My last post connects Joan of Arc with Virginia Dare. Virginia means "maiden," as does Joan's traditional title La Pucelle, and some contemporary documents give Joan's father's surname as Dare rather than Darc. Virginia Dare was, according to legend, transformed into a white doe -- and the female name associated with Doe is Jane, another form of Jeanne/Joan.
Them I thought, wait, isn't there something in Plutarch about a white doe? Well, yes, there is. The following is from his Life of Sertorius.
Spanus, a plebeian who lived in the country [of Lusitania], came upon a doe which had newly yeaned and was trying to escape the hunters. The mother he could not overtake, but the fawn — and he was struck with its unusual colour, for it was entirely white — he pursued and caught. And since, as it chanced, Sertorius had taken up his quarters in that region, and gladly received everything in the way of game or produce that was brought him as a gift, and made kindly returns to those who did him such favours, Spanus brought the fawn and gave it to him.
Sertorius accepted it, and at the moment felt only the ordinary pleasure in a gift; but in time, after he had made the animal so tame and gentle that it obeyed his call, accompanied him on his walks, and did not mind the crowds and all the uproar of camp life, he gradually tried to give the doe a religious importance by declaring that she was a gift of Diana, and solemnly alleged that she revealed many hidden things to him, knowing that the Barbarians were naturally an easy prey to superstition. He also added such devices as these. Whenever he had secret intelligence that the enemy had made an incursion into the territory which he commanded, or were trying to bring a city to revolt from him, he would pretend that the doe had conversed with him in his dreams, bidding him hold his forces in readiness. Again, when he got tidings of some victory won by his generals, he would hide the messenger, and bring forth the doe wearing garlands for the receipt of glad tidings, exhorting his men to be of good cheer and to sacrifice to the gods, assured that they were to learn of some good fortune.
By these devices he made the people tractable, and so found them more serviceable for all his plans; they believed that they were led, not by the mortal wisdom of a foreigner, but by a god.
Sertorius's white doe was supposed to be an envoy of Diana -- a virgin goddess whose symbol is the bow and who might therefore be called La Pucelle d'Arc.
2 comments:
I learned a great deal from this post. I have a personal affinity for the white stag, but I had never considered investigating the white doe, and for the life of me I can't remember encountering it Plutarch. That is, I may I have encountered it, but it didn't stick in my memory. Anyway, fascinating connection to Joan of Arc.
Yes, I thought of your white stag when I wrote this, Frank.
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