The Stag-Messenger Episode

This article by M.B. Ogle is a demonstration of how the theory that the stag-messenger episode of medieval literature is Celtic in origin has erred. Instead, he proposes it was of Eastern provenance. By comparing the nature of these episodes in stories like Graelen, Guingamor, Dolopathos, Weyland, and the legends of Arthur, M.B. Ogle shows that some have significant enough variation in the storyline to divide them into two groups, and that there is not enough significant evidence to ascribe any of the story to a Celtic origin. Scholars of folklore and comparative literature will find this an especially compelling read.