholic faith and as an act of prayer in response to the weekend’s festivities. The article notes that the Wickerman Gathering culminates in the burning of the large wicker effigy atop the ancient hillfort outside Armagh.
Tennessee Gubernatorial Candidate Proposes Banning Non-Christian Religions
Official seal of Nashville
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee State Rep. Monty Fritts, a Republican candidate for governor, has drawn widespread criticism after stating that, if elected, he would seek to ban mosques and what he described as “pagan religions,” including Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism. Fritts made the remarks during a televised interview while arguing that the First Amendment’s protections on religious establishment apply only to Congress and not to state governments.
When asked how he would implement such a policy, Fritts distinguished Islam from other faiths, describing it as a political movement rather than a religion. He further argued that states retain the constitutional authority to prohibit certain religions, citing the opening word of the First Amendment—”Congress”—as evidence that its restrictions apply solely to the federal legislature. Constitutional scholars and the U.S. Courts have long held that the Free Exercise and Establishment Clauses protect religious liberty against state infringement through the Fourteenth Amendment.
Fritts also grouped Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism under the label “pagan religions,” a characterization challenged within the report. The article notes that Islam is an Abrahamic religion, while the application of the term “pagan” to Hinduism remains debated among scholars and practitioners. Buddhism generally is not classified as a pagan religion, as it is not centered on worship of one or more gods. The report cites reference works including Encyclopaedia Britannica and Merriam-Webster in explaining the historical and often pejorative use of the term “pagan.”
The American Muslim Advisory Council condemned Fritts’ proposal as incompatible with the U.S. Constitution’s guarantee of religious freedom, invoking Thomas Jefferson’s Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom as evidence that the nation’s founders envisioned legal protections extending to Muslims, Hindus, and people of all faiths. Republican gubernatorial rivals Marsha Blackburn and John Rose likewise affirmed constitutional protections for religious liberty, with Rose stating that Americans can share their faith “without trampling on their rights.” Fritts said his candidacy stems from what he believes is a divine calling to seek the governorship.
Tragic Florida Murder Case Centers on Alleged Online Exploitation of Vulnerable Woman. Then There’s Anubis
OCALA, Fla. — New details have emerged in the prosecution of a Florida man accused of murdering a British woman who had traveled to the United States after meeting him through an online extreme-fetish community. Prosecutors allege that 53-year-old Dwain Hall killed Sonia Exelby, a 32-year-old music tutor from England, in a premeditated attack before attempting to conceal evidence and mislead investigators.
Media reports have also noted that Hall worshipped Anubis, the ancient Egyptian deity associated with mummification, funerary rites, protection of tombs, and guiding the dead into the afterlife, often characterizing Anubis simply as a “death god.” The reports do not explain how Hall’s religious beliefs are relevant to the alleged crimes or whether investigators believe they played any role in the case.
According to court records cited in the report, Exelby struggled with severe mental health issues and had communicated online about suicidal thoughts. Authorities allege she met Hall through a fetish website, where she sought someone willing to torture and kill her. Investigators say Hall recorded a video in which Exelby stated she was acting voluntarily, though later messages recovered by police indicated she had second thoughts and wanted to leave.
Investigators allege Hall stabbed Exelby four times with a customized seven-inch knife before burying her in a shallow grave in a wooded area of Marion County. Digital evidence, surveillance footage, cell phone records, GPS data, and retail purchase records reportedly traced Hall’s movements as he bought supplies, disposed of the victim’s belongings, and returned home.
The report also details Hall’s alleged efforts to hide evidence. After Exelby was reported missing, Hall is accused of mailing a package to a friend in Ohio containing the bloodstained knife, its sheath, and the victim’s bracelet. In messages accompanying the shipment, Hall reportedly referred to an impending “storm” and instructed his friend to safeguard the package in case the situation passed without consequences.
Hall was initially arrested on charges related to fraudulent use of Exelby’s credit card before prosecutors added charges of first-degree murder and kidnapping. He has pleaded not guilty. Jury selection in the case is scheduled to begin on Nov. 16, 2026. The case has drawn attention to the intersection of online communities, mental illness, and criminal exploitation, while investigators maintain that a person’s mental health struggles cannot legally justify homicide.
The Hounds’ verdict: Unless prosecutors can demonstrate that Hall’s religious beliefs played a role in the alleged crime, mentioning Anubis tells readers more about the writer’s assumptions than it does about the case.
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