The Sacred White Animals of Prophecy

Sacred White Animals herald both a Blessing and a Warning

White Buffalo Calf Woman - by Roz Tilley

On August 20, 1994, on a ranch in Janesville, USA, a single pure white Buffalo calf was born into the world. They named her ‘Miracle’, for this animal was no ordinary Buffalo calf. Being that she was born white marked her as a creature of Lakota prophecy, with her birth heralding a time of purification and renewal for the children of Mother Earth.

The Buffalo calf was not an albino, but an animal exhibiting leucism; a form of albinism where the individual lacks melanin skin pigmentation, but has blue eyes instead of the familiar pink. Such a trait is relatively atypical among wild animals (although common and, in some cases, encouraged in domestic breeds). It presents a very real disadvantage to creatures in their natural habitat, limiting camouflage potential, ability to successfully stalk prey and to absorb both heat and required levels of UV rays. Thus, animals exhibiting either albinism (from Latin albus, meaning ‘white’) or leucism rarely survive to adulthood.

The Lakota, Dakota and Nakota clans are collectively referred to as the Sioux. The Sioux nation is one of warriors; a noble and proud People. The White Buffalo Calf Woman sits at the heart of the Sioux Nation and offers beauty and conviction to their legends. In keeping with belief, The White Buffalo Calf Woman presented the sacred Buffalo Calf Pipe to the Sioux People. She offered them the Pipe as a form of reconnection to Spirit.

Many believe that the white Buffalo Calf named Miracle and every other white Buffalo Calf born since (approximately 16 in total), collectively herald the re-uniting of humanity and the reawakening of Oneness: the state of mind, body and spirit that rejects solitude, fear and abandonment and re-establishes sacred connection to Spirit, the Earth Mother and ‘the People’. The white Buffalo symbolises hope and renewal, harmony among all people and a joining of all races of man so that we may walk together, united as ‘a People’.

Apart from the prophesized white Buffalos (which are among the most sacred animals a person could ever encounter), other rare and beautiful white animals have begun to appear the world over: Lions, Servals, Giraffes, Zebras and Gorillas; Robins, Foxes, Sparrows, Bats and Hedgehogs; Tigers, Elephants, Raccoon Dogs, Pythons, Cobras, Monkeys, Leopards and Peacocks; Kangaroos, Wallabies, Kookaburras, Koalas, Possums, Emus, Echidna and Kiwi; Ravens, Crows, Deer, Black Bear, Skunks, Moose, Squirrels, Pronghorns, Coyotes, Horned Owls, Hummingbirds, Rheas, Pumas, Rattlesnakes, Alligators and Lynx and Whales, Penguins, Fur Seals, Dolphins and Sea Turtles, with many appearing in the last four years, or directly before, during or after world events that call for peace and global unity.

According to Chief Arvol Looking Horse, traditional leader of the Lakota clan of the Sioux nation and 19th generation Keeper of the White Buffalo Calf Bundle, the appearance of these white animals heralds a time of great urgency for the Earth and humanity as a whole. It is said that the appearance of such unusually coloured animals is a sign; an omen calling for us to unite as a People and walk as One; to see past the colour of our neighbour’s skin or the ancestry of their people and to come together and embrace them as brothers, sisters and all-related children of the Earth Mother.

Despite the fact that animals exhibiting albinism or leucism are far more vulnerable than their naturally coloured kin, we are seeing an increase in these creatures developing into healthy adults … with many going unnoticed by man until fully mature and quite certain of unaided survival in the wild. It is said that the lesson behind the emergence of these rare white animals is one that must be acknowledged by every man, woman and child if we are to bring healing to the Earth Mother and humanity. We are being reminded to be ever mindful of our actions and reactions, to be more accepting of others, their beliefs, orientations and customs and to be more respectful of the animals and the Earth Mother her self.

Chief Arvol Looking Horse believes that we are now deep in a time of prophecy, when animals are choosing to be born as head-turning anomalies; white ambassadors of their species with messages that double as both blessings and warnings. He endorses the idea that the animals are being born white to attract our attention, as embodiments of a universal need for humanity to unite in the name of Peace so that our children and their children will be ensured a future on Mother Earth. He says 'all nations, all faiths’ must unite ‘in one prayer' no matter how we believe in the Creator Spirit, if we are to acknowledge and honour the birth of these sacred animals and heed their message.

