A Nyíregyházi Jósa András Múzeum évkönyve 47. (Nyíregyháza, 2005)

Régészet - János Makkay: The Miracle Stag in Ancient Greek mythical stories and their Indo-Iranian counterparts

Makkay János f. Excavations of a grave in kurgan 1 of Pazyryk yielded a horse bridle consisting of wooden, leather, bronze and gold parts. It dates to the 5

th century B.C. Reconstruction shows that an antlered deer head occupied the place of a frontstall on the forehead of the horse, together with heads of eagle and also of mountain goats (Fig. 16) (ORO 2001. Fig. 26. on p. 55, and also Fig. 36. on p. 74. -the reconstruction). A similar bridle ornament was also found in kurgan 5 of Pazyryk: a horse harness with cheekpieces, and the antlered head of a deer applied to the browband (Figs. 17-18) (RUDENKO 1953. Fig. 127. See also the reconstructed piece from kurgan 2: Rudenko 1953. 223. PI. 72: 5, Fig. 137). Similar harnesses were also found in the burials of Al-Alaxa (Fig. 19) (POLOS'MAK 1994. Fig. 54) and in the burial chamber of the kurgan at Kuturguntas (Fig. 20) (POLOS'MAK 1994. Fig. 108). g. Bronze bridle from Luristan, dating to the 9-8

lh centuries B.C., showing a pair of antlered hinds suckling calfs (Fig. 21) (LÁSZLÓ 1970/1974. Fig. 52 = LÁSZLÓ 1974. Fig. 52.. after C. R. GIIIRSMAN: Persia. 1964. PI. 75. non vidi). This piece shows that these beliefs were part of Early Iranian groups inhabiting some parts of Elam already in the tust quarter of the l

sl mill. B.C. The same suggestion can be made on the presence of the symbolic deer hunting motiv south of the Caucasus in the 8-7

lh centuries B.C., as shown by the incised-embossed decoration seen on a bronze strip, found in grave 74d (I) of the Tlij cemetery, Eastern Georgia (DUDAREV 1991. PI. 27: 1.,ARUZET AI.. 2000. Fig. 11 on p. 10. See HETIIITER 2002., Cat. No. 101., Fig. 18.on p. 232.).

21 The piece belongs to the Koban culture, which is marked by such cast bronze stripes with incised designs that depict hunting and war scenes peopled by trousered figures using composite bows, carrying gorytoi, and mounted on horses from whose necks swing human heads (Fig. 22). This scene, on the one hand, can easily be compared to the figure of Herakles pursuing, and shooting at, the antlered deer,

22 and also to much later representations of Middle Iranian (Sarmatian and Alanian) horse-mounted warriors, with human heads swinging on their horse harnessing.

25 :! For an essentially similar representation see JAVAIIISHVILI 1979. 47-77. Fig. 11

. :: As seen above, a divine creature with golden antlers, the hind of Kervneia. let itself be hunted by Herakles. Herakles was to catch the hind, not shoot it down, which would have been easy for so great an archer, and which he actually did in one much too novel variant. i.e. Apollodoms ll.v.3. 'See MAKKAY 2002. 13-14.. with further literature, especially ISTVÁNOVITS -KULCSÁR 1997. 158-160.. with convincing argumentation about the Iranian origin of this custom. Recently. Bálint refused the possibility of the ethnic attribution of the custom of suspending of teles coupées from the horse harnessing: BÁLINT 2004. 424-425. Sec his reference to the paper of E. R. (Kezia) Knauer (KNAUER 2001. 283-332.). 22 Fig. 16 l6.

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