Allo' everyone. I'm just making a post about the mythical creature known as the unicorn. And yes, they may not exist, but over millenia there have been many myths and different versions of the unicorn from Europe to Asia. I'll start with the better known Western-European unicorn.
In Christianity, the unicorn was not regulary mentioned, but identified with the Virgin Mary since unicorns are attracted to virgins because or their purity. The horn's purpose was that if the unicorn dipped it in poisoned water, it would be purified. Unicorns are mainly identified with virginity, justice, and chastity. ( no sniggering please ) It was also said to be the first animal named by Adam when he was directed by God to name the animals in Eden. When Adam spoke, God had put the unicorn above other beasts. However, when Adam and Eve were banished, the unicorn was given a choice of staying in Eden or accompanying Adam and Eve. He followed them, and the unicorn was then forever blessed for it's compassion.
But when the Great Flood was impending, and after Noah built the Ark, the unicorn felt self-important when God had blessed him, and he was too proud to board the Ark with the lower class animals. Then, right then and there, the unicorn was gone.
However, in Medeival mythology, the unicorn was highly prized as game, and as the story goes, was voraciously hunted for the horn, said to a have miraculous medicinal purposes. " The Hunt of the Unicorn" may be the most famous painting conscerning the unicorn, showing the various scenes from chase till capture. This has created to value for Narwhal horn, the arctic ceteceans who have spiral like horns, coincidentally like that of the unicorn's. And though the unicorn's reputation is mostly pure and justly, it has also been labled with evil and temptation.
There are many examples of the unicorn being evil and unjust. When Christianity came to Rome, Pluto was said to have ridden a unicorn.
The most interesting Unicorn-like creatures are from China, and Arabia. The Kirin, K'i-lin, or Chirin is a magnificent creature in Chinese mythology. It is mostly a peaceful creature, but can signify a great loss, and will be sighted before the loss of a great leader. The K'i-lin is also involved with the great philosopher, Confuscius.
Confuscius' mother was walking in her garden with two maids when the k'i-lin appeared. She draped it's horns with a silk red thread. It then walked around her three times and disappeared. Later, she was pregnant with Confuscius. It had a mother of pear horn, it had the head of a dragon, the body of a horse covered in scales, hooves, and a tale.
The Karkadann is of the upmost interest. It is an Arabian beast, a fierce and magnificent entity. It was said to be born from a crystal, with red eyes and a fleshy tale. It was said to have been a war-like, violent animal born of blood and unimaginable malevolence. In the manuscripts, it resembles a horse-like animal with paws, a long tale, a long black horn, and forked red tongue. There is a famous story of the Karkadann having fought with a great white elephant, eventually leading to the elephant's demise, having being gored by the Karkadann's horn. There is even a legend that a Karkadann and Alexander's beloved horse, Bucephalus, had met and fought.
The Unicorns from around the world are a fancied and dreamed of. Although it is all myth and legend, it was quite an example of what the human mind can create.
Full Version: unicorns: the beasts that never were
So beautiful. 
I have never read this one before i guess sense they are a myth i have not paid much mind to the tell....But it was a nice post....
Nice post, Seaserpentlover! I believe there is another legend similar to the Chinese Ki-rin that has features of monkeys too. Only thing that bothers me about tying things in with the bible is that the word Unicorn is either Latin or Greek (I'm not entirely certain, but got an incling it's Latin). Why would Adam speak Latin? I do think Pliny describes them however.
There is an online encyclopedia by Gareth Long, which is pretty good. To add to the thread, here is the URL, you'll find the Unicorn entry.
There is an online encyclopedia by Gareth Long, which is pretty good. To add to the thread, here is the URL, you'll find the Unicorn entry.
Unicorn comes from the Latin for 'one horn,' so it's pretty descriptive.
Pliny did describe the unicorn, though it seems likely that the creature he described was the Indian rhino. Interestingly, the traditional name for the unicorn was re'em, which is actually an Arabic word for a large ox.
