Deer

Teelget

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Tradition: Navajo mythology, American Mythology
Alternative Names: Teelget
Category: Deer

The Myth

Teelget is one of the Anaye, the “Alien Gods” of Navajo mythology. He was born from a human woman who had resorted to unnatural and evil practices. His supposed father was an antler. The creature born from this union was round, hairy, and headless. Horrified by what she had produced, the woman cast the creature away, and it eventually grew into the monster known as Teelget.

Teelget resembles an enormous, headless elk or antelope. His body is rounded and covered in hair like that of a gopher, while his enormous antlers serve as deadly weapons. The origin of his name is uncertain, although the “tê” is said to refer to his horns.

Teelget became one of the destructive Anaye that laid waste to the land and slaughtered many people. Coyote served as his spy, helping Teelget and the other Anaye in their destruction.

It was Nayenezgani, the “Slayer of Alien Gods,” who finally set out to destroy Teelget. Armed with his lightning arrows, Nayenezgani tracked the monster to a wide open plain where Teelget was resting.

The plain offered no cover, and Nayenezgani realized that Teelget would notice him if he attempted to approach openly. While he considered how to reach the monster, Gopher appeared and asked why he had come. Gopher explained that nobody ventured into the area because everyone feared Teelget.

When Nayenezgani told Gopher that he intended to destroy Teelget, Gopher gladly offered to help. He asked only for Teelget’s hide as payment.

Gopher excavated a tunnel leading directly beneath the sleeping Teelget, reaching the monster’s heart. He then dug four additional tunnels leading north, south, east, and west so that Nayenezgani could hide in them once Teelget awoke.

Gopher also gnawed away the hair around Teelget’s heart, claiming that he needed the hair to line his nest. This left the monster’s heart exposed.

Nayenezgani crawled through the tunnel until he reached the exposed area beneath Teelget’s heart. He fired a chain-lightning arrow directly into the monster’s heart and immediately retreated into the eastern tunnel.

Teelget awoke in agony and fury. He attacked the tunnel with his enormous antlers, gouging open the eastern passage. But Nayenezgani had already escaped into the southern tunnel.

Teelget destroyed the southern tunnel as well, only to find that Nayenezgani had moved into the western passage. He destroyed that tunnel too. Finally, Teelget thrust one of his antlers into the northern tunnel, but before he could reach Nayenezgani, the wound from the lightning arrow overcame him and he collapsed.

Nayenezgani was uncertain whether Teelget was truly dead. Ground Squirrel volunteered to investigate. He explained that Teelget never paid attention to him and that, if the monster were dead, he would dance and sing upon his antlers.

Ground Squirrel approached the fallen Teelget and celebrated upon his antlers, confirming that the monster had been defeated. He then painted his face with Teelget’s blood. It was said that ground squirrels have retained the streaks on their faces ever since that day. In some versions of the story, Chipmunk takes the place of Ground Squirrel and paints stripes down his back instead.

Nayenezgani took a piece of Teelget’s antler and a piece of his liver as trophies. Gopher then immediately began skinning the monster.

Gopher declared that he would wear Teelget’s skin so that, when humans increased once more, they would be reminded of what Teelget had looked like. According to the story, this is why gophers remain rounded and hairy to this day: they still wear the skin that Teelget once wore.

Sources

Countess Sica. “Teelget.” A Book of Creatures. May 8, 2015. https://abookofcreatures.com/2015/05/08/teelget/

Bukavac

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Tradition: Serbian Mythology, Croatian Mythology
Alternative Names: Bukavac, Bukalo, Bukovac, Voden Bik, Vodenika
Category: Deer

The Myth

The Bukavac is a demonic creature from Serbian and Croatian folklore, particularly associated with the region of Srem in the Pannonian Plain. It is described as a six-legged monster with deer antlers and a body covered in scales.

The Bukavac is said to live in or near large bodies of water, including lakes and swamps. It emerges from the water at night, making a great deal of noise. The name Bukavac is connected with the Serbian word buka, meaning “noise.”

At night, the Bukavac attacks people and animals that wander near its watery habitat. It leaps upon them and strangles them before disappearing again into the darkness.

The creature is particularly associated with the Srem region around the Danube and Sava rivers, including areas corresponding to present-day Croatia and Serbia. In Serbian tradition, the names Bukavac, Bukalo, and Bukovac can also be used to describe a person who makes a great deal of noise, while the word is related to expressions describing the loud voice of a bull roaring.

Sources

“Sazagan.” New Bestiary (Bestiary.us). Accessed September 6, 2026. https://www.bestiary.us/sazagan

Luot-hozik

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Tradition: Sami mythology, Russian Mythology
Alternative Names: Luot-hozik
Category: Deer

The Myth

Luot-hozik is a female spirit and patron of reindeer herds who appears in the form of a hairy woman living in the tundra. She protects reindeer and watches over the herds that live in the northern wilderness.

