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The centuries' old legend of Herne the Hunter, said to
have been King Richard II's favourite keeper, tells of him
being badly gored by a stag while protecting the King, hunting
in Windsor Great Park.
Although mortally wounded, Herne was saved from death by
the appearance of a mysterious wizard, Phillip Urswick, who
cut off the stag's antlers and tied them to Herne's head.
Because Herne's skills of hunting and woodcraft deserted
him after this encounter, he was dismissed by the King. Despairing,
he hanged himself from an oak in Windsor Great Park, which
tree bears his name to this day.
Mentioned in William Shakespeare's 'The Merry Wives of Windsor'
(Act IV, Scene IV), the story of Herne represents one of
England's enduring legends.
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