Deer Woman
Popular among the Woodlands and Central Plains tribes is the story of the Deer Woman. In most tales, she is depicted in both her human and animal form and, in some cases, a mix of the two. She is primarily considered a benign spirit who can help women become mothers...but some stories don’t depict her so gently. In other stories, she is not a helpful spirit but rather an in-control seductress who temps known adulterous and leads them to learn a lesson...or something worse. In Oklahoma, she’s known as a bit of a boogeyman.
The Deer Woman stands apart from gods or spirits common in the Plains tribes. In Cherokee lore specifically, these creatures are known as Nunnehi, which roughly translates to “people who live anywhere.” These liminal creatures straddle the lines between animals and humans, chaos and control, and, perhaps most importantly, morality and immorality. It’s believed that the Nunnehi serve a similar role to the little people in European lore. They are often tricksters capable of bestowing luck & providence as well as misery & pain.
These beings are often believed to be shapeshifters, and the Deer Woman can move between humans and deer. The deer woman often lurks off the trail or often-trodden road where the forest meets civilization. As mentioned before, if you're unfaithful, and particularly if you’re an unfaithful man, you should be wary. And if you've already spotted her, it may be too late. Similar to a siren, men claim that they feel drawn to her and can't help but move toward her and interact with her. If they’re particularly nasty, they may find themselves quickly trampled by vicious hooves. Or, a more generous parting with the Deer Woman may leave the man alive...but with an unquenchable longing for a woman he could never have. He may waste away, pining forever for a woman that doesn't exist.
Some believe the Deer Woman was once a human woman who was the victim of a horrible sexual assault. When the Spirits saw what had happened they turned her into the Deer Woman, who was able to bring comfort to women trying to become mothers and reign terror upon men who adultered.
If you find her sulking around, she can banished with tobacco and chant. However, looking at her feet while she is human may be a more straightforward way to banish her. She is usually unable to hide her hooves, and when you see her for who she truly is, she will leave you alone.
The blog header image is of a White-tailed deer in Beavers Bend State Park
Source: (23389.387.11, Jim Argo Collection, OHS)