The Unicorn
A mythical creature or a real animal present from ancient times? Know more about the unicorn!
Because of its legendary known purity, the unicorn's horn also known as "alicorn" was believed to be endowed with magical powers and because of that was employed in medicinal products in the Middle Ages. The mere presence of this "alicorn" was thought to offer protection from poisonous foods, and if it was worn in jewelry, it was believed to protect its wearer against evil forces.
Unicorn horns very rarely appeared in a complete form and they were extremely expensive. For instance, such a complete unicorn horn was found in the possession of Queen Elizabeth I of England and was worth L10,000 back in those times - a sum which is in fact the equivalent of around 3,000 gold ounces and which meant enough money to purchase an entire castle within a large estate in the countryside. But instead of coming from the legendary unicorns, these complete unicorn horns quite often came from the long and spirally twisted tusks belonging to the male narwhal, which is a large marine creature.
Although it is most often represented by a white horse with a horn, the initial typical unicorn was provided with a billy-goat beard, the tail of a lion and hooves with cloves, elements which were meant to distinguish unicorns from horses. Even the earliest references mention it to be of a good nature, although fierce in appearance and attitude, quite solitary though unselfish and always of a mysterious beauty.
In the Bible also, there are many references in the Old Testament to an animal called "re'em", which is said to be strong and beautiful. Many versions of the Bible translate this word by "unicorn" or "rhinoceros" whereas many present day translations of the word refer rather to "wild ox" (or aurochs), which may indeed provide the correct meaning of the Hebrew word re'em. In the authorized version of the Holy Book there are nine references made to this animal, among which there is the one saying that: "God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of a unicorn." (Numbers 23: 22). However, these biblical references may be the result of a linguistic mistake done by translators when putting the Bible from Hebrew into Greek. Thus, they translated the Hebrew re'em which means "aurochs"- a wild ox with long horns which had by then become extinct in the Holy Land, by "monoceros" (which means nothing but "single-horned"). And because of all these, the Bible seemed to encourage the idea that the unicorn actually existed.
Among the oldest allegoric interpretations of this creature can be found in the old Greek bestiary such as Physiologus, according to which the unicorn is represented by a strong and fierce animal that can only be caught if a virgin maiden was thrown before this mythical creature. The unicorn then jumped into the virgin's lap, and she would lead it into the king's palace. In this way, writers from medieval times would relate the unicorn to Christ, who indeed had raised a horn of salvation for the whole mankind and who also had dwelt into the womb of the Virgin Mary.
There also is an explanation in the Bible for why the unicorn has not been seen for such a long time. In the times of Noah, during the flood sent by God, and which had lasted for 40 days and 40 nights, Noah took two of each animal species on his ark, but left out the unicorn. According to a Jewish folk tale, they were initially on board of the ark but because they required so much time and attention, they were thrown out. So they either drowned during the flood or managed to evolve into the narwhals.
There are some Middle-aged painting in the Trinity is represented by such thing as a unicorn. But on the other hand, if we are to take the book of Isaiah in the Old Testament, the unicorn may be a symbol of wickedness. All in all, the unicorn generally stands for purity and virtue. And no matter if this creature existed or not, there obviously was a strong belief in this magical animal back in the Biblical times, and also in the centuries that followed.
Unicorn horns very rarely appeared in a complete form and they were extremely expensive. For instance, such a complete unicorn horn was found in the possession of Queen Elizabeth I of England and was worth L10,000 back in those times - a sum which is in fact the equivalent of around 3,000 gold ounces and which meant enough money to purchase an entire castle within a large estate in the countryside. But instead of coming from the legendary unicorns, these complete unicorn horns quite often came from the long and spirally twisted tusks belonging to the male narwhal, which is a large marine creature.
Although it is most often represented by a white horse with a horn, the initial typical unicorn was provided with a billy-goat beard, the tail of a lion and hooves with cloves, elements which were meant to distinguish unicorns from horses. Even the earliest references mention it to be of a good nature, although fierce in appearance and attitude, quite solitary though unselfish and always of a mysterious beauty.
In the Bible also, there are many references in the Old Testament to an animal called "re'em", which is said to be strong and beautiful. Many versions of the Bible translate this word by "unicorn" or "rhinoceros" whereas many present day translations of the word refer rather to "wild ox" (or aurochs), which may indeed provide the correct meaning of the Hebrew word re'em. In the authorized version of the Holy Book there are nine references made to this animal, among which there is the one saying that: "God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of a unicorn." (Numbers 23: 22). However, these biblical references may be the result of a linguistic mistake done by translators when putting the Bible from Hebrew into Greek. Thus, they translated the Hebrew re'em which means "aurochs"- a wild ox with long horns which had by then become extinct in the Holy Land, by "monoceros" (which means nothing but "single-horned"). And because of all these, the Bible seemed to encourage the idea that the unicorn actually existed.
Among the oldest allegoric interpretations of this creature can be found in the old Greek bestiary such as Physiologus, according to which the unicorn is represented by a strong and fierce animal that can only be caught if a virgin maiden was thrown before this mythical creature. The unicorn then jumped into the virgin's lap, and she would lead it into the king's palace. In this way, writers from medieval times would relate the unicorn to Christ, who indeed had raised a horn of salvation for the whole mankind and who also had dwelt into the womb of the Virgin Mary.
There also is an explanation in the Bible for why the unicorn has not been seen for such a long time. In the times of Noah, during the flood sent by God, and which had lasted for 40 days and 40 nights, Noah took two of each animal species on his ark, but left out the unicorn. According to a Jewish folk tale, they were initially on board of the ark but because they required so much time and attention, they were thrown out. So they either drowned during the flood or managed to evolve into the narwhals.
There are some Middle-aged painting in the Trinity is represented by such thing as a unicorn. But on the other hand, if we are to take the book of Isaiah in the Old Testament, the unicorn may be a symbol of wickedness. All in all, the unicorn generally stands for purity and virtue. And no matter if this creature existed or not, there obviously was a strong belief in this magical animal back in the Biblical times, and also in the centuries that followed.
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