The white deer, white stag, or white doe is a white hair variation of deer. Due to its unusual color and rare occurrence, it is believed to have special powers to save human life or to guide people in the right direction. In hunting stories, narrators often speak of the impossibility of killing the white deer, either out of respect for the beast or because of a mysterious inability to hit the deer. Sightings of the white deer are considered to be very special occasions and are interpreted as a sign. Readings of the sign vary but mostly are positive in nature, including good luck, prosperity, and peace.
The white deer is regarded as a mythical animal in many cultures. Biologically, it is either an elk, white-tailed deer, or a red deer with leucism (a condition that causes partial loss of pigmentation), which results in the white color of its hair.
The white deer appears as a mythical creature in Celtic myths and Arthurian legends, and the belief in its supernatural power continues to this day. Seeing a white deer in nature is trusted to be a sign or message from the other world. Good fortune, wealth, and harmony are the most frequent interpretations of white deer sightings.
European American and Native American cultures assign special value to white deer, a very rare natural occurrence in some deer species. According to tradition, the deer’s appearance signaled the onset of abundance and prosperity, while killing the animal brought calamity and misfortune. (David Hughes/Dreamstime.com)
The legend of the white deer has inspired many authors and artists, such as James Thurber’s children’s novel The White Deer (1945). In Thurber’s book, a witch casts a spell on a princess, turning her into a white deer. Then a king and his sons rescue her. Another example is Kate Seredy’s The White Stag (1937), which tells the story of a white stag who leads the Huns to their idealized homeland of plenty.
In North Carolina there exists a legend about Virginia Dare, the first white child born in North America. She was born in 1587 and lived in the colony of Roanoke Island, which mysteriously disappeared shortly after. According to the tale, Virginia is cursed and transformed into a white deer that can only be killed by a silver-tipped arrow. A hunter eventually desires such a unique trophy and seeks the white deer. His silver arrow hits the heart of the deer. Upon closer inspection, he finds the dead body of a beautiful maiden, Virginia Dare.
Sallie Southall Cotten combines this legend with a love story in her book The White Doe (1901). O-kis-ko, who loves Virginia, wants to turn her back to human form by using a pearl arrow. However, O-kis-ko’s plans are foiled by the scorned lover Chi-co, who hunts the white doe, armed with a silver-headed arrow. They both shoot their arrows simultaneously, breaking the spell and killing Virginia at the same time.
Hunters have reported many sightings of the white deer accompanied by mysterious events. Attempts to kill the animal are described as futile or having negative consequences. No matter how much ammunition is spent, hunters explain that it is usually impossible to kill the deer. Wounding the animal brings bad luck. In many stories, the bullet shot at the deer comes back and hurts the hunter. The long stare and grace of the animal also teach hunters appreciation and respect for nature.
Stories about the mythical white deer are numerous in Native American culture. Charles M. Skinner, American folklorist and writer, recounts in Myths and Legends of Our Own Land (1896) a story of a white deer in Onota that was held sacred. It was said, in the story, that until the white deer comes to drink at Onota, there will be no famine and no war. However, a French officer desires to present his king with such precious fur and persuades a local drunk to catch the deer for him. The officer kills the deer and skins it for its fur. Shortly thereafter, bad times start and soon there are no more people in Onota.
Another Native American story of the white deer was recorded by John Bierhorst, collector and translator of indigenous stories, in his book The White Deer and Other Stories Told by the Lenape (1995). The Lenape (Delaware) tell a story of a boy hero looking for his missing family. On his way, he finds an old man sitting in a house with a white deer on his lap. The white deer and all other animals after it follow the boy home. Then he meets another boy and sets the white deer free. From then on, all animals roam freely.
Northern First Nations tell stories of a white caribou. During hunting season, the white caribou becomes human and goes into camps to talk to hunters and to learn where they are planning to hunt that year. It then warns fellow caribou so that hunters cannot find any animals to kill.
Jana Marešová
See also Animal Tales; Deer Woman; Good Luck Charms; Women in Folklore
Further Reading
Bierhorst, John, ed. 1995. The White Deer and Other Stories Told by the Lenape. New York: William Morrow.
Cotten, Sallie Southall. 1901. The White Doe, the Fate of Virginia Dare: An Indian Legend. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott.
Seredy, Kate. 1937. The White Stag. New York: Viking.
Skinner, Charles M. 1896. Myths and Legends of Our Own Land: Volume I. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott.
Thurber, James. 1945. The White Deer. New York: Harcourt, Brace.
Wiltse, Henry D. 1900. “In the Southern Field of Folk-Lore.” Journal of American Folklore 50: 209–212.