WISTMANS WOOD, DARTMOOR
The legendary Wild Hunt are located within Wistmans Wood, Devon, whose hellhounds are known as Yeth (Heath) or Wisht Hounds in the Devonshire dialect
The word wis is related to the Saxon word ‘to know’, with ‘wissman’ meaning ‘Wood of the Wise Man’. A more popular opinion, considering the wood’s location, is that it derives from the Devonshire word Wisht, which means pixie-led, or haunted. Dartmoor is notorious for its pixies, who seem to haunt every tor and outcrop.
From leading lost travellers astray to causing cars to crash along the empty roads, they have a mischievous reputation. If the name is correct, then Wistman’s Wood is one place where you can surely expect to be pixie-led if you aren’t careful.
