Deer also appear as wonderful messengers and guides, showing the heroes the way to their goal. Deer are credited with healing powers, especially the ability to seek out medicinal herbs. IN fine arts a deer wounded by an arrow and holding a bunch of medicinal herbs in its mouth is a symbol of love yearning. The deer, in addition, symbolizes caution and keen hearing.

However, as a result of observing the habits of this animal, the symbolism of loneliness associated with the deer arose - both in European and Japanese traditions.

Among the American Indians and some peoples of Asia, an adult male deer is a solar emblem of abundance, its branched horns symbolize the Tree of Life, Sun rays, Longevity and rebirth (periodically there is a change of horns). A young deer can be a symbol of defenselessness.

In China, the deer is associated with wealth and good luck, the word "deer" there is a homonym for the word "abundance".

In Christian art, the male red deer personifies hermitage, prosperity, purity. Mentioned as an enemy of the snake, which can be lured out

Deer-patron of the Siberian peoples

out of hiding with your breath, and then stomp. In Christian iconography, a deer trampling a snake is a symbol of the destruction of evil, and in the Bible there is a comparison of a deer thirsting for water with human soul, thirsting for God - therefore, the male deer often symbolizes piety. It is in this meaning that the deer is depicted on baptismal fonts, as well as in religious painting- drinking at the foot of the cross. The deer also symbolizes Christ, who is looking for the devil in order to destroy him.

The white deer was a favorite badge English King Richard II; when he ordered that every hotel should have some kind of sign, many took his white deer; until now, this emblem is often found on pub signs.

The female deer is less common as a symbol, usually as a companion of the lunar goddesses of the hunt, including the ancient Greek Artemis (Diana). It can also symbolize feminine in initiation rites.

The deer was a sacred animal in the Greek mysteries of Bacchus, the participants dressed in deer skins. Since the deer was associated with the worship of the moon goddess, Bacchic orgies took place at night.

The deer was often a generic figure (totem) among the peoples of Central Asia, hence the legend that the wolf and deer were the ancestors of Genghis Khan. At North American Indians, who lived northwest of the Great Lakes, the deer was also considered one of the totems. For example, among the Hurons (southeast of the Great Lakes) there was a genus Deer.

Some tribes of the ancient Germans were also called by the names of animals, among them was a tribe called "Young Deer".

The Khanty and Mansi peoples decorate their national clothes different kind embroideries, among which the canonized ornament called "deer antlers" was established.

Thus, from ancient times, the deer not only gave people food and clothing, providing the opportunity for survival, but also acted as a strong magical intercessor who, hitting the ground with his ringing hoof and flashing his golden horns in the distance, is ready at any moment to come to the rescue, protect from trouble, protect from evil. Perhaps it was for these qualities that people endowed a beautiful, proud and strong animal that they began to call him the Noble Deer.

The deer is one of the most common patron spirits and helpers of shamans. Siberian peoples. The novice shaman imagined himself as a deer, imitated its habits, began to snort like a deer, and this process of “entry of the spirit into the shaman” lasted a long time, sometimes two or three years. After this period, the shaman made himself a beater for a tambourine. Having stuck it in the ground, the initiated shaman sang shamanic songs. In a dream, a deer appeared to him, from the skin of which he needed to make a tambourine. The tambourine is perceived as a shaman's deer, on which he "rides to the upper world to the spirits." The tambourine depicts animals and birds patronizing the shaman. Some shamans, such as the Evenks, in addition to the tambourine, also have a ritual costume, symbolizing a deer, and a staff in their hands.

To the imagination of a Slav-northerner, each storm cloud it was represented as a deer carrying the chariot of Perun the thunderer (an ancient Slavic deity, an analogue of Elijah the prophet in the Christian tradition or Zeus-Jupiter in the Greco-Roman tradition) across the heavenly sea-ocean. From Ilyin’s day in Rus' they stopped swimming, saying: “from Ilyin’s day the leaves on the trees turn yellow, and in the rivers and lakes the water cools down because on that day the Deer swam across the river and cooled the water.” The same idea is reflected in the German legends about the "solar" deer.

