My Deerest Friends,
Deer & Boy is out now, and to celebrate, we wanted to share a little love for the animal at the heart of it all.Â
Here are a few things we've come to adore about deer, from myth to biology to the games and films that shaped us:
(The images throughout are snippets from the Deer & Boy Artbook.)
Antlers are the fastest-growing tissue of any mammal. They can grow up to an inch a day, and a big bull moose can add a pound of bone daily, growing a full rack in a single summer. A fawn becoming a majestic deer really is one of nature's great transformations. (source)
Deer live on every continent except Antarctica, which is part of why they appear in the myths and folklore of so many cultures around the world. (source)
In Celtic mythology, deer were seen as guides between worlds, believed to lead travelers who wished to journey to the other realm. A companion for crossing from one life into another. (source)
To the ancient Greeks, deer were sacred to Artemis, goddess of the hunt and the wilderness. She was often shown with a stag and fiercely protected these animals, including the legendary golden-antlered Ceryneian Hind. (source)
In Nara, Japan, deer have been protected for over 1,200 years as messengers of the gods. According to legend, a deity was carried to the city on a sacred deer, and today they famously bow to visitors. (source)
In Buddhism, the deer symbolizes the Buddha's teachings. A pair of deer flanking the Dharmachakra, the wheel of transformation, became a standard emblem for the places that transmitted his teachings. (source)
The legend of the white stag runs through European folklore and fiction alike, a rare creature whose sighting was said to signal great change. You'll find it everywhere from Arthurian legend to Narnia to Game of Thrones. (source)
Across many cultures, deer share a common meaning: grace, gentleness, renewal, and rebirth. From Native American traditions to Chinese folklore, they've long stood for kindness, intuition, and living gently in the world. (source)
Deer have remarkably sharp senses, with acute hearing, keen vision, and a strong sense of smell. It's part of why so many cultures associate them with alertness and intuition. (source)
Deer have quietly wandered through games and films for years, from Bambi's unforgettable coming-of-age, to the gentle doe that guides the player through Life is Strange. We're proud to add Deer & Boy to that list. (source)
~ The Deer & Boy team