Snawfus

The Snawfus is a fantastic creature from the tales of Ozarks region of Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. It appears in the shape of a white stag, but where there should be antlers, there are instead the living branches of a dogwood tree, with green leaves and pink blossoms.

The Snawfus lives in the forests, both on the ground and in the treetops. It jumps from branch to branch like a monkey. As it does it says ‘Halley-loo! Halley-loo!’. It can leap from treetop to the ground easily, as it has wings on its back.

During Autumn, the Snawfus exhales blue mist from its mouth which drifts upwards towards the sky forming a blue fog of clouds that is distinctive to the Ozark Mountains.

What makes the Snawfus fearsome? There are those who say that the third sighting of the Snawfus is a sign that death is approaching. The Snawfus is therefore at once beautifully peaceful and a tremendously unsettling vision. Ozark healer Brandon Weston says of the Snawfus, "the power of the white animal is its pure connection with the divine, and in this way the creature can be both a friend and foe."