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The great Scottish Stag, the "Monarch of the Glens", cast in pewter! Bold, heavy, and richly detailed, this heavy kilt buckle measures 4.5" wide X 3" high. Hand made in the UK for USA Kilts from an exclusive design by Doug Cavanagh at Celtic Hammer Club.
The Celtic Lore of the Stag
In Celtic myth as well as medieval Christian myth, the stag symbolizes nobility, sovereignty, and untamed wilderness. While not as popular as the boar, the stag was also sometimes associated with warriorship; usually in a protective capacity just as stags defend their herds. Its cycle of shedding and regrowing antlers mirrors the seasonal cycle.
One of the most famous examples of humans emulating the virile power of the stag is found on the Gundestraap cauldron, a Celtic artifact that features an image of a man with large stag antlers. The image is most likely a shaman, though some people interpret it as a representation of the Celtic fertility god, Cernunnos.
Seeing a stag was often considered a sign that one had entered a sacred or supernatural space, that great change was coming, or that a supernatural being was about to appear to communicate.
In the great Welsh mythic cycle, the Mabinogion, a white stag stands as a symbol of sovereignty, with its presence indicating the rightful ruler of the land. The image of the white stag was also picked up in Chrsitian Arthurian legend. Here he symbolizes the Chrisitan seeker’s quest for purity, glory, and salvation. The chase after the stag is often seen as representing the individual’s spiritual journey.
As for sovereignty and kingship, this association has persisted in Scotland down to the present day. According to a Scottish legend from 1128, King David encountered a white stag while hunting. After being thrown from his horse, he prayed and the stag's antlers transformed into a cross, leading him to build Holyrood Abbey.
The Norse Lore of the Stag
In Norse mythology, stags are significant figures, most notably four stags called Dáinn, Dvalinn, Duneyrr, and Duraþrór that feed on the branches of the world tree, Yggdrasil. Another prominent stag is Eikthyrnir, which stands on the roof of Valhalla and drips water from its horns to form the world's rivers. These creatures symbolize the cyclical nature of life and the interconnectedness of the cosmos.
The Norse understood the stag’s power of virility too. As the story goes Freyr, the god of peace, fertility, prosperity and rain, gave up his sword in a ploy to win the love of the giantess Jörð - literally the earth. As a result, he will fight at Ragnarök armed only with the antler of a stag.
