One day a stag Julian was hunting turned to him and warned the nobleman that he would kill his own mother and his father. To avoid fulfilling the prophecy, Julian ran away from home and became a knight in a distant land. He eventually married a widowed noblewoman named Basilissa and received a castle as her dowry. After many years, his parents who had been searching for him all this time, came to his castle while Julian was away. Basilissa received the couple with joy and settled them in her own bed for the night. Early in the morning while she was at mass, Julian returned home unexpectedly. Finding two people in his bed, he assumed Basilissa had taken a lover and killed the couple with his sword.
When he discovered his error, Julian decided to set out on a quest for forgiveness. Basilissa was determined to share his pennance and so the couple wandered until they reached a dangerous river. There they built a ferry and a hospice to care for poor travelers.
Late one night in a terrible storm, Julian heard a leper crying for help on the other side of the river. Risking his life, Julian ferried across the water and brought the leper to his own bed. In the morning, the leper turned into an angel and announced that God had accepted Julian's pennance and would soon take the couple to heaven.
One Good Friday, Hughbert skipped church to go hunting. In the forest, a stag with a crucifix between its antlers warned him to mend his ways as he was heading towards Hell. In time Hughbert became a Bishop converting many and exorcising others with the sign of the cross.
St. Procopius cleared a cave of 1000 devils so he could set up his hermitage in it. A stag fled to his cave seeking sanctuary from the Duke of Bohemia's hunting party.
Miracles of healing followed him from an early age. In order to escape the fame and pride associated with these miracles, Giles fled to a cave in the wilderness and lived the life of a hermit. God sent a deer to supply him with milk each day. Eventually, a king, hunting in the forest, chased down Giles' doe. While Giles prayed for the life of his deer, the king unwittingly shot him. Giles refused medical attention and asked God not to heal him as long as he lived so that he might be perfected by his weakness.
Once King Charles asked Giles to pray for him since he had committed a sin which he was too embarrassed to confess. During mass the next Sunday, an angel dropped a scroll on the altar in front of Giles with the message that not only was the king's sin forgiven but also anyone asking Giles' help in obtaining forgiveness would receive it provided they were truly penitent, confessed, and avoided such sins in the future.
Giles is usually painted with a deer at his side and an arrow piercing his own body.
Placidus was a wealthy Roman general who, although he practiced idol worship, was very generous to the poor. One day as he was hunting, he came across a beautiful (some say white) stag with a glowing crucifix between its horns. The figure on the crucifix said, "I am Christ whom you serve without knowing it. Because of your generosity to the poor, I am hunting you."
Placidus returned home and was baptized along with his wife (who had received a similar visit) and 2 sons. At this time he changed his name to Eustace. The next day he again met the stag and was told, "Your faith must be tested. Satan will fight furiously to regain your soul. You will be like a new Job. But, when you have proven yourself, I will restore everything to you. Do you want the test now or at the end of your life?"
Eustace chose to be tested at once. Within a few days, his servants and horses were killed by plague. His house was stripped by robbers. He decided to flee to Egypt with his family but, on the way, his wife was kidnapped by sailors and his sons were carried off by wild beasts. For 15 years Eustace lived in isolation and poverty. Then soldiers from Rome found him, and restored him to his former rank. He won a great battle for the Emperor and found his wife and sons alive and unharmed.
Their joy was short-lived. Upon returning to Rome, a victory celebration was held. When Eustace and his family refused to offer sacrifices of thanksgiving to idols, they were roasted inside a brazen bull.
St. Eustace is usually painted as knight or soldier mounted on a horse with the stag he saw and hounds nearby. Sometimes a brazen bull is added to the picture.
Comments© 1997 by Suzetta Tucker
To cite this page:
Tucker, Suzetta. "ChristStory Saintly Encounters with Deer."
ChristStory Christian Bestiary. 1997. http://ww2.netnitco.net/users/legend01/deersts.htm
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