Stag Beetle Ornament

Our stunning Stag Beetle Ornament will arouse interest in your home from all visitors and represents the triumph of good over evil. Height: 5cm, Width: 10cm, Depth: 21cm. It features a Gold Finish and Mirrored Detailing.

The Stag Beetle in Social History & Culture

The stag beetle has been depicted by humans since at least 1460 AD. The Scarab Beetle, which is revered in European Christian tradition as a representation of good triumphing over evil, is actually the Stag Beetle. Murals, sculptures, and paintings all use the stag beetle as an inspiration.

An ancient Greek musician’s transformation into a stag beetle was legendary. This great Greek musician was the gifted grandson of the sea deity Poseidon according to Antoninus Liberalis (about 150 AD). For the first time in history, he invented the shepherd’s pipe and was first to play the seven-stringed lyre. The nymphs that dwelt in streams and trees were drawn to his song and helped him graze his herd. He was also favoured by Pan, the god of the forest. To avoid the impending winter storm, he even proposed that the singer relocate his flock to Pan’s own pastures, which he owned.

However, geniuses are prone to being conceited. Despite Pan’s generous offers of assistance and protection, Cerambus refused to accept them and even vilified the nymphs. In the first place, he claimed that they were not the children of Zeus but rather the daughters of Spercheus, the river deity, and Deino, one of the evil and horrible Grey Sisters. Following this assertion of Poseidon’s passion for Diopatre, his grandfather stated that he had changed the other nymphs into poplar trees so he might pursue her without trouble. Cerambus’ flock was wiped out by the blizzard, and the nymphs changed the musician into a stag beetle, leaving him to scavenge sap and dead wood from the trees.

Therefore, in ancient Greece, children often caught these unfortunate little insects and shaved off their heads to imitate Cerambus’ favourite instrument, the seven-stringed lyre.

Since the dawn of time, the stag beetle has played an important role in human society. This odd insect’s adoration and subsequent global beetle frenzy have led to gloomy prospects for biodiversity preservation.

Additionally, stag beetles are threatened by factors such as ecological destruction and climate anomalies in various parts of Africa and South America as well as Southeast Asia. This has resulted in a progressive decrease in the total population and species diversity. Particularly threatened are species having a limited tolerance for their current habitat. More than a dozen stag beetle species are listed as endangered by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature).