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" 'Do you know, I always thought unicorns were fabulous monsters, too? I never saw one alive before!' 'Well, now that we have seen each other,' said the unicorn, 'if you believe in me, I'll believe in you.' "
    ---Lewis Carroll; Through the Looking Glass

     You find yourself in a quiet glade, surrounded by tall trees. It's night here, yet everything is lit by the soft glow of the full moon. It seems to be spring here - yet it always seems like spring here. Flowers are blooming. Things are growing. Nocturnal animals are scurring to and fro. Your ears even catch the song of a night bird. Nearby, you hear the sound of running water. You feel very much at peace here as you breath in the deep scent of the night forest.
     Quite suddenly, you see a flash of white from the corner of your eye. Turning to look, it is gone. Then, on your other side, it's there again, accompanied by footfalls that remind you of a deer. You turn just in time to see the flash of white disappear into the trees, heading towards the sound of running water.
     You feel yourself being called, though no one spoke. You feel a desire to follow whatever that was and you give into that desire, taking a trail that seems to open up before you. It is not too long at all before you come upon a stream. There, in the mud along the bank, is a single footprint of a cloven-hoofed animal. The brook seems to laugh, urging you on. You head upstream, following the creek. The sound of rushing water slowly becomes a roar. You round a corner and pass beneath an ancient weeping willow. Before you, the stream spreads out, forming a pool which is being fed by a roaring waterfall.
     You tilt your head back as your eyes travel up the falls. The waterfall is at least one-hundred yards above you, if not more. As you look to the top of the falls, your breath catches. There stands a creature more majestic and noble than the greatest king. His beauty puts the fairest maiden to shame. He seems to glow with an inner light that outshines the moon. Your heart trembles, for you know this creature to be a unicorn. His coat is all white, whiter than freshly fallen snow. He has the body of a horse, with a white flowing mane that plays in the breeze. On his forehead, reaching into the sky, almost as if it could spear the moon, stretches a single, spiral horn of the purest pearl. His cloven hooves glint of silver in the light. His tail is tufted, like a lion's. He watches you, watching him. He seems to be looking not at you, but into you, into your heart. You wonder how (or if) you could ever be worthy of such a creature.
 

Unicorns are one of the more well known fantastical creature and my personal favorite. Thier history goes back as far as 5000 years ago, with origins from Mesopotamia, Egypt and Greece. Though mostly recognized as an European creature, there are counterparts throughout India, Persia and even China, although the ones in China tend to resemble dragons.
 
Appearance
Unicorns come in all shapes, sizes and even colors. The traditional unicorn, however, resembled a horse or a goat that was completely white with a single horn protruding from its forehead. Some were adorned with the tails of lions (still white). Occassionally, a goat's beard was added. In modern times, you can find wings added, giving this already magnificiant creature the ability to fly. No matter what an artist's interpretation of this creature might be, the single horn is universal.
 
The Horn
The word 'unicorn' derives from the Latin unus meaning 'one' or 'singular', and cornus meaning 'horn'. It is that horn that gave the unicorn its power and embedded into myth for all time. In medieval times, the horn was seen as very powerful and coveted by noblemen and kings. It was thought to cure ailments, neutralize poisons and warn when poisoned food was near. It was sold in powdered form as cures for diseases. Nobility kept whole horns as a sign of their power. These horns are thought to have actually been from the narwhal. The narwhal (morodom monoceros) is a sea mammal that lives in the artic ocean. The male of the species grows a single spiralling tusk, or horn, from its upper lip which grows up to 1.5 to 5 m (5 - 10 feet) in length. The norwhale has been referred to as the 'unicorn of the sea'.
 
The Lion and the Unicorn
 

"The lion and the unicorn
Were fighting for the crown
The lion beat the unicorn all around the town

Many have heard the nursery rhyme 'The Lion and the Unicorn'. The lion and the unicorn were both considered to be the kings of the animals and the sounds of their clashes could be heard throughout the forest. It was said that their battles determined the seasons.
     A rampant lion and unicorn are also seen on the British coat of arms. Before Britain took over Scotland, the British coat of arms had two rampant lions and Scotland's had two rampant unicorns. Later, the British one was altered in an effort to combine the two. Maybe the lion and the unicorn fought as a symblol of the ongoing battles between Britain and Scotland. It certainly seems that way in the old nursery rhyme where the 'lion beat the unicorn all around the town'. However, the fight between the two animals goes back much further than that. You can go here to learn more on this incompatiable duo.
 

The Maiden As everyone knows, only a maiden (or virgin) could capture a unicorn. The maiden (an unmarried woman) had to be pure in heart as well as body. Once the unicorn was trapped, hunters would jump out of hiding and either enslave or kill the creature. Not a pretty picture for unicorn lovers today. There are many symbolisms behind this myth. The unicorn represented chasity and purity. Thus, this myth was used to promote chastity among the young women of that time. The maiden came to represent the Virgin Mary and the unicorn became a symbol for Christ, thus helping to promote Christianity throughout Europe. Even today, the unicorn is seen as a symbol of chastity. Why was it that only a maiden could capture and tame a unicorn? Well, that would require a look back at what the people believed in that time in Europe. Christianity was on the rise and it dominated the culture and the attitudes of the people. Moral rules became increassingly strict and chastity was seen as golden. Women were taught and expected to uphold the morals and virtues of society. Men were not expected to do this and were easily forgiven for if they went astray. It was a woman's duty to help a man become morally good. Virtuous women were well respected and 'pure' maidens were sought after for wives. If a woman was even suspected of being 'soiled', at best she was left to be a spinstress - at worse, she was burned at the stake. Even a woman sho was raped would find it difficult to find a husband, for she was no longer 'pure'. Unicorns were not seen as gentle, kind creatures, but rather as savage beasts that roamed the forest. Only a pure maiden could tame such a beast. The unicorn represented man - wild, rambunctuous and a bit savage. And who cannot see that great phallic symbol sitting between it's eyes? Once again, this myth attempted to reinforce ideas of purity and chasity as well as paralleling the views of society at that time.

'The Angel of the Gods' Copyrighted by Greg Hildebrant.

The Modern Unicorn
Today, the unicorn is not as popular as it used to be. If you browse the fantasy section of any bookstore, the pickings are slim. However, you can find lots of stories with dragons in them. There are really only two movies about unicorns: Legend and The Last Unicorn. The unicorn has lost much of its strength and is mainly seen now as a delicate, flighty, frivolous and cotton-for-brains creature. In regard to modern culture, the unicorn is not as 'cool' as say, the dragon or the vampire. The magic that it used to bring is slowly being forgotten in favor of the bigger, the badder, and the meaner. Which is sad, considering all the things the unicorn is. Perhaps it verifies the fact that there are few people who are pure of heart anymore - and fewer still who even care.

 
  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 darts
And only a virgin's magic power
Shall tame his haughty heart
 
-- a medieval German Folk song

I am part of the 'Save the Unicorns' campaign,
begun by Lady Rhiannon.
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Another campaign for unicorns
started by Lady Brooklyn.
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Created 4/29/99
Updated 9/28/00