Unicorns

A detailed Summary of Unicorns

In ancient Greek and Roman mythology, a mystical creature known as the unicorn made many appearances. As described throughout much of literature, the unicorn is reputed to look somewhat like a white horse, although it has a long, twisted horn protruding from its forehead.1 The earliest description of the unicorn was by Ctesias (400 BC) (The New Book of Knowledge, Vol. U-V 19: 391). Unicorns have cloven hooves that are somewhat yellow in color; some are said to have a lion-like tail. Male unicorns can be distinguished from their female counterparts mainly in part of the goat-like beard beneath the chin. Also, the females are more elegant and have a slimmer muscle frame. The typical European unicorn has a coat of hair that is pure white, and has eyes that are either deep sea blue or fiery pink. Long and silky strands of white hair hand down from its mane and forelock. In his book, The Last Unicorn, Peter S. Beagle describes this mythological creature as looking nothing "like a horned horse...[as she was] smaller and cloven-hoofed" (1). In his book, Beagle's unicorn was the "color of sea foam" when it was young; as it aged, its color changed to the "color of snow falling on a moonlit night" (1). A unicorn's horn is white,

Beagle, Peter S. The Last Unicorn. New York: Penguin Publishing, 1991

The unicorn was also revered in society as a symbol of honesty.3 In the Middle Ages, many upper-class family crests contained an image of the unicorn for this reason. The unicorn's counterpart was the lion, as they were both considered king of all animals.3 In many cases, both the unicorn and lion were placed on the crests as symbols of honesty, purity, and strength. In time, the unicorn came to be seen as an emblem of the spring season, and the lion stood for summer.3

Later, with the resurgence of the Christian religion, the unicorn became a symbol of the Virgin Mary. It was also believed to be the guardian of the Tree of Life in the Bible.3 However, before it ever became a Christian symbol for purity and virginity, the unicorn was a symbol of the moon. As such, it was a symbol of the virgin goddess of the hung, Artemis, also known as the Roman goddess Diana. 3  Throughout much of literature the unicorn has made its fair share of appearances. Peter S. Beagle devoted an entire book, The Last Unicorn, to this mythical creature. In many instances, he wrote of the animal as if it were an ethereal creature. "...Her [the unicorn's] neck was long and slender, making her head seem smaller than it was, and the mane that fell almost to the middle of her back was as soft as dandelion fluff and as fine as cirrus. She had pointed ears and thing legs, with feathers of white hair at the ankles; and the long horn above her eyes shone and shivered with its own seashell light even in the deepest midnight. She had killed dragons with it, and healed a king whose poisoned wound would not close, and knocked down ripe chestnuts for bear cubs" (Beagle, 1). Beagles writes of the unicorn as if it were a kind, giving animal who, when needed, could also be dangerous and threatening. The combination of the color of the horn and its ability to shine with its own light even in the darkest of nights lends the unicorn an ethereal, almost heavenly quality.

"Unicorns". The New Book of Knowledge, Volume U-V 19. Grolier Incorporated, 1982.

The unicorn's horn was thought to be a healing source. It was claimed to cure many diseases and ward off many others, such as epilepsy and different stomach illnesses. It was also believed to a neutralizer against poison.3 The horn was continuously sought after to be given to apothecaries; they would grind up the horn to make a poison neutralizing powder. Also, the horn was said to bleed if poison was brought near it.3 For these reasons, over 40,000 gold pieces were offered for the horn of a unicorn (which almost always turned out to be the horn of the narwhal, or "unicorn of the sea"). Although it was a healer of wounds, the unicorn was a ruthless, savage fighter when cornered. "She had killed dragons with it [the ho

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Approximate Word count = 1919
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English