A Fun History of Unicorns | Myths Monsters and Magic

Unicorns (meaning one horn) have fascinated the world for thousands of years. These legendary animals are mentioned in many of the Asian and European myths. They were idolized by Babylonians, and were featured in ancient, Greek, Roman and Persian text. They even are found several times in the Old Testament. But where did the myth of Unicorns come from? Some believe they are cultural memories of the now extinct Woolley Rhino that was prevalent throughout Europe and Asia during the Pleistocene period and surviving until the end of the Ice Age 10,000 years ago. There are numerous cave drawings that date back over 36,000 years ago all over Eurasia. In stark contrast these Woolley Rhino look nothing like the modern-day version of a Unicorn that is depicted as horse or goat like with one horn. So how did our Unicorn get this new look? Our current image of a unicorn seems to have originated in South Asia, in what would be parts of modern-day Afghanistan, Pakistan and India about 5300 B.P to 3300 B.P. within the Indus Valley Civilization. This culture used a horse like animal with a single horn as its royal seal. Similar imagery spread to China and throughout Northern Europe over time with trade routes. In China, unicorns are called qilin and they are considered a good omen. According to legend the mother of the philosopher Confucius saw a qilin just before he was born. Confucius was also said to see a unicorn just before his death. In Japan, the unicorn is called a kirin and has a very different disposition than the qulin of China. In Japanese mythology the kirin is a fierce creature that represents justice. It is said to punish criminals by seeking them out and piercing their heart with its horn. In the Old Testament and Bible, unicorns also known as re’em (meaning long horn) in Hebrew, are a symbol of strength, power, and ferocity. “God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of a unicorn (Numbers 23:22, KJV)” We also all know the story about the unicorn not getting on the Ark. In European mythologies the unicorn is usually viewed as a beneficent being. An example of this was the selling of what was said to be unicorn horn powder during the time of the Renaissance. These powders (most likely made of deer antlers) were said to have the ability to cure a variety of illnesses or ward off poisoning. The King of Denmark had a throne in the late 1600’s that was said to be from unicorn horns. It was made from Narwhal horns, but I am sure there were many that believed it to be from unicorns. Unicorns have also found their way onto family code of arms, and the flags. The modern-day myth of unicorns shows no sign of slowing down. They are depicted on everything from backpacks to bedsheets. 

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