Albino animals have been revered in most cultures for centuries; venerated as omens of good fortune, fertility, plentiful rain and bountiful harvest. Some even describe them as being imbued with supernatural or magical powers, usually charged with extraordinary strength, speed, shape and size. In medieval Europe, for example, it was believed that white Mice personified the souls of departed children, while the appearance of a white Elephant was said to have proclaimed the birth of Gautama Buddha. As a result, the white Elephant has become a sacred symbol of appreciation in Hindu tradition. The white Elephant (and Ganesha) are both said to offer deliverance from the obstacles created by the mundane aspects of life, aspects such as embarrassment and limiting circumstance. In Thailand, the people believe that white Elephants may very well contain the souls of people who have crossed over to the Spirit World.

White animals appear regularly in Welsh and Celtic mythology, too, as creatures of the Otherworld, often sporting red ears, eyes and snouts. In these stories, they were more often than not pursued by brave warriors and noblemen when they ventured into the ordinary world.

According to Chief Arvol Looking Horse, the appearance of the White Buffalo Calf and the plethora of other white animals come as both a good omen and a forewarning of powerful but necessary change. The animals have been trying to warn humanity for ages of the inevitable changes the Earth Mother has in store for us. We have witnessed countless mudslides, earthquakes, floods, droughts and strong winds over the centuries, but in recent years there have been an increased number of occurrences, with each event proving more devastating than the one prior. The people who survived the Asian tsunami, Boxing Day, 2004, for example, say the wave seemingly came out of nowhere. Thousands of people died that day … but not one single wild animal was lost. Why? Because many animals rely on atmospheric pressure to navigate their path and use infrasound (the ability to hear sounds and make noises of very low frequency that are inaudible to the human ear) in order to communicate with members of their herd or flock. They, unlike us, have never lost their ability to communicate directly with the Earth Mother, nor have they forgotten their inherent relationship with the forces of Nature or to trust what they feel intuitively and ‘know’ rather than what they physically see. The ancient cultures had it, but we, as ‘modern civilised beings’, have long forgotten ours.

I believe the arrival of the white animals (not to mention the birth of the sacred White Buffalo Calf), may be seen as a warning urging us to take the time to better understand and accept each other’s differences and to be less fearful of not being the most powerful force or the biggest and the best. They are trying to tell us that if we don’t stop calling in our worst fears by worrying about the ‘what ifs’ or believing all the ‘she said, he said’ half truths infiltrating our written and electronic media, relationships and minds; if we don’t stop criticizing and punishing our brothers and sisters because of petty differences generally created and maintained by fear and a desire for control and if we don’t stop blaming or judging our neighbors by their nationality, the colour of their skin, their beliefs and their customs instead of loving them for their differences and treating them as friends and equals, then we will soon be living in a time of great darkness. I believe the white animals are offering themselves as beacons of hope; spiritual yet tangible guides driven by one goal - to inspire us to follow and trust only in the light that is the heart of the Creator Spirit and life in chorus. A light guaranteed to lead us away from of the darkness into greater awareness, clarity and unified abundance as a People.

They are inviting us to partake in the sacred ‘hunt’ – a hunt for what this light might mean for each of us on a personal level; a thrilling adventure symbolic of the search for the sacred self or a quest for a deeper understanding of our very soul. In the stories of old, the soul was more often than not depicted as an elusive and magical white beast, while the hunt itself symbolically introduced us to our Sacred Self by leading us deep into a ‘dark, ominous forest’.

The white animals, I believe, are here to fulfil an ancient prophecy: to invite us to follow them into that forest now - into an unfamiliar place of deep healing and personal acceptance so that we might finally emerge the other side as rebirthed and reformed individuals; whole and healthy beings in an interrelated world. They are reminding us to reclaim our beauty, our soul-essence and our Personal Power; to find a place of trust and acceptance within ourselves, to know our Sacred Self and to systematically forever banish ourselves and the world itself of ‘evil’ in its unlimited guises. And when I say ‘us’, I mean everyone. I mean each and every one of us and I mean humanity as a whole.

  - Scott Alexander King

The Legend of the WHITE BUFFALO CALF WOMAN

 - retold by Scott Alexander King

Long before the arrival of the white man, a beautiful maiden dressed in white buckskin descended from the star nations and presented the people with a sacred pipe and spoke of changes and sacred things.

