The History Of The Unicorn

The Unicorn, a legendary animal usually depicted as a large horse with a single horn on its forehead. It has also been described as having the hind legs of an antelope, the tail of a lion, and the beard of a goat. Represented in the arts of numerous ancient and medieval Asian and European cultures, the unicorn may have been created from distorted reports of rhinoceroses. Ctesias, a Greek physician, about 400 BC wrote a classic description of the unicorn, calling it an Indian wild ass with a white body, purple head, and a straight "cubit-long" horn with a white base, black middle, and red tip. He described it as fleet and fierce. The unicorn is also mentioned in the writings of Aristotle, Pliny, and Aelian. In medieval Christendom the unicorn was endowed with symbolic qualities, both religious and secular. Some early translations of the Hebrew scriptures mentioned the unicorn (modern versions tend to call the same animal a "wild ox"), and as a biblical beast it acquired ecclesiastical associations. It represented chastity and purity. Though it would fight savagely when cornered, it could be tamed by a virgin's touch. Many examples of medieval artincluding woodcuts, illuminations, and tapestries depict the unicorn, particularly the hunt for it. In some Christian interpretations the unicorn is associated with the Virgin Mary; in others it represents Christ the Redeemer. Unicorns were also popular emblems in medieval heraldry. During the Middle Ages, and even later, the unicorn's horn (as it was alleged to be), because of its fabled purity, was a popular ingredient for medicines and for alchemical reactions. Potentates and pontiffs obtained reputed unicorn's horn because it was considered strong protection against poison. The horn was also believed to ward off stomach trouble and epilepsy. The Unicorn is found throughout world legends. His appearance has changed over time as writers and artists have taken poetic license and used their imaginations. The Myth of the Unicorn can be traced back to early pagan mythology. Oddly enough, this pagan creature was accepted in Medieval Europe, which was strictly dominated by Christianity, and the Unicorn even became accepted as a symbol of Christ Himself. The Lady of the Unicorn was a predominant part of the European Myth. It was said that only the purest of maidens could tame this beast. When a Unicorn saw a maid sitting in the wood, he would came forward and docilely lay his head in her lap, as innocent as a child. This was the Unicorn's one weakness. Some tales tell of a Lady residing in a cave with the Unicorn. These tales portray the Virgin which loved the Unicorn.

The Modern Unicorn is result of many different people’s imaginations. He has changed from the delicate, goat-like creature to one of simple equine beauty. A beast ridden by a Virgin who he can actually trust not to lead him to the Hunter. He comes in every color and size, from the purest ivory to the darkest ebony and every shade of the rainbow in between the two. He can have the wings of Pegasus and take the name of Alicorn, or he can be given the leathery wings of a Demon and be a creature yet unnamed. Today’s Unicorn is special to each of his followers, but he still holds the basic principles of nobility, selflessness, and purity. And he shall always be one of the most beautiful creatures conceived by the mind of Man. Stories of a magnificent horned steed filtered into European throughout the Middle Ages. They are believed to have originated from three sources. First, written accounts from Greek and Roman sources contributed to the widespread belief in the unicorn. Second, popular acceptance of the unicorn's existence. Finally, explorers brought back tales of the beast from other lands. It was in Medieval Europe that the unicorn attained its greatest fame, and where it began to assume the physical attributes we associate with it today. The European unicorn took the form of a large, white steed with a flowing white mane and a tuft of white hair on its chin. In most other respects it was much like an ordinary horse, except for having white hooves. It most unusual feature, of course, was the single white spiral horn projecting forward at an upward angle from its forehead.

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