‘Mystical’ white stag roams Highlands

[Sìle]

Since time immemorial it was a messenger from the afterlife, a mystical creature that chilled the blood of kings and commoners alike. But now a young white stag has appeared in the Highlands of Scotland, gathering his own legends.

The John Muir Trust, a conservation body, yesterday confirmed that a white stag is living at a secret location on the West Coast. He is believed to be the only white example of a red deer in Britain.

Officials have not disclosed the location where he has been spotted, but they confirmed that he was genuine by releasing photographic footage from two different sightings.

The most recent was two weeks ago when he had grown antlers and was running with a herd of other stags, wearing his heavy winter coat and in good condition, despite a harsh January. The first sighting had been last summer after he had shed his horns and was in his sleek coat.

Fran Lockhart, 45, from the trust, was on a field trip when she became the first person to catch the stag on film. She said: “It was quite thrilling – amazing to crawl up so close to such a magnificent-looking animal. He looked almost ghostlike next to the group of young red stags that he was mixing with. When he’s not moving he’s quite well camouflaged – he looks like a boulder covered in lichen.

“The wind was in my favour and I watched him for about 45 minutes. He and his wee bachelor herd were grazing along the hillside before me.”

An encounter with a white deer is said to bring about profound change in a person’s life, but Ms Lockhart said she had none to report. “I should have bought a lottery ticket the day I saw him,” she said ruefully.

The stag is believed to be young, perhaps 6 or 7 years old, and will not reach full maturity until 9 or 10. Conservationists say there is a chance that he might go on to sire white offspring when he mates. His colouring is from a recessive gene.

White deer are often mistakenly thought to be albinos, but their unusual condition is caused by leucism, a rare genetic pattern that causes a reduction in the pigment in the animal’s hair and skin. Unlike albinos, which have characteristically red eyes, deer with leucism have normal colouring in their eyes.

The John Muir Trust safeguards some of the largest areas of Scottish wilderness, but is refusing to hint where the stag is for fear of poachers.

The last recorded wild white stag in Britain was shot by poachers in October last year on the border between Devon and Cornwall. Farmers and gamekeepers, who called him Snowy, had kept quiet about the stag’s whereabouts in an attempt to protect him. The killing provoked outrage. The stag’s 300lb (136kg) body was found decapitated, suggesting that the head had been taken as a trophy.

Those who did the killing challenged centuries of legend, which says that those who kill a sacred white stag bring down a curse upon their heads.

Soruce: Times Online.

[Sìle]

So, is there any other lore associated with the sighting of a White Stag?

[Tegernacus]

The white stag has appeared in almost every legend there is! Even Christian ones: St Hubert was converted after seeing a white stag with a crucifix between its antlers. (Actually the same conversion story applies to the Roman soldier St. Eustace) etc etc. It would be a good thing to maybe compile a list.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_stag#Myth_and_legend
worldculturenet.com/2006/11/21/the-legend-of-the-white-stag-or-why-rudolph-has-a-red-nose/

hopefully, this new stag will fare better than the last one:

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/10/27/nstag127.xml

interesting lines from that story :

The existence of the white red deer stag, which roamed farms on the Devon and Cornwall border, had been kept secret for years.

Pat Carey, a deer stalker, was in despair after finding out about the slaughter of the nine-year-old beast, which was looked on as sacred by local people.

[Francis]

I know I'm always banging on about native or not, but is it of immportance that this white stag is a "red deer" and that red deer are native (by the usual definition).

I ask because I had a what at the time (and what other time is there?) a special experience with a white Fallow Deer Buck a few years ago in the bizzarre "fair ground" that is Whichford Wood in Oxfordshire. For what it might be worth, depending on your point of view Fallow Deer did used to be native on our island before the last ice, but all populations now are descended from Norman introductions.

In the part of Wales where I live to see any deer is rare though!

[Tegernacus]

I don't think whether it is native or not is particularly relevant, as the White Stag mythology is common in every country that deer can be found in. For example, in Poland (I think) they have a legend that one white stag is born every 100 years, and is generally a good omen. Not even stags, the Native Americans have the legend of the white buffalo etc. So I think it is more to do with the fact that these animals are white, different, special. For example, I see hundreds of blackbirds on the roofs of my street every week. But if I saw a white one.... wow! That would be amazing, awe-inspiring. Now take that back to when everything that happened in nature was a portent of something.