To the young braves returning from a hunting expedition she first appeared as a dot on the horizon; a beautiful maiden dressed in a white buckskin dress with intricate beadwork on the chest, eagle feathers braided into her long black hair, and a pouch at her side. She glowed with a beauty neither had ever witnessed before. Not even the dew on the springy mountain moss, the purity of the clear stream-fed lake or the perfection of the gossamer wings on the iridescent blue dragonfly compared to the image that now stood only metres away.

Her beauty prompted the first brave to announce his desire to couple with her on the grassy hillside. Horrified, the second brave scolded him and told him to abandon such thoughts. He was sure she was a sacred woman, a messenger from Great Mystery perhaps, or a vision. But to his amazement, the mysterious woman beckoned to the first warrior, and smiling smugly, he went to her.

As he watched, the second brave saw his friend approach the woman, and as her robes dropped to the ground, a great billowing of dust blew up and enveloped them both. Only minutes passed and the cloud settled. There, doing up her dress stood the maiden with a rotting corpse at her feet. In response to the horrified expression on the brave's face, the maiden replied in a voice that echoed the soft whispers of a late night summer breeze, that should a man look at a woman and see only her external beauty, he would never know her inner spirit, her divine self, for his eyes are blind and dazed with lust, but should he look at her and see a woman of beauty that prompts him to wonder in awe at the thoughts weaving through her mind, or the possibilities of the stories she could tell, or, better still, what it is that makes her aura glow so, this man will be promised such extraordinary pleasures that include and extend far beyond the physical. To seek first the release of physical desires without thought of the spirit, pleasure may be gained, but you will die from the inside. This was the fate of the first brave. Although his quest resulted in his death, the lifetime he lived in those few minutes gave him great physical pleasure, and amounted to what many could consider a "good" life. By living his life by taking and never giving, he had forgotten not only Great Spirit, but also his own spirit. As the corpse you see him now, he is returning to the earth, because his thoughts were of the earth. Dust.

This made perfect sense to the second brave, and the understanding gave him the confidence to ask the maiden whom she was.

The answer the brave received presented no great surprise to him, yet his facial response echoed immense joy, wonderment and tinges of fear, all at once, which pleased White Buffalo Calf Woman, the Mother of the Old Ones and the Teacher of Truth and Wisdom. She was filled with happiness to see the expressions of unconditional love and respect mixed with horror and excitement as they flashed across the young man's face, for they meant that he had not forgotten Spirit and that he yearned to return to the old ways, the ways forgotten by his people.

White Buffalo Calf Woman ordered the youth to return to the village, to tell the people to prepare a great tipi of many skins that would accommodate all the people for a great meeting, a meeting in which a Being of Spirit would come and teach them some very sacred things.

That night, as the clouds drifted slowly across the face of the moon, the people gathered in the tipi of many skins with an eagerness and anticipation that bordered on hysteria. As the White Buffalo Calf Woman entered the tipi, the excited chatter ceased and was replaced with a silence that radiated great awe and respect, yet no one, except the young brave, knew why they felt that way. They were surprised at her beauty and grace, for they all thought she would be older in years, instead of the delicate creature, surely no more than a maiden, which now stood in the doorway. Initial thoughts of coupling, and other lustful things, flittered only briefly in the minds of the men, for the news of the brave who now lay decomposing under the moon had preceded the White Buffalo Calf Woman's arrival.

As the White Buffalo Calf Woman entered the tipi of many skins, the people saw her white buckskin dress and noticed how it glowed and radiated her purity of spirit, and they noticed how she walked with bare feet, and knew instinctively that she did so out of respect for the Earth Mother. In this way she slowly made her way around the great fire that roared in the centre of the Lodge. Seven times in slow and steady footsteps she walked in a clockwise motion until she returned to where she had begun and on arriving there, she looked deep into the eyes of each and every one who sat cross-legged on the floor. Many looked away, but those who met her gaze saw a reflection of themselves that showed them as they truly were, no braver or greater, no smaller or weaker, and they were filled with hope. Those that looked away saw nothing and felt lost.

