Do you know all about unicorns: myths and legends

Like mermaids and dragons, unicorns are some of the most famous mythical creatures in the world. They appeared both in the works of Albrecht Durer and on medieval tapestries, and on modern posters and children's T-shirts. Probably, there is no person who at least once did not hear about unicorns, but not everyone knows the history of their appearance.

First mention

The image of the unicorn gradually evolved in numerous early sources. The first mention of this mythical creature appeared in the fourth century in the exotic stories of the Greek physician Ctesias. He heard them from travelers: "In India there are wild donkeys the size of horses and even more. They have a white body, a dark red head, and dark blue eyes. On their forehead, they grow a single horn, the length of which is about 45 centimeters. " Ktesiasis wrote that this horn could be white, red or black.

Different versions of unicorns

As this tradition spread, different cultures developed their own versions of unicorns. In China, for example, he brought good luck. The Chinese unicorn was distinguished by a special color, which consisted of five sacred flowers, as well as a horn, the length of which reached 3.5 meters. We used to think that a unicorn has the size of a horse, but in the 12th century it was very small, no more than a kid. Thus, the medieval unicorn could barely reach the height of your knee.

Rumors and legends

Unicorns, like mermaids, for a long time were considered real, because their images were based on stories and legends of travelers who returned from distant lands. Unicorns have a rich pedigree, which was discussed even by such luminaries as Aristotle, Julius Caesar and Marco Polo. The belief in unicorns has only intensified with the invention of the seal and the spread of the Bible, in the Old Testament to which these creatures are mentioned, at least seven times.

As you can see, people always had a lot of information about unicorns, but its sources were only rumors and legends. The mythical animal itself turned out to be elusive. For centuries, many believed that unicorns are certainly real beings who live, perhaps, in distant lands. In the end, they devoted a lot of stories and works of art. Others believed that the unicorn had once existed, but died out as a species.

The symbol of purity

Unicorns are closely related to the symbolism. They are often depicted white to emphasize their purity. Although unicorns are certainly positive heroes of all myths and legends, however they are described as narcissistic and vain. It was believed that these creatures spend many hours admiring themselves in silvery mirrors. Legends also suggest that unicorns are strong and wild creatures capable of preventing all cruel attempts to capture them. To tame or capture a unicorn can only be a trick, but for this you will need to set a trap or to enlist the help of an innocent girl.

What should I do to catch a unicorn? First, find a forest in which he can live. Then find a place where a girl could sit (for this purpose a fallen tree, for example), and ask her to behave silently. They say that unicorns appear only in the presence of an innocent girl, than hunters can use to capture or kill a mystical animal.

Unicorn's Horn

But why would anyone need to catch or even kill a unicorn? Of course, to get his horn. For many centuries, it remained a very valuable trophy, as people believed that this horn has a lot of magical abilities (most of them are thematically related to its purity), such as cleansing rivers and lakes and neutralizing poison. The latter quality was very much appreciated by the rulers, who were afraid every minute that they could be poisoned by rivals or heirs.

In his book "The Unicorn" (1980), Nancy Hathaway tells the story of how the King of England, James I, determined the authenticity of the horn of this mythical creature that he bought: "James called his beloved servant and instructed him to drink poison to which the horn was added Unicorn. The servant could not refuse, but, having done this, he died very quickly. "

Miracle elixirs

In the 1600s, a lot of advertisements about miracle elixirs made from the "real horn of the unicorn" could be found in the London newspapers. It was believed that this remedy facilitates a variety of diseases and symptoms, including ulcers, scurvy, melancholia, pulmonary tuberculosis, syncope and "evil king" (edema of the lymph nodes, often due to tuberculosis). The remedy made from the "horn" was sold in the form of a liquid (the patients had to consume it 100 grams at a time) and in the form of tablets that cost only two shillings.

Enemies of Unicorns

Some authors assumed that the unicorn suffered the same fate as some species of the African rhinoceros: it was killed because of the horn, which led to the extinction of the whole species. Horns of rhinoceroses, for example, are sold as trophies or crushed and used in traditional Chinese medicine as miracle-working medicines.

Another enemy of the unicorn (except for man) was considered a lion, perhaps because of his status as king of the jungle, as evidenced by many illustrations, which depicts the competition between them. The poet Edmund Spencer in his 1590 work describes a fierce battle between these animals, though, on the other hand, they appear together on the royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom, where the lion represents England and the unicorn is Scotland.

Just a myth

The belief in unicorns weakened in the Age of Enlightenment (around the 1700s), when more and more people began to explore our world, but a mythical animal was never found. The mention of Shakespeare about unicorns in the "Tempest" ("Now I believe that there are unicorns") is sarcastic. It reflects the reluctant recognition of many people that unicorns exist only in stories and tales.

Thus, the mythical unicorn is only a legend, although, of course, there are single-horned animals. You were mistaken if you immediately thought about the rhinoceros. He does not have a real horn. In fact, it is formed by the same fabric as wool, but it grows together, acquiring the shape of a horn. Also there are sea horned animals, for example narwhal - a medium sized whale, whose tusk resembles a horn. Once it was even called the "sea unicorn."

Modern unicorns

Nevertheless, at the present stage of the development of science and medicine, we can independently obtain a unicorn. For example, back in the 1980s, at the American fairs and circuses, a "unicorn" was shown (in fact, a goat with surgically implanted horns that grew together), much to the chagrin of groups protecting animal rights. A study by the US Department of Agriculture determined that the animal is healthy, and therefore the show was not closed.

Even two millennia after the first description of the unicorns appeared, these mythical creatures remain as popular as before: strong, virtuous and always able to inspire mystery and fantasy.