If there are ancient experiences this was one.

It was winter and the ground was bare as I was working on this painting. It was late with no moon and, in the distance, I thought I heard horses hooves on bare earth. Old. There were hundreds of yards of open field on all sides and I could see nothing. With no moonlight the skyline becomes much less detailed and you can't make out shapes easily. Everything sems to be on the edge of vision. The galloping got louder and for a second, I froze. That's when I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up for the first time in my life - I could almost feel my neck get bigger. I sensed the direction and thought this must be a deer, but the sound was insistent and heavy - a stag. I saw a shape move up from the skyline not far away. At this point I switched a little torch on - it must have been strange for him! He stopped, and went away.

Hearne?