In any case, they don't exist and probably never did. Though I thought they were real until I was 5 or 6.
Pliny did describe the unicorn, though it seems likely that the creature he described was the Indian rhino. Interestingly, the traditional name for the unicorn was re'em, which is actually an Arabic word for a large ox.
In any case, they don't exist and probably never did. Though I thought they were real until I was 5 or 6.
Apparently there's also a critter analogous to the unicorn called the Sz...
most scientists believe unicorns did exist, but not as a horse with a single horn, there was a ancient type of rhino that had one big horn on its snout that lived fairly recently but went extinct a couple thousand years ago, but was alive long enough for humans to know about them, so they think that might have fueled it...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elasmotherium
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elasmotherium
Well that's significantly less glamorous.
Hm, my horse inflicts enough damage on me without a 3 foot horn sticking out of her face. I think she'd like that, though.
Hm, my horse inflicts enough damage on me without a 3 foot horn sticking out of her face. I think she'd like that, though.
actually unicorns do exist by deformity cause i have seen some horses with a horn comeing out of its head so its like a birth defect
I want a unicorn for my b-day. 
^^Can't think of anyone more deserving!!
QUOTE(seaserpentlover @ Feb 4 2007, 03:14 AM) [snapback]1528726[/snapback]
Allo' everyone. I'm just making a post about the mythical creature known as the unicorn. And yes, they may not exist, but over millenia there have been many myths and different versions of the unicorn from Europe to Asia. I'll start with the better known Western-European unicorn.
In Christianity, the unicorn was not regulary mentioned, but identified with the Virgin Mary since unicorns are attracted to virgins because or their purity. The horn's purpose was that if the unicorn dipped it in poisoned water, it would be purified. Unicorns are mainly identified with virginity, justice, and chastity. ( no sniggering please ) It was also said to be the first animal named by Adam when he was directed by God to name the animals in Eden. When Adam spoke, God had put the unicorn above other beasts. However, when Adam and Eve were banished, the unicorn was given a choice of staying in Eden or accompanying Adam and Eve. He followed them, and the unicorn was then forever blessed for it's compassion.
But when the Great Flood was impending, and after Noah built the Ark, the unicorn felt self-important when God had blessed him, and he was too proud to board the Ark with the lower class animals. Then, right then and there, the unicorn was gone.
However, in Medeival mythology, the unicorn was highly prized as game, and as the story goes, was voraciously hunted for the horn, said to a have miraculous medicinal purposes. " The Hunt of the Unicorn" may be the most famous painting conscerning the unicorn, showing the various scenes from chase till capture. This has created to value for Narwhal horn, the arctic ceteceans who have spiral like horns, coincidentally like that of the unicorn's. And though the unicorn's reputation is mostly pure and justly, it has also been labled with evil and temptation.
There are many examples of the unicorn being evil and unjust. When Christianity came to Rome, Pluto was said to have ridden a unicorn.
The most interesting Unicorn-like creatures are from China, and Arabia. The Kirin, K'i-lin, or Chirin is a magnificent creature in Chinese mythology. It is mostly a peaceful creature, but can signify a great loss, and will be sighted before the loss of a great leader. The K'i-lin is also involved with the great philosopher, Confuscius.
Confuscius' mother was walking in her garden with two maids when the k'i-lin appeared. She draped it's horns with a silk red thread. It then walked around her three times and disappeared. Later, she was pregnant with Confuscius. It had a mother of pear horn, it had the head of a dragon, the body of a horse covered in scales, hooves, and a tale.
The Karkadann is of the upmost interest. It is an Arabian beast, a fierce and magnificent entity. It was said to be born from a crystal, with red eyes and a fleshy tale. It was said to have been a war-like, violent animal born of blood and unimaginable malevolence. In the manuscripts, it resembles a horse-like animal with paws, a long tale, a long black horn, and forked red tongue. There is a famous story of the Karkadann having fought with a great white elephant, eventually leading to the elephant's demise, having being gored by the Karkadann's horn. There is even a legend that a Karkadann and Alexander's beloved horse, Bucephalus, had met and fought.
