Deer is a kind and positive animal. For a long time he amazed people with his strength and beauty, arousing respect and admiration. This is a kind of symbol of all wanderers and travelers, meaning noble loneliness.

Image of a deer with roses in color

What does a deer tattoo mean?

To some extent, deer is associated with mysticism. It is often compared to the "Tree of Life". He is also depicted next to a snake. In this case, it symbolizes the struggle between the forces of evil and good. If a deer tramples a snake with its hooves, then this personifies the victory of light forces over dark ones, the triumph of ideal concepts over material ones.

Deer is a symbol of goodness, benefactor, vital energy.

B&W image of a deer on the forearm

The history of the deer tattoo

What does a deer tattoo mean? In ancient legends and myths, the deer was a good divine messenger. Even in Christian stories, there is a story that tells of a deer that had a cross between its antlers. He was the sign and embodiment of God. In the holy scriptures one can find analogies between deer who are thirsty and people who thirst for holy truth and divine enlightenment. The male, as a sign of God's reverence, is often painted on baptismal fonts.

Important! Not all tattoos are meant to attract attention. There are also cosmetic tattoos or permanent makeup. It includes applying eyeliner, highlighting the contour of the lips, and tinting the eyebrows. Such tattoos help save on cosmetics, but correction is still necessary to maintain them in proper form.

Oak leaves against the background of a deer

Among the American Indians, deer antlers were associated with the tree of life. And they called the animal itself a symbol of the cyclical nature of existence and sunlight. Deer is an undeniably kind animal, associated with feelings of pity and love. He helps in finding true love.

As a child, I really loved the cartoon “Bambi”. When I grew up, I wanted to get a tattoo of this cute deer. I got a tattoo on my shoulder. Looks pretty nice.

Rimma, Volgograd

In Rome and Ancient Greece, the deer was a symbol of Diana. In Scandinavia, deer skin was used for sacred rituals. Reindeer is especially revered here because it is a rare animal. The Mayan tribes considered the deer to be the prototype of the god Tahil, the patron saint of hunting. The ancient Celts considered the deer to be the most ancient animal, so here it symbolized rebirth and longevity. In Europe during the Middle Ages, this animal was a sign of justice and vitality. The Chinese identified it with abundance, luck and material well-being.

In addition, deer is associated with:

• rebirth;
• music and poetry;
• beauty and grace;
• caution and self-confidence;
• originality and originality

The deer tattoo, the meaning of which has only positive aspects for girls and boys, arose a long time ago, but has found its place in the modern world of tattoos.

Little deer tattoo in the grass

Deer tattoo in the modern world

Both women and men can apply deer to their bodies. In any case, it will look beautiful and original. The fair half of humanity, as a rule, choose a tattoo in the form of a female deer or a cute fawn. The meaning of the tattoo remains the same, but naivety, tenderness, timidity, and grace are added. But men prefer adult animals, which are a symbol of abundance. Today such a tattoo is rarely used as a talisman and a magical symbol. As a rule, this is a kind of addition to the existing image. The deer tattoo, a photo of which is presented in a variety of images, is equally popular among different segments of the population.

For me, a deer has always been a symbol of nobility, so with the help of such a tattoo I wanted to emphasize my positive qualities.

Misha, Omsk

Primitive sketch of a deer

How can a deer be depicted?

Typical qualities of a deer are beauty, grace and speed. The person who puts this animal on his body wants to demonstrate exactly these qualities to others. Another important quality of any deer is loneliness, because they prefer to live alone in the forest. An animal with horns, as a rule, is associated with the female gender, therefore it symbolizes grace, timidity, and gullibility.

Sometimes the deer is depicted as having antlers. Of course, such a tattoo cannot carry a positive meaning. It is chosen by people associated with demonic forces or people who look at this world with negativity. The deer tattoo, sketches of which can be found in any tattoo salon catalog, is also popular among creative individuals.

A kind of deer on the chest. Can be done in this style

Deer tattoo for creative people

A deer tattoo is a unique symbol of creative people. Due to its beauty and grace, this animal was often identified with various types of art - poetry, music, etc. If you are a representative of a creative profession or are simply interested in art, then a deer can become your kind of amulet. Of course, it is not at all necessary to apply it in the form of a tattoo, but in this case it will have special magical powers.

Video: 25 deer tattoos

Deer tattoo designs

The deer is an auspicious symbol associated with the Sun, sunrise, light, purity, renewal, rebirth, creation and spirituality. Due to the resemblance of deer antlers to branches, the image of a deer is associated with the Tree of Life. In addition, deer antlers symbolize the sun's rays and fertility. An adult male deer is a solar emblem of abundance.

Like the eagle and the lion, the deer is the eternal enemy of the snake; symbolically it is associated with the sky and light, while the snake is associated with the night and life underground. A deer in a fight with a snake symbolizes the conflict between positive and negative, light and darkness.

Like the eagle and the horse, the deer is a mediator between heaven and earth, a messenger of the gods. Hittite, Sumerian-Semitic and Shinto deities rode on deer; deer were harnessed to the carts of Time and Christmas.

The most characteristic features of a deer are swiftness, grace and beauty; Maybe that's why deer are associated with poetry and music.

IN medieval art in the West, the deer symbolized solitude and purity, and in Japanese poetry - loneliness and longing for love.

U Chinese means happiness and longevity, the white male deer symbolizes Shou-Xin, the god of longevity. In addition, deer is associated with wealth and good fortune; the word “deer” in China is consonant with the word “abundance.”

Ancient Mayans called themselves Ah-Maya, “people of the Deer.” This animal was considered the main tribal ancestor and therefore a sacred animal. The Mayan constellation Deer (Capricorn) was associated with the new year, the next stage in life. This month it was recommended to focus only on earthly concerns. It was believed that as soon as one manages to live through the month of active Deer, it will be like this for the whole year. It was believed that those born this month are distinguished, on the one hand, by their connection with traditions, and on the other, by the desire for something new, to improve the existing. During this month, the ancient Mayans turned to priests for predictions or engaged in divination themselves.

U Celts deer is a symbol of the Sun, fertility and vitality, dignity, masculinity, speed, a mediator between the world of the gods and the world of people. The Celts believed that the deer was the main animal in the magical herds of the gods. Deer antlers were considered a symbolic representation of tree branches. The branches of the horns, like branches and leaves on trees, were considered symbols of rebirth and reproduction. The Celtic god Cernunnos, associated with the cycles of death and rebirth of nature, was depicted with branched stag antlers or with a stag and a bull standing at his feet. The legends feature a white deer, which for the Celts was a mystical animal that came to earth from the Other World and possessed the gift of wisdom and omniscience.

IN German-Scandinavian mythology four deer pluck the leaves of the world tree Yggdrasil. In addition, the deer Eiktürmir (“oak-tipped horns”) and the goat Heidrun eat its leaves while standing on the roof of Valhalla.

IN Greco-Roman tradition deer is an attribute of Artemis (Diana). Enraged by Artemis, the hunter Actaeon was turned into a deer because he saw her bathing.

IN Christian symbolism the deer represents religious enthusiasm and zeal, as the converts thirsted for knowledge "...as a deer longs to reach a cool stream to drink." It is in this sense that the deer is depicted on baptismal fonts, as well as in religious paintings - drinking at the foot of the cross. In Christian iconography, a deer trampling a snake is the emblem of a Christian fighting evil. Some saints are depicted with a deer as their attribute, for example a deer with a crucifix between its antlers is the emblem of St. Hubert.

IN alchemy the deer together with the unicorn signify the dual nature of Mercury, philosophical mercury. Alchemists see in the ancient myth of the hunter Actaeon, transformed by the goddess Artemis into a deer, proof of the possibility of transforming metals.

U Slavs the deer was considered the personification of ancestors. According to legend, he could perform various miracles and speak in a human voice. In ancient carols, deer, like horses, carry the souls of the dead to the other world. The deer was considered a royal animal: it rules over all horned animals.

Deer often appears in heraldic images where “means grace and moderation.”

Words are tormenting trumpets,
thundering in the deep forest, -
watching, calling to each other rudely,
Where will I carry the flame?
But what do I care about the greedy barking of Diana,
do you catch stomping and flying?
My soul is a huge deer -
The maddened dogs will be shaken off!
Will shake off - and along the burning path
will rush with its horns wide open,
through the black thickets of the night
to the fiery shores!

Vladimir Nabokov

The deer is an auspicious symbol associated with the Sun, sunrise, light, purity, renewal, rebirth, creation and spirituality. Due to the resemblance of deer antlers to branches, the image of a deer is associated with the Tree of Life. In addition, deer antlers symbolize the sun's rays and fertility. An adult male deer is a solar emblem of abundance.

Like the eagle and the lion, the deer is the eternal enemy of the snake; symbolically it is associated with the sky and light, while the snake is associated with the night and life underground. A deer in a fight with a snake symbolizes the conflict between positive and negative, light and darkness.

