Have you ever taken a long and close look at a rhinoceros and really observed it? Of course you haven’t! The huge animal would probably attack you or at least scare you half to death before you managed to blink twice. Well, take that mental image of the rhino and place it next to one of a horse. Now, put the rhino’s most distinguishable feature on the horse and what do you get? A legendary creature known for its beauty and gentility: the Unicorn. Most researchers today suggest that the myth of the unicorn most likely came from the same combination we just showed here.
 As mythological creatures tend to be, the unicorn (like a gryphon, for example) is an assembly of several animal body parts: The generally-accepted image of this mysterious creature is that of a horse-like body, sporting small wings which give it flight, sometimes having a beard, and bearing a lion’s tail.
Lovers of mythology trivia would be delighted to learn that the unicorn’s horn, which grows out of its forehead, was originally called the “alicorn”. The alicorn was though to be the unicorn’s means of self defense and could also neutralize poisons. In ancient times, such goes the myth, people saw these horns as a source of protection against diseases, and therefore, the beautiful creature was hunted for its precious horns much in the fashion that elephants today are poached for their valuable ivory tusks. Another use for the unicorn’s horn was in the making of cups out of its material. In a poison-phobic population, it was believed that any poison that would be added to one’s drink would be diluted so long as the cup was made out of the unicorn’s horn.
Though today we see the unicorn as an elegant and good-natured animal, it was once seen as a dangerous and irritable creature which announced its arrival with a deep roar. The first alleged spotting of a unicorn is recorded nearly five thousand years ago in China. Chinese emperors then repeatedly reported spotting the unicorn when that half bird- half horse creature came to humans in times of need. Its arrival began to symbolize a sign of hope and of upcoming good times.
Another popular Chinese belief was that the unicorn had the ability to foretell the birth of great men. Legend has it that before she gave birth to the legendary Chinese philosopher, Confucius, his pregnant mother met a unicorn in the woods. The gentle animal gave the expecting mother a jade and placed its head on her lap (what would later become a famous painting). The woman then realized the importance of the great event that was upcoming with her giving birth and saw it as a gift from the gods. The unicorn did not leave Confucius’ life quite yet. It was reported by the sage himself that in his old age he spotted a unicorn which he saw as a foretelling of his death.
In addition to Chinese legends, the unicorn has been glorified in tales, songs, poems, and other aspects of culture for many centuries all over the world. Until today it stands as one of the great unsolved mysteries of our time. Did it really exist or is it mere myth? Archeological digs have claimed to uncover skeletal remains of which seem to fit the description of the unicorn. Though its description varies from culture to culture and has changed throughout the centuries, the general image still remains that of a horse-like body with a horn.
Its mystique has dazzled believers and none believers no less than did the dinosaurs, the mammoth, and other disputable legends such as Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster. Some die-hard believers still insist that the unicorn exists even today, but due to man’s escalating corruption, the unicorn has decided to live in far and remote areas and reveal itself only to those with a pure character and undisputable honesty.
If the next time you saddle up on your horse for a ride in the woods perhaps you will notice a mark on its forehead, know that you may have just detected the remains of an ancient and possibly extinct civilization of horses, and that you may be on the way of becoming a world renowned philosopher.. Or, it might just be a mark- happy riding!
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