A Brief History of the Unicorn

There is a lot of debate about the reality of the elusive unicorn.

A creature said to possess great powers and pureness, the unicorn has a presence in the mythology of many places around the world.

But Where Do They Come From?

Different theories circulate as to how the animal came to captivate people and create its place in history.

Surprisingly, few of them have anything to do with horses at all.

Unicorns Through History

Because there is no actual fact or scientific evidence to support the existence of the unicorn, it is essentially thought of as a creature of mythology and folk lore. The symbolism and faith attached to the animal has kept it alive in enough minds to make it almost real through that collective belief.

In the East

The white horse we think of as a unicorn today is not necessarily the same animal that emerged from Chinese folklore where stories of its existence began 5000 years ago. To the Chinese the unicorn was called ki-lin or quilin and it was an omen that all was well with the world, (perhaps the reason we haven’t seen one in a while).

It is also believed that the unicorn foretold the birth of Confucius, by visiting his pregnant mother in the woods one day and bringing her a piece of jade. The man himself was later reported to having seen the unicorn himself, interpreting it as a message of his impending death.

The Japanese call the unicorn Kirin and his likeness is that of a bull with a long shaggy mane. Quite different from most interpretations of this beast, the Japanese unicorn is an animal to be feared, especially if you have guilt in your heart.

Legend has it that it was a unicorn that saved India from Genghis Khan’s ravaging armies. The tale says that as Genghis Khan prepared to invade India he was met by a unicorn who knelt in front of him. He took this as a sign from the heavens telling him not to attack and turned away.

In the West

Lascaux cave art in southwestern France, (the unicorn is on the left), this is some of the most well known Upper Paleolithic art and dates back to around 14,000 BC. This is a section of around 2000 animal representations in this cave, some of which include horses too.

After that, the first mentions of a unicorn in the western world are in the 3rd and 4th century BC. Aristotle was a believer, as was Alexander the Great who rode the mighty Bucephalus into battle and Julius Caesar who claimed he saw one deep in the forests of Germany.

Even Marco Polo was later said to have seen a unicorn the size of an elephant on his many travels to Asia.

Medieval Unicorn

The unicorn of midieval times is said to be a wild beast which is impossible to tame. In fact the only way to tame one is to lay a virgin maiden as bait and wait until a unicorn wanders along and lays its head in her lap.

Although much of the unicorn art that comes from this time depicts the maiden having tricked the unicorn by trapping him for an accomplice to slay.

Tales of the mighty unicorn from this time are largely biblical in source and the animal was thought to symbolize Christ himself in many respects.

In the Bible

Believe it or not, there is even several mentions of unicorns in the bible, (in the King James version anyway).

Book of Psalms

Psalm 92:10
But my horn shalt thou exalt like the horn of an unicorn: I shall be anointed with fresh oil.

Psalm 22:21
Save me from the lion’s mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns.

Psalm 29:6
He maketh them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young unicorn.

Book of Numbers

Numbers 23:22
God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn.

Book of Job

Job 39:9-12
9 Will the unicorn be willing to serve thee, or abide by thy crib?
10 Canst thou bind the unicorn with his band in the furrow? or will he harrow the valleys after thee?
11 Wilt thou trust him, because his strength is great? or wilt thou leave thy labour to him?
12 Wilt thou believe him, that he will bring home thy seed, and gather it into thy barn?

Book of Isaiah

Isaiah 34:7
And the unicorns shall come down with them, and the bullocks with the bulls; and their land shall be soaked with blood, and their dust made fat with fatness.

Book of Numbers

Numbers 23:22
God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn.

Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 33:17
His glory is like the firstling of his bullock, and his horns are like the horns of unicorns: with them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth: and they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh.

The Decision Is Yours

Whether or not you believe, be sure to check out some unicorn art too.