In Brittany in the old days Ankou was a graven figure who traveled through the countryside in his rickety old wagon with creaky wheels, harvesting souls. Ankou isn’t death itself but is a harbinger of death unlike the banshee. Ankou remains a servant of death. It would strike all who heard those rickety wheels with terror and dread. Ankou would deliver souls into the hand of death why would ferry them to the next world. Usually, he travels alone but can be accompanied by two ghoulish footmen. Like the churchyard watcher Ankou was believed to be the ghost of the last person to die on New Year’s Eve or near New Year’s Eve and must serve as death attendant until the following year when he can be replaced by another ghost who then is death’s attendant. Then the cycle would start again in the New Year’s Eve. According to legend each district has its own Ankou like ghost who wanders the land until they are replaced. Interestingly, here where the Ankou has a similar association with the Wild Hunt another ghostly figure who travels the land. Ankou’s origins like those of the leader of the dark hunt was likely a spirit of a noble man who preferred to go hunting instead of going to church. One Sunday the noble man spotted a beautiful white deer. In Celtic folklore pure white animals belonged to the fairy realm and t kill one would lead to the hunter to be condemned. With the sacrilege of hunting on Sunday and the slaying of the dear. On this day the noble man encountered a strange figure dressed in black and riding a pure white horse make another connection to the fairy realm. Since this is the noble man’s land, he felt the stag belonged to him. He challenged the dark figure to a contest to see who could kill the deer first. Whoever killed the deer first would be allowed to keep all the meat. No matter how hard the noble man pursed the deer the dark figure seemed to many steps ahead. The stranger in black killed the stag making the noble man extremely angry and so in an act of generosity allowed the noble man to keep the meat. The dark stranger even decided to allow the young man to hunt forever but instead of animals, the souls of men. In most stories Ankou is described as the ghost of a man, but in rare occasions Ankou was the ghost of a woman. In this version the Ankou was a possible version on an ancient death goddess. In this version the Ankou has a certain association with the better-known Banshee Ankou is often described as wearing a black brimmed hat, a black shroud, and wooden shoes. This similar to clothes worn by Odin, Mercury, Saint James. His cart is pulled by two black or gray horses one skeletal, the other healthy. Ankou usually carries a scythe. Ankou was most active during the winter solstice or Yule tide with its clear association with death. Scary tales of Ankou may have been told to keep people from participating in heathen festivals. The Ankou was usually quite active at the same time when the Wild Hunt was usually fling across the mid-winter skies. And so, it goes.