That is to say, it has been handed down to us that a deer is a Shinshi (Divine Servant) of Kasuga-taisha Shrine, and that, when Kasuga-taisha Shrine was founded, Takemikazuchi no Mikoto who was the enshrined god of Kashima-jingu Shrine in Ibaraki Prefecture had come here riding a divine deer (Kasuga-taisha Shrine is one of the branch shrines for three shrines including Kashima).
すなわち、鹿は春日大社の神使であり、春日大社創建の際、茨城県にある鹿島神宮の祭神・武甕槌命が神鹿に乗ってやってきたと伝えられる（春日大社は鹿島含め3社の分霊）。