The unicorn is a magical and fascinating being that enchants everyone as it is a myth that has circulated in popular culture for centuries. This mythical figure is part of literature, cinema and the arts in general. But, after all, where did the unicorn myth come from? Here we will explore the origin of one of the most magical beings in the world.
Different cultures around the world have recorded stories about a magical creature with just one horn on its head.
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Through historical records and artifacts from different eras, it is possible to trace a chronology of these fantastic beings through Greek, Chinese, Indian and Persian mythologies.
Furthermore, some hunting habits and beliefs at different historical moments also influenced the stories about this white horse with horns, which represents purity and magic.
Firstly, the origin of the name of the white horse with a spiral horn comes from the Latin
unicornis. In world literature, this sacred white horse appears in Greek works and in titles by famous authors, such as Voltaire, C.S. Lewis, J.K. Rowling and Lewis Carroll. However, its legacy comes from a much older time. Check it out here!
(Image: Freepik/Reproduction)
The origin of the unicorn myth
Despite the uncertain origin of the myth, one of the first appearances of the unicorn corresponds to the period of 3,300 BC. W. At that time, an image of an animal with a single horn was already circulating throughout the Indus Valley Civilization, where countries such as Pakistan and India are located today.
According to museologists, the animal in these ancient images is not the unicorn. In fact, it is a species of wild ox, called an aurochs, which is the ancestor of modern cows and bulls.
In the 5th century AD. C., the mythological figure appears in the Greek book Physiologus, making reference to the Incarnation and virginity.
On the other hand, Chinese and Persian records consider the unicorn to be related to the Elasmotherium, the big-horned rhinoceros that lived 200,000 years ago.
(Image: Freepik/Reproduction)
For Béatrice de Chancel-Bardelot, curator of a Parisian exhibition about unicorns, the best explanation for the origin of unicorns is directly related to the “unicorn horns”.
In an interview with the BBC, she explained that, in Middle Ages, the inhabitants of Western Europe believed that the tusks of the narwhal, a whale from the Arctic Ocean, were the horns of the mythical being.
The marine species had a canine tooth that could grow up to 3.5m long and, therefore, became a coveted and very valuable item.
Thus, the item began to be sold as a magical object in more distant regions of Europe and, in the 12th century, the myth about the unicorn had already spread through the sale of the narwhal tusk.
Purity is the keynote of the unicorn
In most of these references, the unicorn possessed magical properties and was considered pure. In fact, in the 15th century, water jugs were made in the shape of this white horse, to symbolize washing hands during religious events.
This image of purity also caused it to be associated with the color white and the female figure, becoming a symbol of chastity.
Over the centuries, the unicorn continued to be seen as a magical figure, whether as part of stories or as an element of the artistic universe.
It seems that the mythical unicorn will continue to be an icon of popular imagination and cryptozoology (a field of study that investigates the existence of mythological animals) for many, many years to come!
