the Deer

Family: the four-footed animals (ballplay) · Role: deer · First appears: Myth 26 · How the Deer Got His Horns

In Myth 26, the Deer and the Rabbit competed for a pair of antlers. After the Rabbit’s cheating was discovered, the animals gave the horns to the Deer. “They agreed that such a trickster had no right to enter the race at all, so they gave the horns to the Deer”

One day soon after the race, in Myth 27, the Rabbit tricked the Deer into trying to bite through a grapevine with one jump. The Deer struck an uncut vine, fell, and bruised and bloodied himself trying again; the Rabbit then filed his teeth down almost to the gums. In Myth 28, the Deer turned the stream into a large river and left the Rabbit stranded on the far bank.

In Myth 36, the animals challenged the birds to a ballplay. When the Martin passed the ball to Tla'meha, the Deer could not stop him from dodging through and scoring for the birds.

Relationship record

Life events

• After discovering the Rabbit's cheating, they gave the horns to the Deer.(Myth 26 · How the Deer Got His Horns)
  • With: the Rabbit
  • “They agreed that such a trickster had no right to enter the race at all, so they gave the horns to the Deer”
• The Rabbit tricked the Deer into thinking he could bite through a grapevine at one jump.(Myth 27 · Why the Deer's Teeth Are Blunt)
  • With: the Rabbit
  • “I'm so strong that I can bite through that grapevine at one jump.”
• The Deer struck an uncut grapevine, fell, and bruised and bloodied himself trying again.(Myth 27 · Why the Deer's Teeth Are Blunt)
  • With: the Rabbit
  • “The Deer ran back as he had seen the Rabbit do, made a spring, and struck the grapevine right in the center, but it only flew back and threw him over on his head. He tried again and again, until he was all bruised and bleeding.”
• The Rabbit filed down the Deer's teeth almost to the gums, leaving them blunt.(Myth 27 · Why the Deer's Teeth Are Blunt)
  • With: the Rabbit
  • “So the Rabbit got a hard stone with rough edges and filed and filed away at the Deer's teeth until they were worn down almost to the gums.”
• The Deer tricked the Rabbit by conjuring the stream into a large river, leaving him stranded on the other side.(Myth 28 · What Became of the Rabbit)
  • With: the Rabbit
  • “But the Deer had stopped on the bank, and when the Rabbit looked back the Deer had conjured the stream so that it was a large river. The Rabbit was never able to get back again and is still on the other side.”
• The animals challenged the birds to a ballplay, and the birds accepted.(Myth 36 · The Ball Game of the Birds and Animals)
  • With: the Bear the Terrapin the Eagle the Hawk Tla'nuwa (Myth 36)
  • “Once the animals challenged the birds to a great ballplay, and the birds accepted.”
• The Martin passed the ball to Tla'meha, who dodged the Deer and scored a win for the birds.(Myth 36 · The Ball Game of the Birds and Animals)
  • With: the Bear the Martin Tla'meha
  • “The Bear rushed to get it, but the Martin darted after it and threw it to the Bat, who was flying near the ground, and by his dodging and doubling kept it out of the way of even the Deer, until he finally threw it in between the posts and won the game for the birds.”

Myth 26 · How the Deer Got His Horns

• rivals with the Rabbit “They talked about it a good deal, and at last arranged a match between the two, and made a nice large pair of antlers for a prize to the winner.”

Myth 27 · Why the Deer's Teeth Are Blunt

• rivals with the Rabbit (They had competed in a race.) “The Rabbit felt sore because the Deer had won the horns, and resolved to get even. One day soon after the race”
• enemies with the Rabbit (The Rabbit tricks the Deer into injuring himself.) “So the Rabbit stretched a larger grapevine across the trail, but without gnawing it in the middle. The Deer ran back as he had seen the Rabbit do, made a spring, and struck the grapevine right in the center, but it only flew back and threw him over on his head.”

Myth 28 · What Became of the Rabbit

• enemies with the Rabbit “But the Deer had stopped on the bank, and when the Rabbit looked back the Deer had conjured the stream so that it was a large river.”

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Extracted from the original text of Myths of the Cherokee. Made with Rho MD.