Dali, Goddess of the Hunt
In the high Caucasus, hunters said a radiant woman with golden hair owned the mountain goats. She could grant a hunter luck, or lead him to his fall.
What was reported
Dali is a goddess of the mountain animals in the folklore of Svaneti and other parts of the Georgian Caucasus. She has long golden hair and shining skin, and lives among the cliffs and glaciers, sometimes appearing as a white ibex or deer.
Hunters had to respect her: take only what she allowed, and never boast or betray her. Some hunters became her lovers and were given great luck, but if one broke her rules, she would lead him onto a cliff he couldn't climb down from.
Explanations offered
Dali belongs to the pre-Christian beliefs of the Caucasus, which survived in remote mountain valleys. Her stories reflect the real dangers of hunting on the high cliffs, and a respect for wild animals.
- When
- Told for centuries
- Where
- Svaneti, Georgia
- Witnesses
- Svan and Georgian folklore
- Status
- Legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.