Monday 7 December 2009

is it an albino,

or an example of leucism?

photographer Ken Grindle has managed to take this picture of the animal in the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire, as a rough guide a albino has pink eyes but an animal that is white because it is leucistic has normal coloured eyes, but unfortunately the animal is a little to far away to tell, this wild animal - long associated with mystery and good luck has a story to tell,

it is said to be bad luck to kill one, according to the Scots legend, in 1128, David I, King of Scotland decided to go hunting on the Feast Day of the Holy Rood, against the wishes of his priest, while hunting he saw a huge white stag, or "hart", and while giving chase he was thrown from his horse, the white hart charged forward to kill him, so David - son of Malcolm Canmore and St Margaret - called on God to save him, as the king grasped the hart's antlers, they miraculously turned in to a large cross, and the beast raised its head and vanished, inspired by his vision, King David built a shrine to the Holy Rood - meaning Holy Cross - on the spot where the miracle occurred, you can join the Order of the White Stag, it is a Celtic Order whose members are Druids, Celtic Priests and Celtic Shaman,

the ruin of Holyrood Abbey can still be seen today, at the foot of the Royal Mile next to Holyrood Palace, The White Hart Inn in Edinburgh's grassmarket, reputedly the oldest pub in the capital, took its name from the legend,

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