Unicorn

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The Magic of the Unicorn

The Unicorn legend is shrouded mystery, fabled to be sighted on many occasions, Unicorns have never been led into captivity, they have always remained mysterious, elusive and free. Perhaps that is what makes the Unicorn enthusiasts so intrigued by them. They embody a spirit of mystery, magic, imagination......

The Unicorn, a mystical creature, described in ancient legend, myth and fairy tales. They were placed among virgin saints and said to be an emblem of purity. The modern Unicorn is the result of input and stories from many different sources.

                     Legends of the Unicorn are recorded throughout
                     history, in almost every culture around the world. But
                     what exactly is a Unicorn? Well, it's considerably more
                     than just a horse with a horn on it's head. In fact
                     through history Unicorns have appeared as other
                     animals forms, not just in it's more currently recognized
                     equine form. There have, through time been stories of
                     one horned goat like Unicorn creatures, or a horned
                     lion. In eastern lands the Unicorn has appeared like a
                     dragon. The legends and stories passed down through
                     time span the globe, and are many and varied. In recent
                     times the standard description is a one horned animal
                     that bares the look of a horse.

            Unicorns are said to posses deep blue eyes that appear
          to be full of stars. It is also said that they posses a
          unique ability to be able to communicate with humans
          telepathically.The English word 'Unicorn' comes from
          the Latin, Unus, meaning 'one' and Cornu, meaning
          'horn'. However, the actual Latin word for Unicorn is
          'monoceros'.

                     I am sure that most people whether they believe in
                     Unicorns or not, would agree that the Unicorn is seen as
                     a symbol . There probably wouldn't be much argument
                     about what it symbolizes either. Generally a Unicorn is
                     seen to stand for strength, purity, innocence, freedom,
                     beauty, magic, intelligence and wisdom. To me it
                     especially symbolizes imagination.

                     A Unicorn can be any color, from the purest ivory to
                     the darkest ebony and any other color in between but
                     is mostly seen as white, which also promotes the
                     symbol of purity. The Unicorn's horn, called an alicorn,
                     may be straight, curved back, spiraled or curled.

                         The Unicorns horn, or alicorn, has been it's glory and
                     it's downfall. from the earliest times it has been
                     accorded medicinal and magical properties.The
                     Unicorn's horn is fabled to posses strong power of
                     detecting and removing poisons. One reason why the
                     Unicorn is called the Lord of the Beats is because the
                     mere touch of a Unicorn’s horn will dispel poison. It is
                     said that a Unicorn that dipped his horn into poisoned
                     waters, caused the water to be purified. Other animals
                     let the Unicorn drink from the spring first to free it from
                     any such poison and this is also why all pure hearted
                     animals will always shield a Unicorn from an enemy.

                                                   The Lost Unicorn
                      Oh how in our childlike hearts still we mourn
                                 The passing of the Unicorn.
                              Of gentle beauty and infinite grace,
                             A creature unfit for our worlds pace.
                                 Yet Wait! For who's to say?
                   Perhaps even now in some far distant forest glade,
                  There still moves quietly in the cool and leafy shade.
                             That timeless creature of a golden age,
                                 That spirit of a shining dawn,
                                That magic beast The Unicorn.
                                            --Unknown

                        The first record of Unicorns, seem to have appeared in
                     written accounts rather than in pictorial representations.
                     The Greek historian, Ctesia, was one of the first to
                     write about a one horned creature. The Christian
                     symbolism of the Unicorn came from the mention of
                     the Unicorn in the Bible. Early Christian legend tells
                     how the Unicorn was the first creature named by Adam
                     after creation which is why it was blessed by god with
                     grace and intelligence.

                         In medieval times, the magical Unicorn was probably at
                     its most popular. The tales of its magical powers and
                     the myths about the horn were spread far and wide.
                     The Unicorns horn, or alicorn, has been associated with
                     medicinal and even magical properties. Fabled to cure
                     everything from epilepsy to rabies. Through the belief
                     that the Unicorn's horn had great healing powers, the
                     Unicorn soon became a hunters target. Hunted for it’s
                     horn, stories tell how hunters would use a maiden as
                     bait to capture the Unicorn. In Christianity the Unicorn
                     was the symbol of virginity. It was said that the Unicorn
                     could only be captured by a virgin so young maidens
                     were used as bait to try to lure the Unicorn to the
                     hunters . It had become known that a Unicorn that
                     spotted a maiden would approach her and lay its head
                     in her lap. The Unicorns trust in maidens is fabled to
                     have risen from it’s association in pagan times and lands
                     with cults of the moon and the virgin priestess who
                     administered to them.

                         Rarer than the Unicorn itself is the mystic ruby, also
                     called a carbuncle. This is rumored to e found at the
                     base of a Unicorns horn. It is believed that that jewel is
                     the source of the horns powers but it is not seen on all
                     Unicorns. Perhaps it only occurs on older or wiser
                     unicorns. This carbuncle was, in the middle ages,
                     believed to be the ‘king of gems’ able to dispel poison,
                     guard from plague, banish sadness, evil and nightmares.

F                      For as long as tales of the Unicorn have been in
                     circulation mystery has surrounded it. All through the
                     centuries in every culture there has been a lot of
                     speculation about the Unicorn and its existence. Some
                     see the Unicorn as a myth, some believe that not only
                     did this majestic creature roam the Earth in times past,
                     but in fact it still does. The Unicorn stands for many
                     things, but most often virtues like purity and honesty, to
                     me, the Unicorn is a symbol of all that is free,
                     unknown, mystical and most of all, it symbolizes the
                     great vastness of our imagination.

                                          The Unicorn is noble
                                  He knows his gentle birth,
                              He knows that god has chosen him
                                  Above all beasts of Earth.
                                    The Unicorn is noble
                                  He keeps him safe and high
                                Upon a narrow path and steep
                                     Climbing to the sky.
                               And there no man can take him,
                                 He scorns the hunter’s dart,
                               And only a virgin’s magic power
                                 Shall tame his haughty heart.
                                 What be now the state of us
                                     But for this Unicorn,
                               And what would be the fate of us,
                                  Poor sinners, lost, forlorn?
                                Oh, may he lead us on and up,
                                   Unworthy though we be,
                                   Into his fathers kingdom,
                                      To dwell eternally.
                                    --German Folk Song.