Читать книгу Unicornucopia: The Little Book of Unicorns - Caitlin Doyle - Страница 10

A unicorn’s horn

IS CALLED AN

alicorn.

How are unicorns born?

NO ONE CAN ANSWER HOW THESE MYTHICAL CREATURES ARE BORN.

Do they hatch from an egg? Are they born from a female unicorn, much like a foal?

ARE THERE EVEN FEMALE UNICORNS? ALL WE DO KNOW FROM MYTHS AND RETELLINGS IS THAT UNICORNS ARE SOLITARY CREATURES AND CAN LIVE

for hundreds of years.

Were unicorns on Noah’s Ark?

RELIGIOUS SCHOLARS HAVE STRUGGLED WITH THIS QUESTION. WHILE UNICORNS ARE MENTIONED IN SOME VERSIONS OF THE BIBLE, IT IS WIDELY BELIEVED THAT THIS IS BECAUSE OF A

bad translation of ‘wild ox’.

GOD IS ALSO SAID TO HAVE INSTRUCTED NOAH TO TAKE ONE MALE AND ONE FEMALE OF EACH SPECIES IN ORDER TO REPOPULATE THE EARTH

after the Flood.

ONE POSSIBILITY IS THAT UNICORNS DIDN’T MAKE THE CUT, AS UNICORNS ARE TRADITIONALLY BELIEVED TO BE MALE.

Or perhaps they simply missed the boat,

AS SHEL SILVERSTEIN’S SONG ‘THE UNICORN’ WOULD SUGGEST!

EARLY ILLUSTRATIONS of UNICORNS WERE

of large animals

WITH SINGLE HOOVES AND BLACK HORNS. SOME SHOWED THEM AS LARGE RHINOCEROS-LIKE CREATURES, OTHERS AS SMALL AS GOATS – AND SOME

even as tiny as mice!

Traditionally, unicorns have been depicted as male.

DOES THIS MEAN THAT THERE ARE

no female unicorns?

OR THAT PERHAPS FEMALE UNICORNS ARE BETTER AT EVADING CAPTURE? THERE IS

no way to know for sure …

Despite different attributes

ACROSS VARIOUS CULTURES, UNICORNS ARE UNIVERSALLY BELIEVED TO BE

peaceful and kind.

The European unicorn

HAD A HORSE’S BODY, PEARLY WHITE COAT, AND LONG, WHITE, SPIRALLED HORN.

The Asian unicorn

HAD A SCALY, COLOURFUL COAT – OCCASIONALLY COVERED WITH MAGICAL SYMBOLS – A DEER’S BODY, AND A FLESH-COLOURED HORN.

The unicorn in Chinese mythology was called a qilin

(PRONOUNCED CHEE-LIN). THE QILIN HAD A SCALY, DEER-LIKE BODY WITH A YELLOW BELLY AND SHINING, MULTI-COLOURED BACK, AND A DRAGON’S HEAD WITH ONE HORN. ACCORDING TO LEGEND, THE QILIN FIRST APPEARED IN THE GARDEN OF THE LEGENDARY YELLOW EMPEROR IN 2697 BCE. THIS BEAST WAS SO GENTLE, IT REFUSED TO EVEN WALK ON GRASS FOR FEAR OF HARMING IT.

THE APPEARANCE OF THIS MILD CREATURE

foretold the birth or death of a wise ruler.

IT IS SAID TO HAVE APPEARED TO THE PREGNANT MOTHER OF CONFUCIUS IN THE 6TH CENTURY BCE AND AGAIN BEFORE

Confucius’ death.

According to Chinese legend,

THE ANCIENT PHILOSOPHER CONFUCIUS WAS THE LAST PERSON EVER TO SEE

an Asian unicorn.

In Japan, the unicorn was called a kirin.

THIS WORD HAS NOW COME TO MEAN

‘giraffe’

IN CONTEMPORARY JAPANESE, AFTER A 15TH-CENTURY AFRICAN EXPEDITION RETURNED AND OFFERED THE CHINESE EMPEROR

a live giraffe,

CALLING IT A UNICORN, AND THE WORDS BECAME FOREVER INTERLINKED!

THE KIRIN IS A REGAL AND GENTLE ANIMAL, BUT WITH A

strong sense of justice,

DOLING OUT INSTANT PUNISHMENT TO CRIMINALS WITH A SWIFT PIERCE OF

the horn through the heart.

ACCORDING TO EUROPEAN FOLKLORE, A UNICORN COULD ONLY BE TAMED BY

a fair young maiden.

SHE NEED ONLY BE PURE, INNOCENT, AND SIT ALONE IN A PICTURESQUE SCENE (IDEALLY BESIDE A POMEGRANATE TREE). UPON SEEING HER, THE WILD UNICORN WOULD INSTANTLY CURL UP BESIDE HER AND FALL ASLEEP WITH ITS HEAD IN HER LAP.

IN SOME TALES, THE UNICORN

sleeping peacefully

IN A MAIDEN’S LAP SYMBOLIZED

the taming of the unicorn.

BUT IN OTHERS, A UNICORN COULD ONLY BE CAUGHT AFTER A MAIDEN WAS RATHER SAVAGELY THROWN BEFORE IT. SADLY, THIS WAS OFTEN A TRAP SET IN ORDER FOR HUNTERS TO CAPTURE

the wild beast.

‘THE UNICORN, THROUGH ITS

intemperance

AND NOT KNOWING HOW TO CONTROL ITSELF, FOR THE LOVE IT BEARS TO

fair maidens, forgets its ferocity and wildness;

AND LAYING ASIDE ALL FEAR, IT WILL GO UP TO A SEATED DAMSEL AND GO TO SLEEP IN HER LAP, AND LET THE HUNTERS TAKE IT.’