According to Sami mythology, numerous spirits inhabited the land, water, and underworld. Among them were spirits considered masters of wild reindeer herds, while the Mistresses of the Reindeer, Luot-hozik, stood among the protectors of domesticated reindeer. Luot-hozik was believed to live in the tundra, walking on long legs like a human and sometimes appearing as a hairy woman.

The Sami believed that Luot-hozik protected their reindeer and prayed to her for their well-being. She was especially concerned with the herds belonging to the Lapps, or Sami people. She could be particularly displeased when reindeer were released into the wild during the summer, because this exposed them to wolves and other dangers. The Lapps therefore believed that she would protect their animals if they treated her with respect.

When reindeer were driven into the wild, prayers were offered to Luot-hozik. One such prayer asked her to take care of the reindeer and protect them from wolves and other dangers. If the reindeer had been found by autumn, the people thanked her for taking care of their herd.

Luot-hozik was also believed to protect the reindeer from people who tried to steal them. Reindeer were highly valuable possessions among the Sami, and her protection therefore extended not only to the animals themselves but also to the herds belonging to their human owners.

Besides Luot-hozik, other female spirits were believed to protect reindeer from wolves. However, Luot-hozik could not protect the animals from evil people.

Sources

“Луот-кожик (Luot-Khozhik).” New Bestiary (Bestiary.us). Accessed September 5, 2026. https://www.bestiary.us/luot-khozik

Peryton

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Tradition: Gibraltar Mythology, Spanish Mythology
Alternative Names: Peryton, Perytons
Category: Deer, Bird

The Myth

The Peryton is a strange and tragic creature said to have originally inhabited Atlantis. After the seismic catastrophes that destroyed their homeland, the Perytons settled on the border of the Ocean, in the region of the Pillars of Hercules.

According to the legend, the Perytons were haunted by the deaths of their fellow creatures. In memory of the millions who perished at sea, including the inhabitants of Atlantis, they became living cenotaphs, carrying the restless souls of those who had died far from home. They were associated with fishermen, sailors, travelers, and wanderers. Each Peryton possessed a human shadow, which appeared upon the ground while the creature itself flew through the sky.

The delicate nature of the Peryton could not withstand the trauma of forced migration. Something within the creatures eventually broke, transforming them into monsters. Their heads became those of gentle deer, while their bodies were those of birds. They possessed enormous horns and sharp claws, with some accounts describing bodies hardened like tempered adamant and others giving them the clawed feet of eagles.

Once the Perytons had taken to the sky, they could no longer return to the earth. They became predators and developed a thirst for human flesh. The only way for a Peryton to free itself from this terrible fate was to taste the blood of a slain human being and consume human flesh.

The Perytons became a source of terror to those who encountered them. Their attacks could affect travelers, sailors, merchant ships, and even armies. Yet the widows of fishermen were said not to fear them.

When a Peryton saw the broken outline of a human shadow on the ground, it would approach the person whose shadow it recognized. If the Peryton heard the name of its former human self, however, it would suddenly stop its attack and fall toward the ground, weeping like a man awakening from a deep sleep. For a brief moment, the widow could see in the transformed monster the person she had once known.

One of the great stories concerning the Perytons was connected with the Punic Wars. It was said that the army of Scipio, later known as Africanus, was crossing the waters of Gibraltar on its way to fight Carthage when the soldiers were attacked by countless Perytons.

The creatures were difficult to defeat. Their teeth, claws, and horns caused enormous casualties, while their skins were so tough that weapons could scarcely pierce them. Hundreds of Roman soldiers were killed during the attack.

The attack was associated with a prophecy of the Erythraean Sibyl that Rome would eventually be destroyed by the Perytons. Yet after the creatures had killed hundreds of Roman soldiers, they were finally freed from the curse that had transformed them and abandoned the Pillars of Hercules.

The Peryton therefore remained a creature of tragic transformation: originally associated with the dead and with the memories of those lost far from home, it became a predatory monster whose own human shadow constantly reminded it of what it had once been.

Sources

“Peritii.” New Bestiary (Bestiary.us). Accessed September 5, 2026. https://www.bestiary.us/peritii

Lomie

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Tradition: Czech Mythology
Alternative Names: Lomie, Los, Lossie
Category: Deer

The Myth

The Lomie is a strange beast said to inhabit the forests of Bohemia. It possesses a large, sac-like bladder beneath its neck, which it uses as a weapon against hunters.

When pursued by hunters, the Lomie runs to a nearby body of water and stops to drink. It fills the bladder beneath its neck with water before continuing its escape.

