Greek · No. 040

Ceryneian Hind

Real myth

Ceryneian Hind
Golden antlers, bronze hooves, and a whole year of pursuit.
Rarity
Common
Category
Monster
ATK
900
DEF
1100
Level
3
Type
Beast
Element
Light
Constellations
Sun · Bull

The myth

The Ceryneian Hind was an animal sacred to Artemis, with golden horns and, according to some sources, bronze hooves. Capturing it alive was the third labor of Heracles: since he could not wound it without offending the goddess, he chased it for a whole year until he caught it by the river Ladon in Arcadia (Apollodorus 2.5.3). Artemis and Apollo confronted him, and he excused himself by saying he was following Eurystheus's orders. Callimachus tells that Artemis caught four golden-horned hinds to draw her chariot; the fifth escaped, by Hera's will, to become Heracles' labor.

Why it has this power

A Common level-3 card with 900 ATK and 1100 DEF: it does not fight, it flees, and the higher defense stands for the speed that exhausted even Heracles. A Light Beast for its golden horns and the goddess who protects it, it bears the Sun and Bull constellations of radiance and horned animals.

Did you know

Female deer have no antlers in nature, except reindeer, and some scholars link the legend to reports of northern reindeer.

Connections

  • In Elena, Huntress of Artemis's deck
  • In Kassandra, Daughter of the Oracle's deck
  • In Theron, Priest of the Underworld's deck
  • In Aristeia, Champion of Olympus's deck

Where to get it

  • Campaign drop: Elena, Huntress of Artemis (Aegean of Heroes) — grade C: 13% · grade D: 13%
  • Daily Offering: 0% per pack (Common 64% per card)
  • Welcome Pack: 0.97% per pack (Common 70% per card)
  • Traveler's Pack: 0.88% per pack · 5.2% in the themed pack (Common 64% per card)
  • Bronze Reliquary: 0.86% per pack · 5.1% in the themed pack (Common 62% per card)
  • Silver Reliquary: 0.67% per pack · 4% in the themed pack (Common 49% per card)
  • Golden Reliquary: 0.46% per pack · 2.7% in the themed pack (Common 33% per card)
  • Daily Showcase: Shows up on about 0.69% of days · 150 gold
  • Craft with card dust: 40 dust
  • Crossing of Myths: Can be offered as a reward during a crossing (the card stays in the crossing deck).

Sources

  1. CERYNITIAN HIND (Elaphos Kerynitis) - Golden-Horned Deer of Greek Mythology — Aaron J. Atsma, Theoi Project
  2. The Library, Book 2 — Pseudo-Apollodorus (trans. J. G. Frazer), Theoi Classical Texts Library
  3. Hymns 1-3 — Callimachus (trans. A. W. Mair), Theoi Classical Texts Library