Deer Woman
Encyclopedia
Deer Woman, sometimes also known as Deer Lady, is a shape-shifting woman in Native American mythology
, in and around Oklahoma
, The Western United States and The Pacific Northwest.
She allegedly appears at various times as an old woman, or a young maiden, or a deer. Some descriptions assign her a human female upper body and the lower body of a white-tailed deer
.
The Deer Woman is said to sometimes be seen as a beautiful woman just off the trail or behind a bush, calling to men to come over. Deer Woman is often said to have all the features of a normal young woman, except her feet which are shaped like deer hooves and her brown deer's eyes. Men who are lured into her presence often notice too late that she is not a natural woman and are then stomped to death. Other stories and traditions describe the sighting of Deer Woman to be a sign of personal transformation or a warning. Deer Woman is also said to be fond of dancing and will sometimes join a communal dance unnoticed leaving only when the drum beating ceases.
The Deer Woman is similar in nature to several other female figures of folklore from other regions such as La Llorona
from Mexico and the Southwestern United States, the Fiura of Chile
, the Colombian creatures the Patasola
and "the Tunda
and the Iara
of Brazil, the Xana
from Asturias (Spain), and Naag Kanyas (serpent women) from India. All are females who at times, function as sirens leading men to their death.
This physical deformity marking an otherwise perfect women is a common theme among legendary siren figures. Deer Woman has hooves for feet, La Patasola and the Tunda have deformed feet and La llorona is often said to have no feet by those who see her. The Iara on the other hand is a fish woman with a blow hole in her neck.
According to Ojibwe tradition, she can be banished through the use of tobacco and chant others say that you can break her spell by looking at her feet, which are in fact hooves. Once she is recognized for what she is, she runs away. This is, in fact, how one of the main characters in the horror movie mentioned below stopped it from killing him.
Deer Woman was featured as a character in an eponymous episode of the Showtime horror series Masters of Horror
. It originally aired in North America on December 9, 2005 and was directed by John Landis
, who is best known for his direction of the 1981 film An American Werewolf in London
.
, there have been reports of people shocked (generally at night) by suddenly discovering to their utter surprise that women travelling along them have cow-hooves instead of normal feet. In other versions of this urban legend
, women have normal feet, but fixed the other way around or in local language ਪੁੱਠੇ ਪੈਰ - a sure sign, according to a folk-belief, that the lady is not a human being.
Native American mythology
Native American mythology is the body of traditional narratives associated with Native American religion from a mythographical perspective. Native American belief systems include many sacred narratives. Such spiritual stories are deeply based in Nature and are rich with the symbolism of seasons,...
, in and around Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
, The Western United States and The Pacific Northwest.
She allegedly appears at various times as an old woman, or a young maiden, or a deer. Some descriptions assign her a human female upper body and the lower body of a white-tailed deer
White-tailed Deer
The white-tailed deer , also known as the Virginia deer or simply as the whitetail, is a medium-sized deer native to the United States , Canada, Mexico, Central America, and South America as far south as Peru...
.
The Deer Woman is said to sometimes be seen as a beautiful woman just off the trail or behind a bush, calling to men to come over. Deer Woman is often said to have all the features of a normal young woman, except her feet which are shaped like deer hooves and her brown deer's eyes. Men who are lured into her presence often notice too late that she is not a natural woman and are then stomped to death. Other stories and traditions describe the sighting of Deer Woman to be a sign of personal transformation or a warning. Deer Woman is also said to be fond of dancing and will sometimes join a communal dance unnoticed leaving only when the drum beating ceases.
The Deer Woman is similar in nature to several other female figures of folklore from other regions such as La Llorona
La Llorona
La Llorona is a widespread legend in Mexico, Puerto Rico and Central America. Although several variations exist, the basic story tells of a beautiful woman by the name of Maria killing her children by drowning them, in order to be with the man that she loved. When the man rejects her, she kills...
from Mexico and the Southwestern United States, the Fiura of Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, the Colombian creatures the Patasola
Patasola
The Patasola or "one foot" is one of many myths in South American folklore about female monsters from the jungle, appearing to male hunters or loggers in the middle of the wilderness when they think about women...
and "the Tunda
Tunda
The Tunda is a myth of the Colombian Pacific region, and particularly in the afro-American community, about a vampire-like monster woman that lures people into the forests and keeps them there...
and the Iara
Iara (mythology)
Iara, also spelled Uira or Yara, is the name of a figure from Brazilian mythology based on ancient Tupi and Guaraní mythology. The word derives from Old Tupi yîara = y + îara = lady of the lake . She is seen as either a water nymph, siren, or mermaid depending upon the context of the story told...
of Brazil, the Xana
Xana
The xana is a character found in Asturian mythology. Always female, she is a fairy nymph of extraordinary beauty believed to live in fountains, rivers, waterfalls or forested regions with pure water. She is usually described as small or slender with long blonde or light brown hair , which she tends...
from Asturias (Spain), and Naag Kanyas (serpent women) from India. All are females who at times, function as sirens leading men to their death.
This physical deformity marking an otherwise perfect women is a common theme among legendary siren figures. Deer Woman has hooves for feet, La Patasola and the Tunda have deformed feet and La llorona is often said to have no feet by those who see her. The Iara on the other hand is a fish woman with a blow hole in her neck.
According to Ojibwe tradition, she can be banished through the use of tobacco and chant others say that you can break her spell by looking at her feet, which are in fact hooves. Once she is recognized for what she is, she runs away. This is, in fact, how one of the main characters in the horror movie mentioned below stopped it from killing him.
Deer Woman was featured as a character in an eponymous episode of the Showtime horror series Masters of Horror
Masters of Horror
Masters of Horror is an informal social group of international film writers and directors specializing in horror movies and an American television series created by director Mick Garris for the Showtime cable network.- Origin :...
. It originally aired in North America on December 9, 2005 and was directed by John Landis
John Landis
John David Landis is an American film director, screenwriter, actor, and producer. He is known for his comedies, his horror films, and his music videos with singer Michael Jackson.-Early life and career:...
, who is best known for his direction of the 1981 film An American Werewolf in London
An American Werewolf in London
An American Werewolf in London is a 1981 British-American horror film, written and directed by John Landis. It stars David Naughton, Jenny Agutter, and Griffin Dunne....
.
Elsewhere
In parts of Northern IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, there have been reports of people shocked (generally at night) by suddenly discovering to their utter surprise that women travelling along them have cow-hooves instead of normal feet. In other versions of this urban legend
Urban legend
An urban legend, urban myth, urban tale, or contemporary legend, is a form of modern folklore consisting of stories that may or may not have been believed by their tellers to be true...
, women have normal feet, but fixed the other way around or in local language ਪੁੱਠੇ ਪੈਰ - a sure sign, according to a folk-belief, that the lady is not a human being.
External links
- Oklahoma’s Deer woman by Tonya Hacker
- Deer Woman And the Living Myth of the Dreamtime, article by Carolyn Dunn from the Endicott Journal of Mythic Arts 2003