The White Buffalo Calf Woman then explained that by walking seven times around the great fire in a sacred way, she was remembering and honouring the love energy that radiates down to the people from the very heart of Great Spirit, the love that warms the hearts of all living things, and is often expressed sexually in a way that is intended to honor Great Mystery and Creation. Sexual passion that flares and runs wild out of control like a wind fed grass fire is destructive and dishonours the love sent by Great Spirit, and can cause suffering beyond description. The image of the youth decomposing on the grassy hillside, probably being torn to pieces by hungry coyote became permanently imprinted on the minds of everyone who was listening.

Passion that is tamed with wisdom can feed generations forever more and the knowledge and power will never be forgotten for it is sent with Spirit's blessing.

Pointing to the great fire burning in the centre of the tipi of many skins, White Buffalo Calf Woman explained that by walking the seven sacred circles around the fire, she had honoured the seven worlds created by the council fire itself. Even though people live in all of the seven worlds at once, many are only aware of one of these realms - the physical. She continued to explain, in a voice that reminded many of the peaceful, reassuring sound of the waves by the great lake as they gently lap against the shore on an Autumn morning, that the people had sadly forgotten the other worlds; the worlds of vision and dreaming, the internal realities, and the kingdoms of Spirit - from where she herself had come.

Lifting a flaming torch from the fire and raising it above her head, casting strange shadows on the walls of the tipi, White Buffalo Calf Woman declared loudly and boldly that she had come as a representative of her people, the Fire Birds; the Thunder Tribes, to remind the children of earth of their existence, to rekindle the fires of connection between them and Great Spirit, and to prepare them for great changes to come.

On replacing the flaming torch, which she had been wildly brandishing throughout her speech, White Buffalo Calf Woman reached for the mysterious pouch that hung at her hip. She gently laid the pouch on the altar stone, which stood alongside the great fire, adorned with protection herbs, healing stones and other sacred objects. Inside the pouch was a special pipe, which White Buffalo Calf Woman had brought as a gift; a gift intended to assist the people in remembering the teachings and words of wisdom she planned to impart that evening. The pipe, it was told, was to be carried, when not in use, in the special pouch that had been fashioned in a sacred way from the finest of materials. It was to be filled with sacred tobacco of the purest quality, grown especially for this purpose, and it was to be treated at all times with the greatest of respect.

As she unwrapped the sacred pipe from the pouch, White Buffalo Calf Woman was pleased to see that all present that evening in the tipi of many skins drew in a breath and held it. It was a collective breath of amazement, awe and joy, which brought tears to the eyes of some, and caused others to bow their heads in reverence.

The bowl of the pipe, which had been crafted from the finest of red pipe stone, and being round in shape, was symbolic of the sacred circle of life, which represents giving and receiving, living and dying and inhaling and exhaling, through which all things receive life by the power and wisdom of Great Spirit.

White Buffalo Calf Woman now looked at the people in a special medicine way that told them to listen intently because something sacred and terribly important was about to happen. Everyone grew still and tried to soften the sound of their loudly pounding hearts.

Taking some sacred tobacco from a dish on the altar, White Buffalo Calf Woman packed the bowl of the pipe and explained that she was about to give them a ceremony that would reconnect them to the heart of Great Spirit while reharmonising their existences so that loneliness and despair would be banished forever.

Reaching once more into the flames of the great council fire, White Buffalo Calf Woman pulled out a flaming twig. This flame, the people were told, was just a tiny spark of the very same fire that burns in the heart of Great Spirit. Placing the burning twig to the mouth of the pipe's bowl, and raising the pipe to her lips, White Buffalo Calf Woman drew in a deep breath, igniting the tobacco instantly, so that it glowed red and hot.

And so the people watched, listened and learned as White Buffalo Calf Woman demonstrated the pipe ceremony. Seven times she drew breath and exhaled the sacred smoke. Seven times she prayed and seven times she illustrated her actions with their significance to Spirit.

The first smoke, she explained, was as a breath of gratitude to Great Spirit, Wakan Tanka, Grandfather above all Grandfathers, for the very life given to you, represented by the first breath you ever took.

The second smoke should be taken out of respect for the Mother above all Mothers, who cradles you and nurtures you, who shelters you and feeds you without question, hesitation or expectation. Your one mother - the earth. Give thanks to her for all that she gives you and for all that you take.

The third breath of smoke should be for all the other living creatures which reside on the earth - the winged ones, the four-leggeds, the reptiles and fish - all of which we sometimes take for granted, but are always there for us as beasts of burden, food, warmth or companionship.

