Tradition: German Mythology
Alternative Names: Achlis, Alces, Ahlkis
Category: Elk, Deer
The Myth
The Akhlis is a strange animal described as resembling an elk, but possessing several unusual features. It has stiff legs without joints or ligaments and a large upper lip that hangs down. Because of the construction of its legs, it is said to be unable to lie down and, if it falls, unable to rise again. Instead, it rests by leaning against trees.
According to Gaius Julius Caesar, the Akhlis was found in the great forests of the north, particularly the Hercynian Forest. He described animals called alces that resembled goats in their build and markings but were considerably larger. They had blunt antlers and legs without joints, preventing them from lying down. When they needed to sleep, they leaned against trees, and hunters could supposedly discover their usual resting places by following their tracks.
The Akhlis was also said to have an unusual way of feeding. According to Pliny the Elder, it resembled an elk and lived on the island of Scandinavia. Its upper lip was so large that it could only graze by walking backwards, preventing it from moving forward while feeding.
Later writers repeated and expanded these descriptions. Solinus described another elk-like animal with a hanging upper lip, saying that it could only graze while walking backwards and that its legs were so straight and stiff that it was difficult to stop once it began running. These accounts closely resemble Caesar’s earlier description of the alces.
The ancient descriptions are therefore unusual because they appear to combine a real northern animal—the elk—with fantastical characteristics. Caesar’s account is generally recognizable as a description of an elk, while the strange details concerning its stiff legs, inability to lie down, and backwards grazing became attached to the creature in later retellings.
The Akhlis was eventually forgotten, surviving mainly in ancient and medieval writings about the animals of the far north. Its name and description were later compared with other legendary elk-like creatures, although the original accounts present it primarily as a mysterious northern animal rather than a supernatural monster.
Sources
Sergey Ksaverov. “Ахлис (Achlis).” New Bestiary (Bestiary.us). Accessed September 5, 2026. https://www.bestiary.us/Akhlis