The Celts believed that the deer was the main animal in the magical herds of the gods (this may have led to the tradition that Santa Claus travels in a reindeer team); some Celtic gods wore antlers.

Many Hittite, Sumero-Semitic and Shinto deities also moved on deer.

In alchemy, both male and female deer often act as symbols of transformation, which is associated with the myth of Artemis, who turned the hunter Actaeon into a deer because he saw her while bathing naked.

In heraldry, a deer is always depicted in profile, running, walking or lying down.

The deer is a very ancient symbol, it is present in all historical traditions. It is always a blessed symbol of rebirth and renewal, strength and nobility, courage and purity, piety and piety - a symbol human soul, but also a symbol of a warrior.

Deer in the mythology of the Slavs

The image of the deer played a special role in the life of the Slavs, they attributed it to the royal animals, and endowed with fantastic features. He was called "wonderful", "wonderful beast", "tour". According to beliefs, he was able to perform various miracles, speak human language.

Among the Slavs, the deer was considered the personification of the ancestors. Deer carried the souls of the dead to other world, many of their images were found on the walls of ancient ritual caves.

The Russian north has preserved the image of a deer in architecture, carvings, embroideries, fairy tales, epics. IN Russian museums collected the richest collections of fabrics embroidered with patterns, the main element of which is a deer.

The deer was a symbol Slavic goddesses Rozhanits - mothers and daughters who give birth to all living things. They were depicted on embroideries in the form of two deer or horned female figures. Images of this horned deity, most likely, adorned the dwellings of the Slavs, and the tradition of hanging deer antlers inside the house, perhaps, has more ancient roots than we think.

The male deer, especially during the rut, was the embodiment of strength, courage, determination and prudence at the same time. A graceful and shy female could enter into a deadly fight, protecting her cub. Man has always admired the strength and beauty of the deer, felt his superiority over himself.

And the antlers of a deer had a completely amazing effect on a person. In beauty and magnificence, they were compared with the sun, they were the personification of life and its renewal. The horns played one of critical roles in religious rituals for thousands of years. Magi appeared in horned headdresses.

The image of a deer is imprinted on many household items: spinning wheels, clay vessels, toys. It is known that flour from the bones of deer was sometimes added to the clay for these vessels. Folk toy in the form of a deer they continue to sculpt even now in the Russian North and in the central part of Russia.

On Russian embroideries, two deer with a tree in the center were depicted as sacrificial deer near a sacred tree. According to legend, a deer descended from the sky, came with a deer and sacrificed it himself, wanting to give people food.

On Ilyin's day in Rus' they stopped swimming - "The deer dipped his hoof into the water - you can’t swim." “It doesn’t knock, it doesn’t rattle its hooves, And a deer flies like a red-hot arrow, The deer has silver hooves, The deer’s horns are red gold. “Where are you going, young deer?” - I'm running, I'm flying to the river water ... The deer needs to step into the water with a hoof. Chill the silver water with that hoof.”

Deer is a creature correlated among the Slavs with the sun. Songs about the golden-horned deer have been recorded in Russia, Serbia, and Bulgaria. The deer is an animal endowed with divine symbolism. It closely intertwines features of not only folk and pagan, but also Christian origin.

Deer in the Christian tradition.

According to Bulgarian belief, it is forbidden to kill a deer, because there is a deer that wears a cross on its horns, killing such a deer threatens a person with death. The image of a deer with a crucifixion on horns and the idea of ​​a deer as a servant of God are associated with the Christian tradition. IN Ukrainian fairy tale the angel takes the form of a deer. The Belarusian riddle about the deer: “Alive - and not having been in the church, died - they didn’t sing, but being a God-bearer.”

The symbolic deer is depicted on tombs, icons, baptismal fonts - drinking at the foot of the cross. Symbolic representations of Christ in the form of a deer in combination with a cross, the image of a deer with a crucifix between the horns are known.