Like the eagle and the horse, the deer is a mediator between heaven and earth, a messenger of the gods. Hittite, Sumerian-Semitic and Shinto deities rode on deer; deer were harnessed to the carts of Time and Christmas.

The most characteristic features of a deer are swiftness, grace and beauty; Maybe that's why deer are associated with poetry and music.

IN medieval art in the West, the deer symbolized solitude and purity, and in Japanese poetry - loneliness and longing for love.

U Chinese means happiness and longevity, the white male deer symbolizes Shou-Xin, the god of longevity. In addition, deer is associated with wealth and good fortune; the word "deer" in China is consonant with the word "abundance."

Ancient Mayans called themselves Ah-Maya, "people of the Deer". This animal was considered the main tribal ancestor and therefore a sacred animal. The Mayan constellation Deer (Capricorn) was associated with the new year, the next stage in life. This month it was recommended to focus only on earthly concerns. It was believed that as soon as one manages to live through the month of active Deer, it will be like this for the whole year. It was believed that those born this month are distinguished, on the one hand, by their connection with traditions, and on the other, by the desire for something new, to improve the existing. During this month, the ancient Mayans turned to priests for predictions or engaged in divination themselves.

U Celts deer is a symbol of the Sun, fertility and vitality, dignity, masculinity, speed, a mediator between the world of gods and the world of people. The Celts believed that the deer was the main animal in the magical herds of the gods. Deer antlers were considered a symbolic representation of tree branches. The branches of the horns, like branches and leaves on trees, were considered symbols of rebirth and reproduction. The Celtic god Cernunnos, associated with the cycles of death and rebirth of nature, was depicted with branched stag antlers or with a stag and a bull standing at his feet. The legends feature a white deer, which for the Celts was a mystical animal that came to earth from the Other World and possessed the gift of wisdom and omniscience.

IN German-Scandinavian mythology Due to its tree-like appearance and the periodic renewal of its antlers, the deer was a symbol of life rejuvenating again and again, rebirth and the passage of time. In ancient northern mythology, four deer hide in the crown of the world tree Yggdrasil. There they eat buds (hours), flowers (days) and branches (seasons). In addition, the deer Eiktürmir (“oak-tipped horns”) and the goat Heidrun eat its leaves while standing on the roof of Valhalla.

IN Greco-Roman tradition deer is an attribute of Artemis (Diana). Enraged by Artemis, the hunter Actaeon was turned into a deer because he saw her bathing.

IN Christian symbolism the deer represents religious enthusiasm and zeal, as the converts thirsted for knowledge "...as a deer longs to reach a cool stream to drink." It is in this meaning that the deer is depicted on baptismal fonts, as well as in religious paintings - drinking at the foot of the cross. In Christian iconography, a deer trampling a snake is the emblem of a Christian fighting evil. Some saints are depicted with a deer as their attribute, for example a deer with a crucifix between its antlers - the emblem of St. Hubert.

IN alchemy the deer together with the unicorn signify the dual nature of Mercury, philosophical mercury. Alchemists see in the ancient myth of the hunter Actaeon, transformed by the goddess Artemis into a deer, proof of the possibility of transforming metals.

U Slavs the deer was considered the personification of ancestors. According to legend, he could perform various miracles and speak in a human voice. In ancient carols, deer, like horses, carry the souls of the dead to the other world. The deer was considered a royal animal: it rules over all horned animals.

Deer antlers symbolized the rays of the sun. In antiquity, deer was considered the enemy of poisonous snakes, and deer skin was considered an amulet against snake bites. The deer sucks the snakes out of their holes and, to protect himself from their poison, drinks water from the spring within three hours: then he will live for another five years. “If you have a snake in your heart and you hate it - this is a sin, then hurry to the springs, to the veins of Holy Scripture and drink the living water... and do not die because of sin.” All this also repeats the text of the medieval book about animals (bestiary). Deer discovered the miraculous power of the herb dictamnus (Latin dictamnus, Dictamnus), so if they are hit by hunting arrows, they use this plant to heal wounds.

Deer often appears in heraldic images where “means grace and moderation.”

The Mayan word MANIK literally means “acquisition of spirit”, or “spirit of acquisition”: from the root “man” - “acquire”, “buy” and “ik” - “spirit, wind, desire”. Among the Maya-Quiche Indians, the same sign is called the Deer, the image of which in their tradition has always been a generally understood symbol of prey. In other words, the name Deer reflects the same idea as the word “acquisition, prey.”

The hieroglyph of the Manik sign includes an image of an open palm with a circle in the middle, which symbolizes receiving something. At the top of the hieroglyph is an inverted sign meaning “spirit, wind, life,” depicted as a T-shaped cross. The fact that this sign is inverted suggests that in this case we are not talking about the Heavenly Spirit as such, but about those desires and passions that a person is endowed with by Nature and that drives him.