The fourth breath should be for all the people who know reality, yet carry Spirit in their hearts. This fourth breath should be taken with the hope and belief that one day all the nations; all the people of the earth shall congregate as one.

The fifth breath should be taken as a means of asking the unseen spirits which walk with you to come forward and guide you with your desires to work with Great Spirit. It should be taken as a way of asking them for the best possible way to help and honor the ways of Spirit as you go about your life.

The sixth smoke should be taken out of respect for the six people you would like to see especially blessed. Consider those friends and family who are suffering, who are ill or lost, those who are in despair or who have made an effort to honor the ways of Great Spirit. Consider the Grandfathers and Grandmothers who watch over you in life and in the other worlds. Consider those you would like to see Spirit shine on, and take this smoke for them. While she explained this, the people watched as White Buffalo Calf Woman drew six circles in the sand to represent the souls of the six people, and then a larger circle that enveloped them all as a representation of the blessing. Some of the people present that night wept with joy as they felt Spirit enter them, and through them into the hearts of the people they secretly yearned to have blessed by Spirit.

As White Buffalo Calf Woman prepared to draw the seventh smoke, all became still, including the breeze that had previously been heard rushing through the branches of the great pines which encircled the camp and tipi of many skins. The seventh smoke, she explained, was best taken in silence, for it was meant as a means of honouring the Sacred Being from which every being first came. For that Great Mystery which was at the very core of creation and life, silence was preferred, and no words were needed.

On the completion of the seventh smoke, the pipe was handed around the tipi of many skins so that each and every one present could offer their own seven smokes to Spirit, and in doing so, much reverence and love was offered to Great Spirit for this sacred learning. After the pipe was handed round and it had eventually made its way back to White Buffalo Calf Woman, she told the people to sit quietly and ask Spirit to show them the wisest path to follow. She told the people to find their still place within where their deepest knowing reside. By focusing on this place, the external chatter of everyday life would be put to rest, enabling the fire of Spirit, which burns in us all, to speak in a clear, unbroken manner.

White Buffalo Calf Woman allowed the people to explore this place for some time before speaking again. This time she spoke of a great need for the people to walk together, instead of allowing violence and fear to envelop their collective souls. She encouraged them to remain true to their learning, for a time would come when a darkness, a time of confusion, would over-run the prairies, the hills and the valleys, and it would come from the east. During this time it would seem as though all was lost, and all sacred learnings would temporarily be forgotten. The fires burning in the hearts of the people, radiating the ways and truth of Spirit would dwindle, and in some these fires will become embers, while in others they would be extinguished completely. But from these embers great fires can be raised, it must be remembered, for when the darkness passes, the brilliant light of dawn, the glorious rays of sunlight of a new day shall again spread across the earth heralding great new beginnings and sacred times, when all the people of the world, the people of all colours, shall unite and walk as one. All that was broken shall be made whole. The sacred circle of life shall be mended and peace shall again reign supreme, as Spirit is reborn in the hearts of all the brothers and sisters. During this time, the animals shall become plentiful and all shall rejoice in harmony and balance with nature, and the people of the Bird Tribes, the Winged Ones of Heaven shall return, preceded by the birth of a rare and sacred White Buffalo Calf.

On August 20, 1994, a white buffalo calf was born on the farm of Dave and Valerie Heider, Winconsin, USA. Since then, in 1997, two other white buffalo calves have been born, as White Buffalo Calf Woman prophesised. One of these calves, an albino, is housed in a secret location in North Dakota.

Some more beautiful stories that tell of the Sacred White Animals and what they mean to the people:

ALBINO SPIRIT ANIMALS

Most all every Native American tribe had some manner of "spirit" belief regarding albino animals. The Albino was protected by most Native American customs. Within the Northeastern Woodlands, Leni Lenape, Susquehannock, Iroquois (Six Nations) , etc. One primary principle: The Albino was not to be hunted or killed. This taboo carried various curses. According to Bear Two Arrows (Eastern Delaware), knowledgeable of owl medicine, the taboo and its various curses are known among more respectful contemporary hunters with or without Native American ancestry. He relates his own experience regarding an albino owl, and it's connection to owl spirit medicine. [Leni Lenape words for: white, Wapsu; owl, Gokhos.] If an albino squirrel were hunted and killed, the hunter would suffer loss of his hunting abilities. If an albino deer were killed (and without remorse) the hunter might later loose his life in a freak accident often involving his hunting or survival skills. The general belief in certain legends concerning various individual animals persists into the 20th century, many of which can be documented. Among all tribes, the Albino animal had spirit connections, one of the strongest among the Plains tribe was the White Buffalo, a definite omen of great wisdom. The symbolic significance behind white or the quality of "whiteness" was not associated with purity as in Western culture but also wisdom and ancient knowledge of greater conceptual and spiritual magnitude. Depending on the animal species involved and how it corresponds within the greater tribal cosmological context sometimes manifests the extent of the consequences when the taboo is broken. Belief in the "spirit nature" of albino animals and the ritual taboo of protection probably has its roots in the fact that an albino's ability to survive natural predators is greatly reduced by the lack of proper pigmentation for camouflage and keener vision to spot prey. These natural attributes render an albino "unfair" game for the Native hunter, or any hunter aware of the spiritual nature these animals might possess. Even the skin or hides of these animals must be treated with reverence. Following the customs of these legends regarding the hunting and trapping restrictions were not in as much out of fear for the taboo but more so with respect to the higher aspect of Nature and the Creator.

WHITE AND PIEBALD DEER

The Southern shoulder of Sugar Loaf Mountain, and the top of the valley East from MacGinnisburg and West to Lake Station Road, have been inhabited by mysterious albino and "Piebald" (mottled) White-Tailed Deer for as long as any residents can remember.

Native peoples in many American Cultures have consistently regarded the White Deer to be a spirit, typically that of an ancestor or benevolent soul transfigured from human form.

The Piebald is respected, by many Indian Cultures, as a spirit in the process of transforming to or from the spirit world. It is at this time of transformation that, as local Lenape believed, the spirit was at it's most vulnerable, and hence, would die with the mortal form if killed by a hunter. As such, the Lenape, like most Native cultures, revered the White and Piebald Deer, and the killing of either was strongly tabooed, lest the killer suffer an untimely death, himself, and his spirit be usurped by the white deer.

This belief was passed on through the beliefs of the European settlers of our valley, and amongst older families it still holds true, today.

Some see the preponderance of Piebald and White Deer, in the Sugar Loaf Valley to the West of Sugar Loaf Mountain, as a sign of high spiritual activity and the continuance of old lenape souls moving between the real and spirit worlds.

THE SENECAS TELL THIS WHITE DEER LEGEND

"The Indian legend of Mona-sha-sha lends an air of tragedy to the beautiful Glen with the famous waterfalls. The hunter, Joninedah, brought his wife and child to a temporary home when the hunting was good, but days of hunting brought no success. Mona-sha-sha tried to cheer him and fished and gathered berries while he was away. After a long hard day, he came home in despair that the evil eye was upon him. He failed to respond to the smiles of Mona-sha-sha. Feeling that he no longer loved her, she waited until he fell asleep, then strapping her babe upon her back, stole out into the night. Far above the (Middle) Falls she found her bark canoe, and slipping silently down the stream, was dashed over the waterfall.

Joninedah awoke to find her gone and hurried outside. Following her trail to the water's edge, he saw that the canoe was gone. A white doe and fawn darted by, and the grief-stricken brave said the spirit had spoke of the dead. Plunging his knife into his breast, he joined his wife and child in death."

The Lost Colony of Roanoke Island-Croatan Indian legend

"Long ago the first white child was born in America and her name was Virginia Dare. She was born on Roanoke Island, North Carolina. Some time before she was three years old, she and her parents and everybody in the settlement disappeared. What happened to them? Nobody knows, and they are called the "Lost Colony."

The legend of the White Deer explains what happened to Virginia Dare and why there was a big, big grape vine called the "Mother Vine" in North Carolina.

The legend says that the Lost Colony joined the Croatan Indians. When Virginia became a young woman, two Indians fell in love with her. Their names were Chico, an old Indian magician, and Okisko, and young man. Chico said, "I am too old and she will not marry me. But she will not marry Chico, either. I will make some magic."

So Chico got the magic spotted pearls out of some mussels, and he went to some magic water. He made a magic potion and he sang to all the spotted beads. He made a necklace. Chico asked Virginia, "Winono-ska, will you ride in my canoe to Roanoke Island?" Virginia Dare said yes, she would. Chico gave her the magic beads and when she put them on she changed into a white deer!

