Is it just me, or does this seem deeply symbolic for the state of the nation?

https://twitter.com/_/status/1442843140348653572

People in Bootle, Merseyside were shocked when they saw the wild animal roaming about on Sunday morning.

The RSPCA said it had advised police to "leave the deer as it would make its own way back home" eventually.

But Merseyside Police said officers decided to euthanise the deer after growing concerns it might be dangerous for motorists and pedestrians.

[link to www.bbc.com (secure)]


The White Stag:

The white stag in Celtic myth is an indicator that the Otherworld is near. It appears when one is transgressing a taboo--such as when Pwyll tresspassed into Arawn's hunting grounds, or when Peredur entered the Castle of Wonders in his second adventure at the house of the Lame King. It also appears as an impetus to quest--the white stag or hart often appears in the forests around King Arthur's court, sending the knights off on to adventure against gods and fairies. (C. S. Lewis uses this device at both the beginning and end of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.)

To Christians, the white stag came to symbolize Christ, perhaps in part inspired by the St. Eustace legend, wherein the Roman soldier Eustace is hunting, and happens upon a deer with a cross between his antlers. Eustace converts on the spot, and is put through numerous tragedies, persecutions, etc., including the death of his family, until being miraculously reunited with them. However, it is clear that this pious legend has pagan predecessors.

It is also worth noting that in Christian iconography, the unicorn is a symbol for Christ. There is a close identification between the white stag and the unicorn, and it can be reasoned that the white stag is the equivalent of the unicorn in these northern cultures, which do not record the existence of unicorns.

[link to www.ancienttexts.org (secure)]