Unicorns

Unicorns book cover — CONTENTS HORN OF PLENTY 4 THERESE AND THE UNICORN 6 MORE UNICORN TALES 22 GLOSSARY 23 INDEX 24

Unicorns — page 1 — HORN OF PLENTY The legendary unicorn first showed up in ancient texts on natural history Scholars based their descriptions on travelers tales and noted unicorns for their wildness and the special properties of their horns Travelers tales of the Indian rhinoceros may have given rise to the idea of unicorns TTHHEE PPUURRIIFFIIEERR The classic unicorn was a horse-like animal with a goat beard cloven hoofs and a lion’s tail In legends it used its long spiralling horn to purify water for all the other woodland beasts A monocerous in a 13th century illuminated bestiary This 16th-century unicorn left is pure white a symbol of chivalry while this 15th-century medal below shows a more wild goat-like version 4

Unicorns — page 2 — MMAAGGIICC HHOORRNN Unicorn horn or alicorn was said to show up or neutralize poisons and was much sought after by unpopular rulers Supposed alicorns were actually narwhal tusks and were made into drinking cups A tapestry showing a captured unicorn The unicorn hunt was a popular subject during the Renaissance The narwhal is the only living creature that is anything like the mythical unicorn TTHHEE NNOOBBLLEE UUNNIICCOORRNN In lore a unicorn could only be lured and captured using a pure maiden Unicorns came to represent the virtues of faithfulness and purity in art and on coats of arms A unicorn lies tame in the arms of a maiden 5

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