– LEONARDO DA VINCI

What sound do unicorns make?

THERE IS NO WAY TO KNOW FOR SURE. BUT SINCE THE BODY OF A UNICORN IS

closest to that of a horse,

IT’S LIKELY THE LARYNX (VOICE BOX) WOULD ALSO BE SIMILAR, PRODUCING THE SAME NEIGH SOUND. THEN AGAIN, A UNICORN ADDS MAGIC TO THE MIX, SO IT COULD ALSO SPEAK IN A HUMAN VOICE OR EVEN SOUND LIKE

the tinkling of bells!

What do unicorns eat?

DEPICTIONS OF UNICORNS IN MEDIEVAL TAPESTRIES AND RENAISSANCE PAINTINGS SHOW THE MAGICAL BEASTS EATING GRASS FROM THE FOREST FLOOR, AS HORSES DO. ANOTHER THEORY IS THAT THESE OTHERWORLDLY CREATURES DO NOT REQUIRE FOOD AT ALL. INSTEAD, THEY ABSORB THE

sun’s rays for their nourishment.

THEN TODAY’S POPULAR CULTURE WOULD HAVE US BELIEVE THAT UNICORNS’ DIET CONSISTS ENTIRELY OF RAINBOW FOODS, BRIMMING WITH SUGAR, SPRINKLES, AND MINI MARSHMALLOWS. BUT UNTIL WE HEAR IT DIRECTLY FROM THE UNICORN’S MOUTH,

we’ll have to keep on imagining!

LEGEND HAS IT THAT A UNICORN STOPPED THE FEARSOME INVADER

Genghis Khan

FROM CONQUERING INDIA. AS THE WARRIOR WAS PREPARING FOR THE INVASION,

a unicorn knelt before him and gazed into his eyes.

WITH NO OTHER EXPLANATION FOR WHAT HE SAW THAN IT BEING A HEAVENLY SIGN,

Genghis Khan ordered his army to retreat.

In spite of being fearless,

UNICORNS ARE SUPPOSEDLY SCARED OF LABRADORS, BUT ESPECIALLY

tame around pheasants.

The virtuous unicorn

IS SAID TO BE ABLE TO RECOGNIZE

liars instantly

AND WILL PIERCE SUCH INDIVIDUALS THROUGH THE HEART WITH ITS HORN!

Saint Hildegard,

A 12TH-CENTURY GERMAN ABBESS, WELL RESPECTED FOR HER TEACHINGS ON MEDICINE AND SCIENCE,

recommended an anti-leprosy ointment

MADE OF EGG YOLK AND FOIE DE LICORNE, OR UNICORN LIVER.

The unicorn

EVEN APPEARS IN THE BIBLE AS A MAJESTIC ANIMAL CALLED A RE’EM, BASED ON TRANSLATIONS FROM SCHOLARS IN 300 BCE.

Modern translations now refer to this animal as a wild ox,

EXPLAINING THAT THE UNICORN WAS SIMPLY A TRANSLATION ERROR, BUT THE UNICORN HELD A SPECIAL SYMBOLIC MEANING FOR THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH EVEN SO.

The unicorn, with its peaceful but powerful nature, has symbolized Jesus.

JESUS IS SAID TO HAVE RAISED A UNICORN HORN AS A SYMBOL OF SALVATION FOR HUMANKIND. THE WORD ‘UNICORN’ OCCURS NINE TIMES IN THE KING JAMES BIBLE.

‘SAVE ME FROM THE LION’S MOUTH: FOR THOU HAST HEARD ME FROM THE HORNS OF THE UNICORNS.’

– PSALMS 22:21, KING JAMES BIBLE

‘GOD BROUGHT THEM OUT OF EGYPT; HE HATH AS IT WERE THE STRENGTH OF AN UNICORN.’

– NUMBERS 23:22, KING JAMES BIBLE

IN ANCIENT ASIA, UNICORNS WERE SEEN

as bringers of good luck.

Unicorn horns

WERE BELIEVED TO CURE FEVERS, NEUTRALIZE POISONS, PROLONG YOUTH, AND

act as an aphrodisiac (love potion).

UNICORNS ARE BELIEVED TO HAVE

special powers,

INCLUDING PROTECTION, HEALTH, AND PURITY. THESE INCLUDE PROTECTION AGAINST STOMACH TROUBLE, EPILEPSY – AND EVEN THE PLAGUE. THOSE WHO DRANK FROM A UNICORN’S HORN WERE SAID TO BE PROTECTED FROM POISON, SINCE THE HORN WOULD PURIFY WHATEVER IT TOUCHED.

A unicorn could even purify a lake or stream by simply dipping its horn into the water.

IN APOTHECARIES ACROSS EUROPE,

unicorn horns

(OR ‘ALICORNS’) WERE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE UNTIL THE 18TH CENTURY, AS ONE OF THE MOST TRUSTED

health remedies.

IN ADDITION TO ELIXIRS AND POWDERS,

items of unicorn clothing

WERE ALSO MEANT TO PROTECT THE WEARER FROM MISFORTUNE AND DISEASE. ADORNED IN UNICORN-LEATHER SHOES AND A UNICORN BELT, THE FASHIONABLE MEDIEVAL WEARER WOULD EXPECT TO BE FREE OF DISEASE AND THE PLAGUE – BUT LIKELY WITH

empty pockets, due to the high price tag.