The Unicorn is one of the most legendary animals in the world. While most call them nothing but myths from ages long past, many would be surprised to discover just how many historical accounts of encounters with unicorns there have been, and from who. Scientists in France have dubbed a cave drawing of a horse-like animal an unicorn due to its protruding horn, and Aboriginal paintings in South America are said to be unicorns, as they look like no other animal, and, astoundingly, in 1977, another scientists went on record saying he believed the unicorn to be a “lost” species, hunted out of existence back at the beginning of mankind. So the question is, are unicorns real after all?
First, it would be best to describe the modern accepted appearance of the unicorn. Representing beauty and grace, the white horse with the golden or white horse is what comes to mind when most people think unicorns. This thought is spurned on by numerous fantasy books over the ages, such as J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter novels, in which the unicorns share this similar beauty. In her adaptation on unicorns, they are more comfortable around females than males, which directly relates back to the belief that only virgins could capture a unicorn. In fact, according to legend, if a woman pretended to be a virgin and attempted to capture a unicorn, said unicorn would kill the woman.
However, this beautiful, majestic appearances of unicorns seems idealized when compared to descriptions made over time. Back when the Medieval Age was at its height, unicorns were thought to closely resemble a donkey or goat, with the head of a deer, the body of a goat, the tail of a lion, and the beard of a goat. The Chinese unicorn, the Kilin, is said to have a deer’s body, an ox’s tail and horses’ hooves, with a short horn, and a coat of red, green, yellow, blue, white, and black, which can sometimes even be covered in green scales. In the 3rd century, Herodotus described the unicorn as a large white horse, with a red head, blue eyes, and a long black and red horn. Some believe these largely differing descriptions of unicorns to be proof that they do not exist, while others argue that they are simply different breeds on a species, just like any two dogs would appear different in shape and size.
Some of the evidence that comes to support the existence of unicorn’s is looked down upon simply because of the numerous blatantly false encounters with unicorns. Marco Polo, the famous explorer, described unicorns as, “scarcely smaller than elephants. They have the hair of a buffalo and feet like an elephant's. They have a single large black horn in the middle of the forehead. They have a head like a wild boar's. They spend their time wallowing in mud and slime. They are very ugly brutes to look at." This somewhat humorous description of what he thought was a “unicorn” was actually a rhinoceros, and because of this, many scientists argue that the other encounters with unicorns were also merely misconceptions and ignorance of what animal they were truly looking at.
There are several other well known figures in history who also claimed encounters with unicorns. Alexander the Great claimed he rode one into battle, while Julius Caeser spotted some in the forests of Germany. It is said that a unicorn heralded the birth of Confucius, the Chinese philosopher, and later appeared to him to foretell his death. In fact, the unicorn appears frequently in the history of China as a good omen, foretelling peace and luxury; an encounter with an unicorn was expected to bring important news to the one who saw the unicorn. It was believed that when the world suffered dark times, the unicorn would disappear, unable to live in a world without peace, and would continue to be elusive and sly, avoiding capture. The day peace comes to earth, it is said the unicorns will come out to be visible by all. The Yellow Emperor, Huang Di, was said to have a unicorn in his private gardens, which he believed meant his reign would be peaceful and last for many years.
Other tales of the Eastern Unicorn also revolve around its physical capabilities, and how they connect with the spiritual life. They were said to always reach their destination, without falling into traps or delays, and were therefore seen as great guides through life. The unicorn was supposed to be so sensitive it could feel the rays of the sun and the shadow of light cast by the moon, and tame any animal it came across. It was so graceful and concerned with life that it would not even tread on an insect. Other Eastern beliefs say that when a unicorn plucked a leaf, two would grow back in its place, and that the unicorns voice was soft and beautiful, with a sound like hundreds of wind chimes swaying in a breeze.
In contrast to the Eastern Unicorn, the Middle Eastern Unicorn was said to be a warrior, ferocious and violent, it had a curved black horn and was dreaded by all living animals, and therefore left alone. This unicorn, called the Karkadann, could only be tamed by a dove’s call, which would effect the unicorn so strongly it would lie at the base of the dove’s tree and wait for it to land on its horn.
However, it’s not just the physical appearance and personality of the unicorn that held such interest for so many. The unicorn is said to hold many mystic powers, most famous of which revolved around its horn, which was supposed to have the power to cure ailments. At the same time Herodotus wrote of the unicorn, Greek physician and historian Ctesias traveled to Persia, where he also heard the rumors of this healing quality the horn possessed. The stories of the alicorn, what the horn of a unicorn is called, said it had the powers to do everything from curing sickness, to prolonging life, to protecting a person from all poisons. Many physicians would require their patients to drink out of cups made from “unicorn horn” to prevent poisoning and sickness. Dr. Conrad Gesner of Zuich describes the properties of the alicorn as: “useful and beneficial against epilepsy, pestilential fever, rabies, proliferation and infection of other animals and vermin, and against worms within the body from which children faint.” These ideas have continued to fascinate people ages later, another essential part to the Harry Potter books, in which the Dark Lord is able to stay alive by drinking the blood of the unicorn, which, though does not match exactly to these ancient tales, holds the same general idea. Word of these mystic qualities traveled around the world, and eventually came to ears of Aristotle. While he believed that the unicorn was a real animal, he doubted the stories of the horn working miracles against ailments.
Throughout time, unicorn horns have been a most desirable object, for their rarity and supposed qualities, sold to many of the wealthiest in Europe. Whether or not any of the horns were authentic, it is hard to say, since so many truly believed they had a unicorn horn, when in reality, it was simply goat or cow horns, and occasionally something more exotic, such as a narwhale horn. At the time, to own a complete unicorn horn was the utmost symbol of wealth and power. The throne of Denmark was said to be made completely from unicorn horns, and Queen Elizabeth I was supposed to have possessed one as well. While it seems unlikely that an entire throne could have been made from unicorn horns when they were so rare and hard to catch, many still believe that examples such as those are just exaggerations on a smaller truth.
The horn of the unicorn isn’t the only extreme quality it is said to posses. Rarer even then the unicorn horn is the carbuncle, a mystic ruby said to be at the base of the horn that provided the unicorn with the powers it did, while others said it was the very essence of the horn. According to Jewish legends, the unicorn has incredible strength, able to kill an elephant. Other legends say unicorns could spot a lie from truth, and, when confronted by a liar, would piece him through the heart with his horn. These qualities are another reason that many object to the possibility that the unicorn ever existed.
Despite the lack of firm evidence, unicorns have managed to place themselves forever in the heart of mankind through literature, song, art, poetry and legends. There are seven famous tapestries made in the Gothic time period that depict the hunt and capture of the unicorn. Some legends state that Noah excluded the unicorns from the ark, therefore making them extinct, and others claim that translations were changed from “unicorn” in the King James Bible to “ox” or “bull” in newer editions, but that in reality, references were made to them. Whether or not unicorns did exist, the lasting impact they’ve made on cultures all around the world will continue to be a great source of discussion and debate, just as it has been for centuries.
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Sources:
http://www.allaboutunicorns.com/east-and-west.phphttp://www.thejunglestore.com/UnicornsClass:
Lair of the Sphinx 5
Subject: The Unicorn: Legend or Reality? 