The deer is a symbol of hermitage, piety and purity in Christian culture. It symbolizes Christ and is associated with the soul, striving to hear the word of Christ: “As a doe desires to streams of water, so the soul desires You, O God!”

In Christian iconography, a deer trampling the ground is a symbol of a Christian fighting evil, an emblem of nobility and fortitude. “Look: how the little oleshek devours the snake, Then he drinks the spring water, And once again he is clean of poison, And the person here sees the meaning: He was washed with baptismal water, He is fit for a sinless life.”

The special relation of a person to a deer is also manifested in heraldic images: the sun - abundance, laurel - glory and honor, a lion - strength and courage. The deer also belongs to bright heraldic images and is a symbol of a warrior before whom the enemy runs, a symbol of the human soul, thirsting for God and struggling with temptations.

In Christian culture, the image of a deer was often interpreted precisely as an image of the human soul. This applies to both Byzantine and Old Russian art.

The deer is also the emblem of a warrior, a symbol of male nobility. This emblem is found in the knightly coats of arms of warlike ancient peoples. The deer was especially popular in England and Germany. In Russian heraldry, a deer chasing a snake serves as the emblem of a warrior in front of whom the enemy is running. But not only Christianity honors the deer ...

Deer in Buddhism

Close to Chinese city Sanya operates one of the modern centers Buddhism, which has a deer park.

In Buddhism, there is a legend that Shakya Muni, the creator of Buddhism, in one of his past lives was a deer - the king of all deer with luxurious golden horns. Perhaps it is no coincidence that the Buddha first expounded his teachings in the Deer Grove near the city of Benares (modern Varanasi) 7 weeks after he reached awakening.

IN ancient capital Japan Nare near the old temples for more than 1,000 years, a herd of 1,200 spotted deer has lived. According to legend, the first emperor of Japan, Jimmu, descended from heaven and arrived in Nara riding a deer, and modern deer, the descendants of that deer, are guarded as messengers of the gods.

The deer is one of the most important symbols of Buddhism, and Buddha is often depicted with a deer.

Deer - the European symbol of the deity.

Among the Celtic tribes, the deer was a symbol of fertility and vitality. The deer symbolized the sun, renewal, creation, he was considered the first ancestor. The main god of the Celts, Cernunnos, was depicted sitting next to a deer, and branched deer antlers adorned the head of the god. The image of a man - a warrior with deer horns on his head was a symbol of masculinity and military prowess.

The deer was a participant in ritual rites, as he was considered the master of animals and had power over fertility, abundance and renewal. Deer appear as wonderful messengers and guides, showing the heroes the way to their goal.

The deer as a symbol of the universe is mentioned in the Edda, the main work of Norse mythology. The deer is a sacred animal in the Greek mysteries, the companion of the huntress Diana. The image of this noble animal is widely represented in the art of ancient Greece.

totemism

In the art of all peoples there is an image of a mighty beast - the progenitor of the tribe, relative and patron. This phenomenon is called totemism and the deer is represented very widely in it.

The ancient Maya, for example, called themselves "Ah-Maya" - "people of the deer." The deer was considered the main tribal great-ancestor. The Huichol Indians also referred to themselves as "deer people". In Sami mythology, a wonderful deer - a werewolf Myandash is a totem animal - the ancestor of the Sami.

The word "saka" among the ancient Scythians meant a male deer, and many Scythian tribes called themselves "Saks". This name corresponds in Iranian with the word "saka", in Persian - "sax", in Buryat - "saga", in Russian "elk" and has the meaning "deer".

The veneration of the deer in such completely different historical traditions can hardly be called accidental. All this, one way or another, reflects a deep, largely spiritual connection between a person and a deer - a symbol of the noble soul of a person.

deer tattoo meaning

Deer are creatures of extraordinary beauty. They look noble and majestic, but not without quivering. A deer always has a tattoo meaning auspicious meaning. This animal personifies wisdom and unity with nature, peace and beauty of the world. As a tattoo, this symbol is suitable for both men and women.