As it runs, the water inside the bladder becomes heated until it is boiling hot. When the hunters and their dogs eventually corner the creature, the Lomie vomits the boiling water over them. The scalding water burns the hunters and dogs, allowing the beast to escape.

Heylyn merely describes the water as boiling hot, but the Book of Marvels gives a more horrific account. According to this version, the water is extremely poisonous as well as boiling, producing incurable wounds and causing the skin and flesh of its victims to slough away.

The name Lomie appears to derive from the Polish łossie, the plural form of łoś, meaning moose or elk. The name was probably the result of a typographical error by Heylyn. Topsell lists Los and Lossie as names for the elk or moose and likewise attributes the strange ability to regurgitate scalding water to the animal.

Sources

Countess Sica. “Lomie.” A Book of Creatures. October 30, 2020. https://abookofcreatures.com/2020/10/30/lomie/

Lepel Tsmok

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Tradition: Belarusian Mythology
Alternative Names: Lepel Tsmok, Lepel Dragon, Poozersky Tsmok
Category: Dragon, Deer

The Myth

The Lepel Tsmok is one of the most famous Belarusian tsmoks, a type of aquatic dragon associated with the Poozerie region. It is said to inhabit Lake Lepel and the surrounding waterways of northern Belarus.

Descriptions of the creature vary, but it is generally imagined as a gigantic serpent-like or dragon-like animal. One description compares it to a large snake with a long neck and a head resembling that of a deer, with a mouth full of sharp teeth. Another describes a creature resembling a gigantic fish, with a head like a horse or a deer. Accounts also give it enormous size and strength, with some saying that its body could stretch for great distances through the water.

The Lepel Tsmok was traditionally feared as a powerful creature of the lakes and rivers. Stories tell of it appearing in the water, frightening people, and occasionally attacking or interfering with boats. Its appearance was often associated with mysterious disturbances in the lakes of the Lepel region.

According to local tradition, the great lake dragons appeared in the Belarusian lakes hundreds of years ago. One tradition connects their disappearance with the legend of Saint Ambrose of Kuteyn. When the saint encountered the dragons and their supernatural presence, he is said to have cursed them and driven them away from the lakes.

Another tradition tells of the disappearance of the Lepel Tsmok through the actions of the villagers themselves. The creature was said to have lived in the lake and surrounding waterways, while people avoided disturbing it. Stories nevertheless persisted of enormous creatures moving beneath the surface and occasionally appearing near the shore.

The Lepel region also preserved ritual traditions connected with the tsmok. In one account, people went to the lakes and rivers to make offerings and pray for protection. The local people regarded the waters as inhabited by powerful supernatural beings, and certain days were considered especially dangerous for entering them.

Stories of the Lepel Tsmok continued into modern times. People claimed to have seen a huge serpent-like creature swimming in the rivers and lakes of the region. Witnesses described an enormous body moving through the water, sometimes with only the head and part of the back visible above the surface.

The creature also became connected with Belarusian literary culture. Vladimir Korotkevich used the traditions surrounding the Lepel Tsmok and the ancient lake dragons in his writings, helping preserve the creature as one of the best-known legendary monsters of Belarus.

Sources

“Лепельский Цмок (Lepelskiy Tsmok).” New Bestiary (Bestiary.us). Accessed September 5, 2026. https://www.bestiary.us/lepelskij-cmok

Seven Roe Deer

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Tradition: Austrian Mythology
Alternative Names: Die sieben Rehe
Category: Deer

The Myth

The Seven Roe Deer are seven white roe deer that appear in an old tale from the Austrian Alps. Six of them are ordinary in appearance, while the seventh is slightly larger and wears a golden ring around its neck.

Once there was a count who possessed many forests and a large household of servants. He was very devout and had already won many victories. During times of peace, his greatest pleasure was hunting wild animals, often riding far into the forest with his retinue.

One day, while hunting near the end of May, the count saw a white roe deer running across a meadow in the distance. He immediately rode after it on horseback and pursued it deep into the forest. None of his servants followed him, as he was riding too quickly and soon disappeared from their sight.

The count eventually realized that he had become deeply lost in the forest. Although he repeatedly sounded his hunting horn, which could be heard from far away, nobody came. Nevertheless, he continued following the roe deer.

The animal eventually led him to a large and beautiful meadow. To his astonishment, six other white roe deer were there. One of them was somewhat larger than the others and wore a golden ring around its neck. The count tried several times to shoot it, but every shot missed.

The seven roe deer continued onward, and the count followed them. They led him alternately through dense forests, across beautiful meadows, and over mountains until they finally arrived before a great castle that appeared to be completely uninhabited. On either side of the gate stood two enormous lions guarding the entrance.

When the roe deer reached the gate, it opened. The deer and the count passed through, after which the gate closed by itself. The count found himself inside a large square courtyard with no other exit. He had been trapped within the castle walls.

