Product description
The deer is an animal of great symbolic significance in the mythology of many European peoples. As early as the Mesolithic period, deer were venerated. For example, at Star Carr, 21 deer skulls were found that had been modified to be used as headdresses. Similar antler headdresses have been found elsewhere in Europe, such as the antler from Biesdorf in Germany. Deer were associated with fertility, as seen in the Austrian Strettweg cult chariot from the Late Bronze Age and early medieval Germanic Sun Stones from Gotland.
In Celtic art and mythology, the deer, especially the male, holds important symbolic meaning. It often represents leadership, strength, renewal, and the connection to the afterlife. Deer are frequently depicted with intricate patterns and decorations, emphasizing their great significance in Celtic traditions. Additionally, the deer was associated with forest gods and seen as a guide to the spiritual world, especially in stories about the Celtic afterlife. Cernunnos, for instance, is a mythical figure with antlers on his head, depicted on the Gundestrup cauldron. He was the god of the forest. In Greek mythology, the deer is especially associated with Artemis in her role as the virgin huntress. Actaeon, who saw Artemis bathing naked in a pond, was transformed into a deer by her, after which he was torn apart by his own dogs. Callimachus refers in his well-informed “Hymn III to Artemis” to the deer that pulled Artemis’s chariot.
A royal staff from the Anglo-Saxon period, found at the Sutton Hoo burial site in England, is decorated with an image of an upright deer with antlers. In the Old English poem Beowulf, the first part of the story revolves around Heorot, meaning “Hall of the Hart,” a grand feasting hall. In the Poetic Edda poem Grímnismál, four deer are described: Dáinn, Dvalinn, Duneyrr, and Duraþrór. These deer live in the World Tree, Yggdrasill, and gnaw at its branches. The dew that arises from this collects in their antlers and forms the rivers of the world. The poem also tells of the deer Eikþyrnir, who lives on the roof of Valhalla. In the Prose Edda, in the book Gylfaginning, it is told that the god Freyr once killed Beli with an antler. In the Þiðrekssaga, Sigurd is raised by a hind (female deer).
In Christian medieval stories, the pagan symbolic meaning of the white deer or hart as a mystical being connected to the afterlife was continued, for example in quest narratives such as “The Hunt for the White Stag” and Arthurian legends. Saint Giles, a saint from southern France, lived as a hermit with a hind (female deer) who nourished him with her milk. In the legend of Le Puy-en-Velay, a deer led the bishop to the spot where a church would later be built. Saint Hubertus, patron saint of hunters, converted after seeing a deer with a cross between its antlers. This legend appears related to that of Saint Eustace. According to chronicles, King Clovis I also received help from a great deer to cross a river. In the 14th century, a deer with burning candles on its antlers appeared to King Ladislaus I of Hungary, which was interpreted as an angel and led to the construction of a cathedral in honor of the Holy Virgin.
This deer hide is tanned and comes from a fallow deer that lived in the wild in Germany. In Germany, hunting fallow deer is permitted due to the overpopulation of these animals. Hunting helps to maintain the balance of the ecosystem. The hunt mainly focuses on older fallow deer that can no longer thrive well in the wild. Place yourself in the tradition of your ancestors and decorate your living room or bedroom with this beautiful hide.
Details:
Material: tanned fallow deer hide
Originating from the German hunting of fallow deer due to overpopulation
Tanned by German hunter
Dimensions: 100 x 60 cm
Please note: this is an average size. All skins are unique and sizes may vary.
Shipment weight (g): 3000 *
This item is produced in limited quantities only. This means that every piece is unique. Sizes & finish may vary lightly from piece to piece.
The animal parts in this item are made from animals caught in the wild, or animals killed in pest control for lack of a natural enemy like possums.
When packaging this item, we exclusively use 100% recycled plastic and recycled paper/cardboard from FSC certified forests. We reuse a large part of the material directly without the intervention of a recycling process.
Recycle the material by separating your waste:
1. Cardboard: separate or reuse your paper.
2. Plastic cushions, clothing bags and plastic tape: separate or reuse your plastic. If possible, pierce the cushions with a volume reduction needle.
3. Paper packaging for jewelry and small items: these have a plastic inner layer. Remove these, then separate your paper and plastic.
Read here about how we are committed to sustainability.
