er ▁and ▁the ▁sun , ▁which ▁is ▁a ▁very ▁common ▁association ▁in ▁Si ber ian ▁sh aman ism . ▁T atto os ▁on ▁buried ▁war riors ▁contain ▁de er , ▁featuring ▁ant lers ▁emb ell ished ▁with ▁small ▁birds ' ▁heads . ▁This ▁rein de er - sun - bird ▁imag ery ▁perhaps ▁symbol izes ▁the ▁sh aman ' s ▁spiritual ▁transformation ▁from ▁the ▁earth ▁to ▁the ▁sky : ▁the ▁passage ▁from ▁earth ly ▁life ▁to ▁heaven ly ▁life . ▁As ▁these ▁de er ▁images ▁also ▁appear ▁in ▁war rior ▁t atto os , ▁it ▁is ▁possible ▁that ▁rein de er ▁were ▁believed ▁to ▁offer ▁protection ▁from ▁dangerous ▁forces . ▁Another ▁theory ▁is ▁that ▁the ▁de er ▁spirit ▁served ▁as ▁a ▁guide ▁to ▁assist ▁the ▁war rior ▁soul ▁to ▁heaven . ▁ ▁Other ▁animals ▁Part icular ly ▁in ▁the ▁Say an - Al ta i ▁stones , ▁a ▁mult itude ▁of ▁other ▁animals ▁are ▁present ▁in ▁de er ▁stone ▁imag ery . ▁ ▁One ▁can ▁see ▁dep ict ions ▁of ▁t ig ers , ▁p igs , ▁c ows , ▁horse - like ▁cre atures , ▁fro gs ▁and ▁birds . ▁Un like ▁the ▁rein de er , ▁however , ▁these ▁animals ▁are ▁dep icted ▁in ▁a ▁more ▁natural ▁style . ▁This ▁lack ▁of ▁orn ate ▁detail ing ▁indicates ▁the ▁lack ▁of ▁super natural ▁importance ▁of ▁such ▁animals , ▁taking ▁an ▁obvious ▁back se at ▁against ▁the ▁rein de er . ▁The ▁animals ▁are ▁often ▁pa ired ▁off ▁with ▁one ▁another ▁in ▁confront