NOBLE, innocent, a fugitive from a fairy tale—there is something magical about a white deer. It’s unsurprising then, that this awe-inspiring animal features so widely in our folklore and literature. Celtic mythology saw the white deer, with its ghost-like appearance, as a sacred messenger from a supernatural realm, heralding change—a quest, perhaps —announcing a transgression or conveying a warning. The notion has endured for centuries. Five hundred years ago, on the Isle of Arran, it was believed that a white stag would materialise at Brodick Castle when the death of a Hamilton clan chief was imminent.
Pursued in vain by King Arthur’s court, the elusive white stag was the ultimate trophy, symbolising Man’s futile search for spiritual fulfilment and glory and exposing his vanity. Those who hunt the white stag are led deep into the woods away from safety and to kill it frequently unleashes chaos. Across time and space, Native American legend has it that a Chickasaw youth was never seen again after he shot a white deer in exchange for his sweetheart’s hand in marriage. The curse saw his beloved live out her days alone and forever haunted by an apparition of the white deer that, when the moon was full, would appear in the smoke curling from her campfire— pierced by an arrow, yet running still. Some even speculate today whether Archduke Franz Ferdinand’s shooting of a white deer in the autumn 1913 presaged his assassination the following summer and the years of bloodshed that ensued.
Denne historien er fra September 20, 2023-utgaven av Country Life UK.
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Denne historien er fra September 20, 2023-utgaven av Country Life UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Kitchen garden cook - Apples
'Sweet and crisp, apples are the epitome of autumn flavour'
The original Mr Rochester
Three classic houses in North Yorkshire have come to the market; the owner of one inspired Charlotte Brontë to write Jane Eyre
Get it write
Desks, once akin to instruments of torture for scribes, have become cherished repositories of memories and secrets. Matthew Dennison charts their evolution
'Sloes hath ben my food'
A possible paint for the Picts and a definite culprit in tea fraud, the cheek-suckingly sour sloe's spiritual home is indisputably in gin, says John Wright
Souvenirs of greatness
FOR many years, some large boxes have been stored and forgotten in the dark recesses of the garage. Unpacked last week, the contents turned out to be pots: some, perhaps, nearing a century old—dense terracotta, of interesting provenance.
Plants for plants' sake
The garden at Hergest Croft, Herefordshire The home of Edward Banks The Banks family is synonymous with an extraordinary collection of trees and shrubs, many of which are presents from distinguished friends, garnered over two centuries. Be prepared to be amazed, says Charles Quest-Ritson
Capturing the castle
Seventy years after Christian Dior’s last fashion show in Scotland, the brand returned under creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri for a celebratory event honouring local craftsmanship, the beauty of the land and the Auld Alliance, explains Kim Parker
Nature's own cathedral
Our tallest native tree 'most lovely of all', the stately beech creates a shaded environment that few plants can survive. John Lewis-Stempel ventures into the enchanted woods
All that money could buy
A new book explores the lost riches of London's grand houses. Its author, Steven Brindle, looks at the residences of plutocrats built by the nouveaux riches of the late-Victorian and Edwardian ages
In with the old
Diamonds are meant to sparkle in candlelight, but many now gather dust in jewellery boxes. To wear them today, we may need to reimagine them, as Hetty Lintell discovers with her grandmother's jewellery
