Myth and folktales

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in Fiziologus (Glonar 1910: 58–63). The connection of this herb in ancient texts and 
the flower of Triglav in the legend of Zlatorog has been pointed out by Joža Glonar 
(1910: 62). The connection of the stag and the Dictamnum herb in such older sources 
proves the long history of this legend. 
THE MOUNTAIN TREASURES AND THE MYSTERIOUS HOOFED ANIMALS
The oral tradition about Zlatorog is predominantly connected with treasures and 
with the symbolism of the sun and the celestial realm. In other Slovenian narratives, 
Zlatorog can be replaced by the stags with a golden cross or golden rings; with white 
horses; with white stags; and with the chamois with golden hooves. According to 
an old German saga, written down in the 17
th
 century, King Odin hunts a stag with 
golden rings that lures him to Hulda’s kingdom. A similar motif can be traced in the 
legends about St. Hubertus, St. Eustace, St. Felix of Wales, and St. Julian Hospitalit 
tracking a stag. As the stag turns a cross forms between its antlers, and from the cross 
Jesus Christ speaks (Glonar 1910: 92; Kretzenbacher 1968: 139). A similar motif has 
been preserved in Slovene lore in a legend about the foundation of the monastery in 
Žiče (Dapit and Kropej 2004: 20).
The lore of these gold-decorated animals and of mines and streams of gold has 
been preserved on both sides of the Julian Alps (in Posočje and in Bohinj), in Koroška, 
Štajerska/Steiermark, the Kamnik Alps, and the Savinja Alps. The following folktale 
about a white stag in Štajerska was written by Johann Krainz in 1880:
The White stag
Three men from the village of Kallwang, which is situated to the west of Leoben 
in Steiermark [Štajerska], Austria, went hunting in the mountains. Since 
this took place on St. Hubertus’ Day, on which hunters traditionally shoot 
an exceptional quarry, they were certain that they too would be fortunate. 
When they reached a boundary stone they suddenly beheld a white stag 
coming from a thicket in the forest. With a golden crucifix shining between 
its antlers, the apparition was surrounded by an unusual silver radiance. The 
three men watched the unusual animal with surprise, then placed their rifles 
behind some dense shrubbery and followed the white stag that slowly withdrew 
to the dense forest. It often disappeared from view, but its bright glow appeared 
among the dark firs time and again. As they finally reached the edge of the 
forest they saw the white stag high above them, at the edge of a hill, with its 
golden cross glittering to a great distance. The apparition vanished after that. 
It was then that the men perceived the chief forester, along with half a dozen 

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helpers, right in front of them. Believing that they were poachers, the forester 
gave a nod to his men and the hunters were surrounded. But since they had 
no guns, for they had been left behind the bush before they started to follow 
the stag, they were set free again. This is how the white stag brought good 
fortune to our hunters as well (Krainz 1880: 81, No. 47; Dapit, Kropej 2004: 
21, No. 6).
A legend about a white horse from Vršac, which has been preserved in Gorenjska, 
was published by Matej Tonejc-Samostal in Dunajski zvon in 1879:
The White horse on vršac
There is a valley between Triglav and Mount Vršac that is full of gravel and 
rocks and extends all the way to Šmarjetna Glava. Riches are hidden in this 
valley – a treasure covered with a large square slab. Everything around is bare, 
just gravel and rocks, with high cliffs to the right and to the left. Neither grass 
nor any kind of herb grows here. Swift-footed goats roam in these parts and 
use them as a refuge from hunters. Shepherds have already tried to find the 
slab and dig out the gold, but so far nobody has been able to move it.
On a Sunday in August, two men set out from Dolina up to Šmarjetna Glava. 
One of them was an old hunter, the other a shepherd. When they had almost 
reached their destination they decided to rest for a while on the scree before 
they start to work. Suddenly, they heard a strange rumbling along the rocks, 
making a hissing sound. It felt like a strong wind chafing against the rock. The 
earth shook beneath them, rocks started to roll from the heights, and sand 
escaped from beneath their feet.
Suddenly they froze in fear.
On the very spot where they had planned to dig stood a white horse. Where 
did it come from, and how did it turn up in this terrible place? A dense fog 
abruptly enveloped the two seekers. They started to walk without knowing 
where to go. Wherever they turned, the horse remained in front of them. To 
their left and to their right was nothing but cliffs and deep precipices. After 
a while, the two found themselves on the top of a rocky hill from which one 
could see Velepolje. The horse had vanished. How and where, they did not 
know. Nor could they retrace their steps or find the path that had led them 
to the top of the hill. They were just happy to have left the unknown place.
But someday the one shall come who will be lucky enough to manage to pry 
the treasure from beneath the rocky slab. This hero will be a marvellous shot 
and will have no fear or concern. He will have to shoot from Šmarjetna Glava 
at the white horse guarding the treasure. Even before the sunrise he will have 

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to wait in his spot. When the first ray of sun shines upon the white mane of 
the magic animal he will have to fire his gun and hit the animal with the first 
bullet. The marksman will have to see the horse before the horse sees him. 
Even when mortally wounded, the white horse will try to confound the hero’s 
mind. But the horse will remain on the ground. Flowers, akin to edelweiss, 
shall spring from its blood. They will appear from the snow and bloom before 
the snow melts. If the livestock grazing in the pasture eat these flowers they 
shall be stout and healthy. People will pick the flowers and keep them by their 
side, for good luck shall remain with anybody who looks for and picks the 
kindly blooming blossoms (Cited after Kelemina 1930: 127–8, no. 76; Dapit, 
Kropej 2004: 22). 
Unlike the tales about Zlatorog, this legend allows for the death of the white 
horse. The treasure beneath the stone slab will be dug out by the hero who will shoot 
from Šmarjetna Glava at the white horse and hit it with the first bullet, provided that 
the shooter will see the horse before the horse sees him.
The tale about the chamois with a cross on its brow has also been preserved in 
the region of Bovško. As late as 1998, Barbara Ivančič Kutin recorded a variant of 
this folktale.
The Mountain Chamois with a Cross on its Brow
Since they worked during the week, hunters usually hunted on Sundays. Well, 
there was a hunter who worked in Rabelj during the week and hunted on 
Sundays. He hunted on every Sunday, that is.
His mother always tried to prevent him from going. 
“Do not go hunting, do not go!”
But he would not listen. He went to Izgora (a mountain above the Bovščica 
Valley by Bovec). On the way there, he met a hunter all clad in green who 
invited our hunter to hunt with him. When they reached Izgora, they beheld 
that goat with a cross; it had a cross on its brow. The hunter followed it, 
but the goat led him to the edge of a precipice. At that moment the green 
hunter vanished. Our hunter stood above the precipice. With the goat with 
the cross on its forehead standing on the edge, he could go neither forwards 
nor backwards. It was then that the hunter remembered that his mother 
had told him to go to mass instead of hunting or else he might encounter 
misfortune. But it was too late now. He asked for help, he started shout-
ing. People who had come from Bavšica started to gather beneath the edge. 
They yelled up to him that they could not help him. Up there, he prayed. 
He prayed desperately. 

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