Thus, the sign Deer symbolizes human desires as such, as well as the thirst for the realization of these desires.

"Mayan Horoscope: sign Deer (Manik)", Dmitry and Nadezhda Zima

The deer is an auspicious symbol associated with the Sun, sunrise, light, purity, renewal, rebirth, creation and spirituality. Due to the resemblance of deer antlers to branches, the image of a deer is associated with the Tree of Life. In addition, deer antlers symbolize the sun's rays and fertility. An adult male deer is a solar emblem of abundance.

Like the eagle and the lion, the deer is the eternal enemy of the snake; symbolically it is associated with the sky and light, while the snake is associated with the night and life underground. A deer in a fight with a snake symbolizes the conflict between positive and negative, light and darkness.

Like the eagle and the horse, the deer is a mediator between heaven and earth, a messenger of the gods. Hittite, Sumerian-Semitic and Shinto deities rode on deer; deer were harnessed to the carts of Time and Christmas.

The most characteristic features of a deer are swiftness, grace and beauty; Maybe that's why deer are associated with poetry and music.

In medieval art in the West, the deer symbolized solitude and purity, and in Japanese poetry - loneliness and longing for love.

For the Chinese, it means happiness and longevity; the white male deer symbolizes Shou-Xin, the god of longevity. In addition, deer is associated with wealth and good fortune; the word “deer” in China is consonant with the word “abundance.”


The ancient Mayans called themselves Ah-Maya, "people of the Deer." This animal was considered the main tribal ancestor and therefore a sacred animal. The Mayan constellation Deer (Capricorn) was associated with the new year, the next stage in life. This month it was recommended to focus only on earthly concerns. It was believed that as soon as one manages to live through the month of active Deer, it will be like this for the whole year. It was believed that those born this month are distinguished, on the one hand, by their connection with traditions, and on the other, by the desire for something new, to improve the existing. During this month, the ancient Mayans turned to priests for predictions or engaged in divination themselves.

Among the Celts, the deer is a symbol of the Sun, fertility and vitality, dignity, masculinity, speed, a mediator between the world of the gods and the world of people. The Celts believed that the deer was the main animal in the magical herds of the gods. Deer antlers were considered a symbolic representation of tree branches. The branches of the horns, like branches and leaves on trees, were considered symbols of rebirth and reproduction. The Celtic god Cernunnos, associated with the cycles of death and rebirth of nature, was depicted with branched stag antlers or with a stag and a bull standing at his feet. The legends feature a white deer, which for the Celts was a mystical animal that came to earth from the Other World and possessed the gift of wisdom and omniscience.


In German-Scandinavian mythology, four deer pluck the leaves of the world tree Yggdrasil. In addition, the deer Eiktürmir (“oak-tipped horns”) and the goat Heidrun eat its leaves while standing on the roof of Valhalla.


In the Greco-Roman tradition, the deer is an attribute of Artemis (Diana). Enraged by Artemis, the hunter Actaeon was turned into a deer because he saw her bathing.

In Christian symbolism, the deer represents religious enthusiasm and zeal, as converts longed for knowledge "...as a deer longs to reach a cool stream to drink." It is in this meaning that the deer is depicted on baptismal fonts, as well as in religious paintings - drinking at the foot of the cross. In Christian iconography, a deer trampling a snake is the emblem of a Christian fighting evil. Some saints are depicted with a deer as their attribute, for example a deer with a crucifix between its antlers - the emblem of St. Hubert.


In alchemy, the deer together with the unicorn signify the dual nature of Mercury, philosophical mercury. Alchemists see in the ancient myth of the hunter Actaeon, transformed by the goddess Artemis into a deer, proof of the possibility of transforming metals.

Among the Slavs, deer was considered the personification of ancestors. According to legend, he could perform various miracles and speak in a human voice. In ancient carols, deer, like horses, carry the souls of the dead to the other world. The deer was considered a royal animal: it rules over all horned animals.

Deer often appears in heraldic images, where it “means grace and moderation.”

Deer

Words are tormenting trumpets,
thundering in the deep forest, -
watching, calling to each other rudely,
Where will I carry the flame?
But what do I care about the greedy barking of Diana,
do you catch stomping and flying?
My soul is a huge deer -
The maddened dogs will be shaken off!
Shakes off - and along the burning path
will rush with its horns wide open,
through the black thickets of the night
to the fiery shores!

Vladimir Nabokov