Tradition: Bulgarian Mythology
Alternative Names: Deer
Category: Deer

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The Myth

In Bulgarian beliefs, the deer was a companion of the wood nymphs. Its natural abode was in the high mountains, where it was believed to be able to fly over the clouds and the moon. Wood nymphs girded with arrows were said to use the deer as a mount.

Killing a deer was forbidden. The milk of does and the antlers of the deer were believed to possess curative powers, while the antlers could ward off evil spirits and diseases.

When God wished to communicate something to people, he could send a saint or an angel in the guise of a deer. Such a deer was therefore understood to be something extraordinary, carrying a divine message.

The deer was also preserved in Bulgarian folk song as a solar symbol, connected with both heaven and earth. One poetic image describes a bright sun shining on its brow, bright stars upon its chest, and a bright moon upon its back.

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Sources

Georgieva, Ivanichka. Bulgarian Mythology. Sofia: Svyat Publishers, 1985. https://archive.org/details/bulgarianmytholo0000unse

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