The Unicorns from around the world are a fancied and dreamed of. Although it is all myth and legend, it was quite an example of what the human mind can create.
In Christianity, the unicorn was not regulary mentioned, but identified with the Virgin Mary since unicorns are attracted to virgins because or their purity. The horn's purpose was that if the unicorn dipped it in poisoned water, it would be purified. Unicorns are mainly identified with virginity, justice, and chastity. ( no sniggering please ) It was also said to be the first animal named by Adam when he was directed by God to name the animals in Eden. When Adam spoke, God had put the unicorn above other beasts. However, when Adam and Eve were banished, the unicorn was given a choice of staying in Eden or accompanying Adam and Eve. He followed them, and the unicorn was then forever blessed for it's compassion.
But when the Great Flood was impending, and after Noah built the Ark, the unicorn felt self-important when God had blessed him, and he was too proud to board the Ark with the lower class animals. Then, right then and there, the unicorn was gone.
However, in Medeival mythology, the unicorn was highly prized as game, and as the story goes, was voraciously hunted for the horn, said to a have miraculous medicinal purposes. " The Hunt of the Unicorn" may be the most famous painting conscerning the unicorn, showing the various scenes from chase till capture. This has created to value for Narwhal horn, the arctic ceteceans who have spiral like horns, coincidentally like that of the unicorn's. And though the unicorn's reputation is mostly pure and justly, it has also been labled with evil and temptation.
There are many examples of the unicorn being evil and unjust. When Christianity came to Rome, Pluto was said to have ridden a unicorn.
The most interesting Unicorn-like creatures are from China, and Arabia. The Kirin, K'i-lin, or Chirin is a magnificent creature in Chinese mythology. It is mostly a peaceful creature, but can signify a great loss, and will be sighted before the loss of a great leader. The K'i-lin is also involved with the great philosopher, Confuscius.
Confuscius' mother was walking in her garden with two maids when the k'i-lin appeared. She draped it's horns with a silk red thread. It then walked around her three times and disappeared. Later, she was pregnant with Confuscius. It had a mother of pear horn, it had the head of a dragon, the body of a horse covered in scales, hooves, and a tale.
The Karkadann is of the upmost interest. It is an Arabian beast, a fierce and magnificent entity. It was said to be born from a crystal, with red eyes and a fleshy tale. It was said to have been a war-like, violent animal born of blood and unimaginable malevolence. In the manuscripts, it resembles a horse-like animal with paws, a long tale, a long black horn, and forked red tongue. There is a famous story of the Karkadann having fought with a great white elephant, eventually leading to the elephant's demise, having being gored by the Karkadann's horn. There is even a legend that a Karkadann and Alexander's beloved horse, Bucephalus, had met and fought.
The Unicorns from around the world are a fancied and dreamed of. Although it is all myth and legend, it was quite an example of what the human mind can create.
Yep!!! One day ... when I grow up .... I wanna be a cat-eye dragon and feast only on sugars and spices and have all sorts of magickal powers!!!!
~*~
I think unicorns are beautiful creatures ... just like the narwhal!!!
I don't know why, but the concept of a Narwhal creeps me out a bit. I guess just this idea of this big, (sometimes) ghostly white beast with a bloody huge spike coming from its gob, patroling the dark, blue oceans. Sounds like some sort of sea monster.
As beautiful as it is, how creepy is this?
look at the size of that thing!!
As beautiful as it is, how creepy is this?
look at the size of that thing!!
Trust me Roadkill, the narwhal isn't creepy. for anyone who thinks narwhals are creepy because of the tooth ( yes, it is a tooth) it came back at stabbed em' in the tail. Unicorns are the reasons that Narwhals are now endangered. and as Rd said, yeah, if i was some peasant in Iceland, it would scare the crap out of me if i saw a narwhal.
*peace and love to all*
*peace and love to all*
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