The Symbolism of the White Stag

The stories of the pursuit of the legendary ram are but the tip of the iceberg, because there is a lot more corroborating information about this legend from ancient Messopotamia, also from Assyrian and Babilonian records. The legend amongst our language relatives including FinnUgor, Huns, and others varies but is generally a star myth where the "great hunter" hunts the heavenly stagg (Ursa Major) and kills it around Christmas time. The sun which is held in its horns now escapes and becomes stronger, ushering in spring. However the calve of the stagg repeats the event every year.

Scythian Stagg found in Hungary

The Hungarian Legend of the Wondrous Stag is one of the oldest legends of the nation. It is so old that it is found in various forms among those nations who were the distant relatives or neighbors of the Hungarians, long before their settlement in Hungary. The meaning and the wording of the legends may have changed slightly but they all have much in common. Today the remaining legend is relatively short, whereas in the past it was probably much more extensive. However the Hungarian legend despite it's brevity includes in it many important points some of which can be found in most of the related legends found in other cultures. It is these points which show that once, in the remote antiquity, these people were neighbors or some were even related.