Would unicorns count as cryptids? If so, has there ever been proof of their existance or reports of any kind about them?

Personally i dont beleive in them.

Well, i see if i can give you a little info

The first mention of Unicorns comes in the writings of the Greek historian Ctesias around 389 B.C. When he returned from an expedition to Persia and India he began to write a history of the land and of its inhabitants. A fragment of one reads as follows:

"There are in India certain wild asses (the horse kind ) which are as large as horses and larger. Thier bodies are white, their heads dark red, and their eyes dark blue. They have a horn on the forehead which is about a foot and a half in length. The dust filed from this horn is administered in a potion as a protection against deadly drugs. The base of this horn, for some two hands'-breadth above the brow, is pure white, the upper part is sharp and of a vivid crimson; and the remainder, or middle portion, is black. Those who drink out of these horns, made into drinking vessels, are not subject, they say, to convulsions or to the holy disease (epilepsy). Indeed, they are immune to poisons if, either before or after swallowing such, they drink wine, water, or anything else from these beakers. . . ."

Its suggested though that due to exaggeration and superstitous beliefs, the description may have been altered from what was originally seen. People speculate that it was infact a White Rhinoceros. While it may not abide to the description exactly, alot of naturalists back then were prone to word of mouth stories from none to reliable sources. I myself belive it is a mixture of many animals.

Further mention is in the Bible, in the Book of Job (39:9-12)

"Will the unicorn be willing to serve thee, or abide by thy crib?"
.....and yada yada.....

I myself an unsure if it ever existed. I can't shake the idea that its a mythical beast rather then a real one. It's possible though that some form of horse did exist that resembles a unicorn. I mean, just have a look at some of the bizarre beasts that cam along after the dinosaurs died out.

Hope this helps

i remember hearing or reading somewhere that people dismissed all unicorn sightings as misunderstood sightings of rhino's

as rhinos were a mystery animal at the time....unless there was a breed or horse with a horn that has gone extinct quite recently..whats that horsesy looking animal with a horn called?

or something like that, anyone else ever hear this?

A deer

No, seriously, i don't know. Maybe The Great Elk?

Well, depending on the source, the body type changed a lot. Middle Eastern unicorn were large and sort of horse or donkey-like. The chinese had a tiny unicorn called the Ki-Lin, which was often depicted with scales. While the more romantic versions (like in old Anglo-Saxon tapestries) were slim and graceful like a deer.

There was something spiritual about an animal with a single horn, because it translated into so many cultures. I think, like the dragon, there is something about the representaion of a unicorn that strikes some sort of primal cord in us.

I think narwhal horns contributed to the myth of unicorns.

I can't say a thing about the greek stuff, but the medieval unicorn belief was surely fueled by the Vikings(they were great guys), who brought narwhal (monodon monoceros ) horns and sold them for a great price.... There is a throne made of "unicorn horns" somewhere in Europe(I don't remember, where), which is fully built of this whale's horn... Plus this abnormal tooth was used by the doctors of the middle ages as "unicorn horn" to cure poison and stuff...

I don't believe in unicorns. But I have a couple of cute pics.

me too....
but,maybe someday unicorn fossil will be found..who knows?
nobodies believed Hobbit before...

I don't think that most serious cryptozoologists count them.

very true, I think they might have existed at some point in time

I would sure love to see one. If you take a goat and put the horn buds together you will get a unicorn. I remember they had one at a circus one time.

wow.... freaky........ i love goats...LOL

If they count Unicorns, they have to count Minotaurs and Cyclopes, too.

Yes it was the Narwhales(sp?) who began the myth of the Unicorn.

I watched a documentary on it


Basically, about two thousand years ago, pirates and smugglers discovered Narwhales. Knowing them to be nothing more than an ordinary sea-beast they captured and killed them, taking their horns which they conned the royalty into buying from them. They spun a yarn on the tale and so began the legend of the Unicorn...

Here's a few already-discussed threads on unicorns
Unicorns? Fact or Fiction?
Are Unicorns real? Do you believe?
Unicorns, a scientifically possible animal

i see unicorns too much as a fairy tale to ever beleive them i'm afraid

Does anybody remember the name of that movie with Tom Cruise? The one with the unicorns and that annoying little fairy? I'm such a dork, I can't remember the name.

I would like to believe in unicorns but................

thats makes a lot of sense actually....

the narwhal was once thought to be a sea unicorn, so i just read...

a great post

Lol, yes, i remember that....but not the name

Ummm, i've got a solution

*opens up IMDB.com*

...Was it Legend?

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089469/

Yes, it was Legend. I loved that movie, had Mia Sara and Tim Curry in it.

Great special effects for it's time!

I vaguely remember it...vaguely

I've got an image of Tom Cruise in a Peter Pan outfit, tell me its from the movie....

Yeah, thats the one.

And his character was very much like Peter Pan. "Jack", as he was known, was a forest dwelling boy (20-25), who charmed a princess-type character (Mia Sara).

It's alot better than it sounds Good movie.

was legend the one with the litle guy in it?

you know that little guy whos in everything....erm...er i have no idea about his name...

well i dont think the usicorn would be counted because of all of the different descriptions..... which most have some sort of Magical or paranormalness to them.... which then takes them out of cryptozoology...

Well...i sorta/dont believe in them but heres what i say:
How could somthing get started *example, unicorn, dragon* without having a basic root?