Story

To begin with, it’s worth saying that deer are unusually smart and subtly feel environment. They know how to find medicinal plants and heal themselves, which is a rare occurrence in the animal world.

In Japan, the deer is a symbol of light and goodness. The composition with him is usually combined with a slain serpent, personifying evil. There, the deer is considered an almost perfect creature, which defeats enemies not with the help of force, but due to extraordinary caution and good reflexes. By the way, Christians revered these animals in the same way, attributing to them the ability to defeat evil on their own or portend victory to others ( we are talking about the male, horned and majestic). It has also been known since ancient times that deer can hear very well.

IN Chinese the hieroglyph deer corresponds to the word of wealth, so the animal is revered there as a symbol of abundance. Seeing a deer was considered a good omen: your undertakings will be accompanied by good luck. But in the East, deer were comparable to the dawn. It was believed that next to the deer, the world is cleared of the stupor of sleep, and life begins to boil around. Also, deer personified the moral purification of a person, his spiritual growth and enlightenment.

Among the Indians, the deer was sacred and two-faced. In one case, it is a symbol of a passionate lover who does not know refusal, is jealous and ardent. In the other, he personified a just and strong man (something like the image of knights, only in an Indian way). But more often than not, the deer in Native American culture is the face of life itself.

In the north of Russia, people are very dependent on deer. It was a beast of burden, food, and material for clothing and crafts. Therefore, they worshiped this animal as the personification life force, the will to survive and fertility (usually we are talking about a woman). Deer antlers - a separate conversation. In their culture, they are the tree of life, and are also often associated with the sun's rays.

Outcome

It is believed that a deer tattoo does not matter. It will not somehow characterize you, it will change your character for the better:

• You will become cleaner in your intentions, nobler;
• You will develop a sense of compassion;
• You will react much more violently to violence (both moral and physical), and a sense of justice will be an invariable companion;
• Sophistication and beautiful features will be much more pronounced, so you will become more attractive to the opposite sex (respectively stronger sex you need to stuff the male, and the weak part of humanity - the female).

Prison interpretation

Oddly enough, this magnificent creature is sometimes found in thieves' circles. The meaning of such tattoos is very different, it all depends on the location and composition. In some cases, a swift-footed deer may reflect the wearer's love of freedom and a clear desire to take his feet out of the place of detention. In other cases, it is a symbol that the person was sitting "in the north." You can interpret such a tattoo as the presence of a code of honor in a person who behaves nobly in those cases when he sees fit.

In the art of tattooing, a deer is always a kind, positive symbol. Since ancient times, these wonderful animals have caused people different peoples admiration and respect, struck by their beauty and strength.

The meaning of a deer tattoo often expresses and symbolizes masculine strength, noble loneliness, is a characteristic sign of wanderers and travelers.

The deer tattoo also has some mystical basis. He is often identified with the Tree of Life, and if he is depicted in a battle with a snake, he symbolizes the forces of good in eternal struggle opposites. A deer trampling a snake with its feet symbolizes the victory of good over evil, the triumph of spirit over matter. In myths and stories, the deer was very often a good messenger of the gods. Even in the Christian religion there is a story about a deer with a cross between its horns, which was the incarnation and sign of God. There are analogies in the Bible between deer thirsting for water and human souls thirsting for the light of truth, God's enlightenment. The male deer is often depicted on baptismal fonts as a symbol of divine reverence. Native American cultural tattoo interprets deer branching antlers into the sacred Tree of Life, naming this beast a symbol of the sun and the cyclical nature of life. The deer is no doubt a good symbol, he associated with feelings of love and pity, helps to heal wounds and find your true love.

In ancient Greek and Roman cultural traditions the deer was a symbol and attribute of Artemis (Diana). Among the Scandinavian peoples, the skin of a deer was often necessary for sacred shamanistic rituals. And the rare reindeer for the Scandinavians is a symbol of the Great Mother Isa. In the culture of the mysterious Mayan tribes, the deer was the prototype of the god Takhil, who patronized hunting, large-scale and cruel sacrifices were dedicated to him.

