Folklore Spotlight: The Legend of The Deer Man

K.J. Edwards describes herself as a single mom in her mid-30s from Texas. Edwards' magical influences are varied, and pull primarily from her Irish heritage and relationship with nature. You can find Edwards on the web at HausofHighWitchery on Etsy.

Picture this.

You’re walking in the woods, enjoying the sounds of nature and taking in the beautiful scenery. Suddenly, you begin to notice the sounds of the wildlife around you have begun to grow distant. Then, you begin to feel a sense of foreboding as you see animals leaving the area, looking hurried and nervous.

Fear hits you when you realize you are no longer seeing anything, and all the sound in the forest has come to a halt. You begin to hear rustling and movement around you and then, through the trees, you see a creature emerge. The body is that of a man, the head is of a deer or an elk. The neck and head are covered in fur and antlers protrude from its head. As terrifying as this is, it doesn’t compare to the chill that is caused by the glowing red eyes and the blood-curdling screech it emits.

You have just met The Deer Man.

Who or what is The Deer Man?

Many indigenous and Native American tribes from both Canada and the United States hold traditional beliefs and legends of beings that bear a striking resemblance to this creature.

The Ijirait believe the “Caribou People'' live in caves and have the ability to shift either completely into caribou or into caribou/human hybrids. The Cree and Algonquin believe in an evil spirit associated with starvation and the cold, called the Wendigo. The Sonnie-Appoo, as told by the Okanagan tribe, has the body of a man, the head of a deer with a human face covered in deer hair, the limbs are those of a deer, and it also has bat wings growing out of its shoulders.

The Choctaw in the southeastern United States have stories of a creature called “Kashehotapolo”. This mischievous being loves to frighten hunters in the woods by screeching and wailing as they run past hunters, at a speed that is so fast you cannot see it. On the other hand, the Lakota, located in the Great Plains region of the United States, have “Sinte Sapela Win”. Also known as the Black-Tailed Deer Woman, she appears to hunters and seduces them into madness or death.

Where does The Deer Man live?

There have been reported encounters with The Deer Man all over the North American continent. Recent sightings have been reported in Colorado and Oklahoma, but they have also been sighted around the Great Lakes Region and down into the swamps and marshes of the south eastern United States.

So in conclusion?

In my opinion, when you have old or even ancient stories that have been passed down from generation to generation that match or are similar to other ancient stories, it means something.

Most of these legends come from people who are used to living in tune with their surroundings and paying close attention to their environment. Why would there be multiple stories that are so alike, if there wasn’t an actual creature that is responsible for them? I find it interesting that people who have encountered The Deer Man have reported similar feelings of unease and danger as those listed above.

If you are going to be spending time in the forest (or swamps), make sure you keep an eye on the wildlife around you. If they think it is time to leave, it probably is.