The Flying Deer of the Ancient Steppes

Artists on the Iron Age steppes loved animals; indeed, their work is sometimes called the Animal Style. One of the animals they most loved depict was the deer.

In many cases, they greatly exaggerated the size and flamboyance of the antlers.

This may mean something. Consider this cup, which comes from Thrace but is fully within the steppes animal style. Before we talk about the antlers, consider the overall layout of the design. Many people looking at this cup see three bands, which they think represent the sea, the earth, and the sky.

Detail. According to the three realms theory, the antlers extend up into the sky or air. Plus, they are sprouting birds' heads.

Here's a very clear example of antlers sprouting birds from one of the frozen Pazyryk Tombs.

Drawing of a tattoo from Pazyryk. Some people think these deer with birds on their antlers are flying.

The deer on this Mongolian "Deer Stone" are also thought to be flying upward.

Why flying deer? Well, we don't really know, but many people think they are flying, not into the sky, but into the other worlds, the combination of birds and antlers representing their ability to travel between worlds. That is, these are shamanistic images.

But rather than putting too much emphasis on any particular interpretation, I would just say that these beasts are wonderful, magical, and seem to soar through the universe.