In the traditional tattoo of the ancient Celts, the deer was considered one of the most ancient animals on earth, so it meant longevity and rebirth. IN medieval Europe he was a sign of strength and justice. In China, historically, the attitude towards the deer as a symbol of abundance, it brings wealth and good luck. For the Japanese white deer- a symbol of longevity and wisdom . The deer has a rare grace and beauty, which is probably why it is often associated with poetry, music and the arts, as is the meaning of a pegasus tattoo. The acute hearing and attentiveness of this beast made him a model of caution and self-confidence. And the periodic change of horns of a deer is identified with rebirth and rebirth .

A deer tattoo can be a good guide, (as in myths) life path. express calmness and self-confidence of the wearer, betray it to the image originality. It is more suitable for men, but women also often choose a female deer as a means of personal expression.

Deer is a tattoo that has a special meaning. In general, I must say, the symbols of certain animals are fraught with hidden meaning. And you should always find out before you go to a tattoo parlor. After all, you can fill yourself with an image, the meaning of which does not coincide with the character of a person, or in general will mean something not particularly decent or suitable for him.

History of symbolism

So what does deer mean? A tattoo depicting this animal came into our culture a very long time ago. Such pictures were drawn by people for a very long time. The deer has long been revered by the peoples of all countries. He was considered a beautiful, courageous and strong animal. His images are often found in myths and culture. various peoples. Deer - a tattoo that everyone traditionally considers male image. But many representatives of the beautiful half of humanity decide to decorate themselves in this way. The only thing I would like to note about this is that girls make a choice more often in favor of deer, and not adults. They look more cute, delicate and charming. In general - the most suitable option for girls.

folk meaning

Deer - a tattoo that has a very profound meaning. And it is impossible not to mention it. Nobility, freedom, loneliness - this is what this symbol means. In addition, this animal is considered a symbol of travelers, as well as wanderers.

But the peoples who lived in the northern part of Russia believed that the deer is the personification vital energy and also the fecundity of the race. The chic horns of this animal were associated with the rays of the Sun. A Eastern peoples compared the deer with the sunrise, the renewal of the human soul and awakening. A very profound meaning.

In other cultures

What the “deer” tattoo on the hand of one nation means, other people can interpret in a completely different way. Well, it is important to know about each value. IN Chinese culture For example, a deer is also a boundless wealth. The Japanese consider this animal the embodiment of the triumph of good over all evil. And here is the deer white color considered a symbol of longevity and wisdom.

The Indian people claimed that the deer is the embodiment of Life, that which symbolizes loneliness, courage, justice.

One of the strangest images can be considered the symbol of a deer wounded by arrows. Many people do not know the true meaning of this image. However, such a “deer” tattoo (most often stuffed on the leg or chest) is the embodiment of love, jealousy and passionate yearning.

A christian religion and does consider this animal the embodiment of God and his sign. Especially if a cross is visible between its horns. Often the image of this animal can be seen on baptismal fonts. Because the deer is a symbol of divine sublime reverence.

Versions

Arms, legs, chest, back, wrists - where only people do not decide to get a tattoo. Everyone makes a choice in favor of this or that place according to their own prejudices. But most often, a deer tattoo can be found either on the leg or on the chest (for guys). Girls decide to decorate the shoulder blade or lower back. Others decide not to beat the picture at all, but only the appearance, outlines (which also looks quite interesting) of a deer - and this looks good either on the back of the head or on the wrist.

Today there is great amount various sketches for tattoos. They are available in both black and white and color. It can be a watercolor style, or “Polynesia”. Realism or abstraction. In fact, tattoo art today is so developed and multifaceted that the variety of options is dizzying. But what image it will be decided to fill depends only on the wishes of the person. If he did not like any of the existing options, you can always ask the master to make a sketch to order, expressing his own preferences.