Feast of Fabulous Wild Men Day – January 12, 2025

History of Feast of Fabulous Wild Men Day

The history of Feast of Fabulous Wild Men Day is blurry. This doesn’t stop us from celebrating amazing men who fascinate us in every way possible. ‘Wildmen’ initially referred to ancient mythological figures; men of strange shapes, sizes, and behaviors. The legends originated from medieval Europe, often depicted as hairy men. They were also called ‘woodwose,’ a medieval term for wild men.

Wild men are also recognized in other languages like German, French and Italian; each having a specific term for the word ‘wild man.’ There are also wild women. They are called ‘Lamia’ or ‘Holzmoia.’ An example is Maia, a Greco Roman earth goddess, also known as the goddess of fertility. The first historian to describe mythical wild men is Herodotus, who placed them in Western Libya, with headless men, and creatures with dog faces.

There are many European wild men now, each with his place of origin and function. They are present at festivals or celebratory periods and are believed to have some power. These wild men are dressed in costumes, mostly hairy hideous ones. Nowadays, with the reduced belief in myths, we describe wild men as daring and adventurous men who would stop at nothing to get what they want, no matter what it costs. These amazing men inspire us to take life by its horns and ride it the way we want. Their strength of character and untamed determination, as well as their good looks, earn them a holiday, which we are glad to celebrate.