For a long time the people on Roanoke Island saw this white deer. The young Indian man Wanchese decided he would kill the white deer.

"Oh no!" said Chico. "I must save Winono-ska!" So he went to the spirit of the water, and the spirit told him how to make a magic arrow from a hammerhead shark's tooth and three mussel pearls. He fixed them on a wood stick shaft and wrapped a heron feather. Chico went to Roanoke, but Wanchese went too. They looked for the white deer. Both Indians shot arrows at the same time! Chico's arrow hit first, and the white deer changed into Virginia Dare. But Wanchese's arrow hit her just a second later, and killed her. Chico was very upset and he took his magic arrow and he stuck it in the magic water. From the wood grew a grape vine, and it became the great Mother Vine of North Carolina.

People say that you can still see the ghost of the white deer on Roanoke Island."

THE CHICKASAW WHITE DEER LEGEND

A brave, young warrior for the Chickasaw Nation fell in love with the daughter of a chief. The chief did not like the young man, who was called Blue Jay. So the chief invented a price for the bride that he was sure that Blue Jay could not pay.

"Bring me the hide of the White Deer." said the chief. The Chickasaws believed that animals that were all white were magical. "The price for my daughter is one white deer." Then the chief laughed. The chief knew that an all white deer, an albino, was very rare and would be very hard to find. White deerskin was the best material to use in a wedding dress, and the best white deer skin came from the albino deer.

Blue Jay went to his beloved, whose name was Bright Moon. "I will return with your bride price in one moon, and we will be married. This I promise you." Taking his best bow and his sharpest arrows Blue Jay began to hunt.

Three weeks went by, and Blue Jay was often hungry, lonely, and scratched by briars. Then, one night during a full moon, Blue Jay saw a white deer that seemed to drift through the moonlight. When the deer was very close to where Blue Jay hid, he shot his sharpest arrow. The arrow sank deep into the deer's heart. But instead of sinking to his knees to die, the deer began to run. And instead of running away, the deer began to run toward Blue Jay, his red eyes glowing, his horns sharp and menacing.

A month passed and Blue Jay did not return as he had promised Bright Moon. As the months dragged by, the tribe decided that he would never return.
But Bright Moon never took any other young man as a husband, for she had a secret. When the moon was shinning as brightly as her name, Bright Moon would often see the white deer in the smoke of the campfire, running, with an arrow in his heart. She lived hoping the deer would finally fall, and Blue Jay would return.

A POPULAR LEGEND THROUGHOUT THE OZARKS, UP INTO THE APPALACHIANS WAS THAT OF THE SNAWFUS

After sunset, especially along the White Oaks and Hemlocks just beneath the ridges, one might catch a glimpse of a Snawfus. The Snawfus is a White Deer with enormous antlers from which a bouquet of moss and flowers grows.

The Snawfus is an arboreal spirit-creature which leaps among the treetops at dusk, and sometimes seems to walk in human form, like a tall man with the head of a deer whose mossy antlers are bedecked by flowers. In the Smoky Mountains, the smoke is believed to be the breath of the Snawfus.

Indeed, at times the odd, vertical mists rising in front of Sugar Loaf Mountain obscure the entire bald head of the mountain from view, while the surrounding mountains appear as clear as on any sunny day, as if the mountain, itself, had somehow vanished.

This, earlier 'Loafers would say, is the breath of the Snawfus, cloaking the mountaintop with a thick cloud of his breath so that several might meet at the mountain's summit, undetected by human eyes, as they graze upon the firegrass at the summit, ensuring that the rocks are kept bare.

Special thanks (for offering these articles) must go to:

MIKE V. BENNETT
UNULA GAWOHILUDODI ATALVYI
Adjunct Professor & Teacher Supervision
College of Education-Departments of Teacher / Special Education
California State University Dominguez Hills
STORMOVERMTN@aol.com~(310)-832-1231
Storm_Over_Mountain@hotmail.com
Stormovermountain@mac.com

White Peafowl from Margaret River, Western Australia. Thanks to Gavin and Anita Revel for sending these stunning photos. The birds live a free-range life on Gavin's parent's farm. What a beautiful sight to wake up to each morning!

A rare albino two month old Southern Right Whale breaches in waters near Flinders Bay, Augusta, Western Australia, 2008.  With special thanks to Steve Mitchell of Naturaliste Charters for giving permission to include these magickal images of my site.