Such an animal is considered rare. The white stag is a creature of legend, regarded as semi divine on par with the mythical unicorn. People, such as King Arthur and the White Witch has tried, and failed to hunt the white stags. No one sees them. They're linked with enlightenment, the gods, moon and nature spirits. First of all, Indo-Europeans worshipped them and were associated with other realms.
In some cultures, the myths of white stags are given horns. Some of them are fiery and its horns are aflame and never go out. Some of these stags wear sun signs.
The actual white stags have been sighted and photographed in recent years in England. They are a type of ordinary red deer with extreme albinism (this is called "Leucism" where the entire body including hair is devoid of pigment but the eyes remain in colour).
White stags are associated with the winter months, royalty and magic. In Hungarian legend, in the story of Hunor and Magor, a white stag led the two sons of Nimrod to the fertile landscape that bore the settlers into two groups, Magyars and the Huns. The white stag is used as an emblem in Hungary. In Finland, the white stag legend is a sinister entity that belongs to goddess Tuonetar, who rules the underworld, and leads hunters down to this place of the dead when riding the white stag.
The Celts and Germanic tribes viewed stag as noble animals, and white stags were often said to be part of the fairy realm, and messengers of the gods. It's believed that if you see one, it means good luck. Hunting one successfully may grant wishes.These are old superstitions though and in our 21st century world of smart gadgets and social networking, most people are too shut off now to appreciate these beautiful animals in our wilderness.
No comments:
Post a Comment