Ceryneian Hind. In Greek mythology, the Ceryneian hind, was a mythical creature that lived in Ceryneia, Greece and took the form of an enormous female deer, larger than a bull, with golden antlers like a stag, hooves of bronze or brass, a dappled hide, excelled in swiftness of foot and snorted fire.
   To bring it back alive to Eurystheus in Mycenae was the third labour of Heracles. Other names and descriptions for it were: doe with the golden horns, Golden-horned hind, Ceryneia hind, Cerynitian hind, beast with golden antlers, Parrhasian hind, nimble hind of Maenalus and beast of Maenalus.
   Frazer says that the hind took its name from the river Cerynites, which rises in Arcadia and flows through Achaia into the sea. One tradition says that Artemis found a mighty herd of five Ceryneian hinds playing on the base of Parrhasian hill far away from the banks of the black-pebbled Anaurus where they always herded.
   Artemis was so impressed by the hinds that she yoked four of them to her golden chariot with golden bridles, but purposely let one escape to the Ceryneian hill to be a future labour for Heracles. Whilst in Ceryneia, the hind chased farmers from vineyards.
   The Ceryneian hind was sacred to Artemis.The hind is said to have borne the inscription Taygete dedicated to Artemis. Because of its sacredness, Heracles did not want to harm the hind and so hunted it for more than a year, from Oenoe to Hyperb

Wikipedia ...