He explored the upper floors and discovered rooms and halls decorated with extraordinary wealth. The walls were golden, the beds were golden, and golden tables stood throughout the chambers. In a smaller room he found a mirror hanging in a broad golden frame, with a parchment hidden behind it.

The count took out the parchment and read its message:

“Whoever frees the imprisoned princess shall possess an entire kingdom. But he must overcome a terrible monster that comes every night at twelve o’clock beneath a terrifying rattling of chains and devours everything that is on the golden tables.”

The count was filled with horror when he read this, but he decided to face the monster because he was well armed. He ate some food and prepared himself for the night. He lay down in one of the golden beds, placing his sword and two loaded pistols on a nearby table so that they would be immediately within reach.

He had not been asleep for long when he heard the terrifying rattling of chains coming up the staircase. Soon a black man appeared. He had a single enormous eye in the middle of his forehead, shining so brightly that it illuminated the entire room. His body was covered with hair, and chains were wound around his back.

As soon as the count saw him, he leapt toward the monster and fought him with his sword. After a fierce struggle, he managed to cut off the monster’s head. The monster then asked the count to give the golden necklace from the deer to him. The count refused.

After the battle, the count returned to bed and slept peacefully for the remainder of the night.

The following morning, when he entered the courtyard, he saw the same seven roe deer that had led him to the castle. He approached them and kissed the largest deer. The seven white deer then transformed before him into seven beautifully dressed maidens.

The largest deer, the one that had worn the golden ring around its neck, revealed that she was the princess of the kingdom. She and her companions had been transformed into deer by the terrible monster. She explained that she had already led many people to the castle, but none had been fortunate enough to defeat the monster.

The princess then married the count who had freed her, and the two lived happily together. The tale concludes that, if they have not died, they are still living happily to this day.

Sources

Vernaleken, Theodor. “Die sieben Rehe.” In Kinder- und Hausmärchen in den Alpenländern. Vienna, 1863. Reproduced by SAGEN.at. https://www.sagen.at/texte/maerchen/maerchen_oesterreich/allgemein/vernaleken/sieben_rehe.html

Elen

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Tradition: Bulgarian Mythology
Alternative Names: Deer
Category: Deer

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.

Sources

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

Kalir

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Tradition: Evenki Mythology, Russian Mythology
Alternative Names: Kalir
Category: Deer

The Myth

Kalir is a mythical creature from Evenki folklore with the body of a gigantic male wild deer. It has elk antlers on its head and a fish’s tail.

Kalir acts as a spirit assistant to the shaman, serving as a supernatural helper within Evenki shamanic tradition.

Sources

“Калир (Kalir).” New Bestiary (Bestiary.us). Accessed September 5, 2026. https://www.bestiary.us/kalir

Kasunga

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Tradition: Japanese Mythology
Alternative Names: Kasunga, Kasuga
Category: Deer, Deity

The Myth

Kasunga refers to the deity associated with Kasuga Grand Shrine in Nara, whose sacred deer were regarded as messengers of the gods. The deer were allowed to roam freely through the streets of Nara and were treated with great reverence.

In 1565, the Jesuit missionary Luis Frois wrote a letter to a colleague in Goa describing Nara as a place subordinate to a shrine of the “devil” named Kasunga. He reported that Nara contained many deer, which he interpreted as idols of the devil. According to his account, the deer wandered through the streets as freely as dogs in Spain, and nobody was permitted to touch them. Anyone who attempted to strike one would supposedly be severely punished, while killing a deer could result in execution and confiscation of all possessions.

Frois therefore understood the worship of Kasunga and the reverence shown toward the deer as a form of devil worship. His description reflects the perspective of a Christian missionary who interpreted Japanese religious practices through the framework of Christianity and regarded non-Christian gods as demonic beings.

Other missionaries who visited Nara during the same period gave different descriptions. In 1565, Almeida described the deity as Kakunga and wrote that the god was believed to grant worldly honor, wealth, longevity, and other things people desired, explaining that these promises made the deity greatly worshipped. He did not specifically characterize the god as a demon.

Gaspar Vilela similarly described the worship at Kasuga Shrine, comparing what he witnessed to the worship of Baal, his priests, and their temples among the ancient Phoenicians. Vilela also recorded a rumor from Miyajima that a demon took the form of a deer in order to be worshipped.

Thus, the accounts of Kasunga preserve an early European interpretation of the sacred deer and religious traditions of Nara. The deer themselves were not originally understood by the Japanese as demons, but as sacred messengers connected with the gods of Kasuga.

Sources

Takahashi, Toshihiro. “カスンガ (Kasunga).” 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑 (New TYZ Yokai Encyclopedia). December 31, 2019. https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1076296181.html