[littleraven]

aliguana said:

I don't think whether it is native or not is particularly relevant, as the White Stag mythology is common in every country that deer can be found in. For example, in Poland (I think) they have a legend that one white stag is born every 100 years, and is generally a good omen. Not even stags, the Native Americans have the legend of the white buffalo etc. So I think it is more to do with the fact that these animals are white, different, special. For example, I see hundreds of blackbirds on the roofs of my street every week. But if I saw a white one.... wow! That would be amazing, awe-inspiring. Now take that back to when everything that happened in nature was a portent of something.

My uncle in law has a herd of approx 25 white Fallow deer. I'll see if I can find a picture. In that lot you'd be more surprised to find a normal coloured one!

[arth_frown]

francis said:

I know I'm always banging on about native or not, but is it of immportance that this white stag is a "red deer" and that red deer are native (by the usual definition).

I ask because I had a what at the time (and what other time is there?) a special experience with a white Fallow Deer Buck a few years ago in the bizzarre "fair ground" that is Whichford Wood in Oxfordshire. For what it might be worth, depending on your point of view Fallow Deer did used to be native on our island before the last ice, but all populations now are descended from Norman introductions.

In the part of Wales where I live to see any deer is rare though!

I'll have to take around the Ashdown forest there's more deer than rabbits.

[Tegernacus]

littleraven said:

My uncle in law has a herd of approx 25 white Fallow deer. I'll see if I can find a picture. In that lot you'd be more surprised to find a normal coloured one!

yeah, post it! awesome

[Heron]

Not just white deer, but also boar:

They drew towards the copse. When they had come near to it, suddenly there was a shining white boar, arising out of the copse. The dogs - with encouragement from the men - rushed towards it. It left the copse, and withdrew a short distance away from the men, then it would stand ground against the dogs without retreating until the men came near. When the men closed in, it withdrew once again, and broke away.

After the boar they went, until they could see a great, towering caer, newly-made, in a place they had never seen either stone or building before. The boar was making for it swiftly with the dogs after it.

Once the boar and the dogs had gone into the caer, they wondered at the sight of a caer where they had never seen a building before. And from the top of the mound they watched, and listened out for their dogs. However long they were there, they neither heard any of their dogs nor saw any sign of them.

'Lord,' said Pryderi 'I am going into that caer, to find out about those dogs.'

'God knows,' said the other 'your counsel to go into the caer is not good. We did not see this here ever before. If you would follow my counsel, you would not go in. Whoever put enchantment on this land, has made the caer appear here.'

(Manawydan fab Llyr)

[Blackbird]

There is a white stag at Bradgate Park near to us - and I was told recently that there are now two of them, though I've not seen the second.

White animals of any kind are otherworldly - white deer, boar, cattle, horses and dogs all feature in myth - often with red ears. There was an interesting discussion about red eared white cattle on the Arthurnet list a few years back.

[littleraven]

Although I've not seen any actual evidence for this, I've frequently seen it claimed that the 'White Park' breed of cattle is your stereotypical white bull as one might sacrifice, drive between the occasional Beltan fire etc. Here isthe site of the society:

www.whiteparkcattle.org.uk/

[Heron]

admin said:

White animals of any kind are otherworldly - white deer, boar, cattle, horses and dogs all feature in myth - often with red ears. There was an interesting discussion about red eared white cattle on the Arthurnet list a few years back.

Yes, of course. Arawn's hunting dogs from Annwn are shining white with red ears.

[suelittleowl]

admin said:

White animals of any kind are otherworldly - white deer, boar, cattle, horses and dogs all feature in myth - often with red ears. There was an interesting discussion about red eared white cattle on the Arthurnet list a few years back.

In Cragside, in Northumberland, the house built by Lord Armstrong of munitions fame, there is a trophy room that is floor to ceiling cases full of stuffed white animals. It is incredibly creepy.