Unicorns are one of
the most loved symbols in art, along with rainbows and fairies. The mythology
of the unicorn is ancient and is concentrated in the northern hemisphere.
Evident in the Indus valley cultures of Harappa, over 5,000 years ago, the
unicorn appears on mud tablets and contracts. Herodotus mentions the unicorn as
living in Libya. Emperor Fu Hsi (2852 - 2738 BC) is said to have received the
secrets of written language from a unicorn 2,800 years ago. In ancient
China the unicorn is called Ki-lin, was a badge of kingship, and symbolized
kingly qualities. Like the western unicorn, the elusive Ki-lin is solitary and
hard to capture. Considering their qualities, the images likely have a common
ancestor.
As with many symbols,
unicorn legends developed a dark side. The mythology of a dark, menacing
unicorn developed from tales of the dangerous and mean-spirited wooly rhino
during the Paleolithic era, 12,500 BC. In antiquity, the dark unicorn sometimes
appeared with evil characteristics and was thought by early Christians to
harbor ill will toward men. The history of the more common white unicorn is
surrounded by a great deal of debate; a mythology developed partly from the
narwhal, which sports an impressive uni-horn, and partly from the conical sand
filters used to clean water thousands of years ago. Like other magical symbols,
the unicorn has many healing properties. The unicorn horn purifies water
poisoned by a serpent. The legend probably dates back millennia, to the use of
cone-shaped sand filters, made with hardened clay, and filled with sand. When
poured through them, water comes out clean, like granular charcoal filters in
use today.
The unicorn symbol is
generally associated with unified absolute monarchy, stressing courage,
grandeur, wisdom, nobility, and justice. Ancient legends tell of captured
unicorns taken to kings, who were their sole possessors. According to legends, only
a virgin, on whose lap it willingly lies down, can catch a unicorn. A set of 15th
century European tapestries, The Hunt of the Unicorn, depict richly dressed
noblemen, huntsmen, and hounds in pursuit of a unicorn. They succeed in
“catching” it only after it surrenders to a maiden. An engraving from the 15th
century also depicts the “capture” of the unicorn; however, the maiden has
removed the animal’s neck chain, and he is sitting with his head in her lap as
she pets him. The unicorn is associated with courtly love. A French nobleman
gave the La Dame a la Licorne, also
15th century tapestries, to his bride. They picture the five senses; unicorns
feature in each tapestry.
The Maiden
and The Unicorn, fresco by Domenico Zampieri.
A 15th
century Dutch Bible and a Swiss tapestry both depict the unicorn in Paradise. He
occupies a place of honor among the other animals in the Garden of Eden. In
Christian texts unicorns are mentioned in Psalms, Job, and Numbers.
“Save me from the lion's mouth: for you have heard me from the horns of
the unicorns” – Psalms 22:21; “Will the unicorn be willing to serve thee, or
abide by thy crib? Canst thou bind the unicorn with his band in the furrow? or
will he harrow the valleys after thee?” – Job 39:10; “God brought them out of
Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn.” – Numbers 23:22.
The unicorn also can
be a symbol of purity, Christ, and healing love. Unicorns are attributes of
sun-heroes, its horn was symbolic of the unity of Christ and God. The single
horn of the unicorn is the Horn of
Salvation from the House of David. In some mythologies, the single horn is
a phallic symbol, and, as it protrudes from the forehead, represents chastity
and wisdom. In alchemy the unicorn represents quicksilver, the hermaphrodite
Mercury, or the Fifth Element, spirit. In Arabia the two flexible horns of
young antelopes were twisted together so they would grow as one, producing the
homegrown variety “unicorn;” two spirals entwine into one horn symbolize the
union of opposites. To the Chinese it is the essence of the five elements and
the union of yin and yang, a herald of good fortune and wisdom. In Japanese
legends, unicorns are fearsome and can detect guilt in a criminal, whom they
then punish. Unicorns are mentioned in the Indian Vedas. In European heraldry, the unicorn is lunar and feminine, and
in Greco-Roman mythologies it is an attribute of all moon goddesses. During the
1500’s the unicorn became associated with chastity, the moon, and Diana.
Many 15th
century engravings depict unicorns with “wild men.” The characters are humans covered
with plant-like designs, leaves, animal-like hair, and sometimes branches. Some
are male, some female, and some teenagers. These “savages” sometimes fought
against the knights, or threatened damsels, but lived in harmony with nature
and the unicorns; in appearance these figures have the same attributes as the
Green Man. According to Pliny, symbolism associated with unicorns can be
seasonal: the uni-horn represents autumn, the lions tail symbolizes summer.
In folklore from
Babylon, ca. 3500 BC, the lion and the unicorn hate each other; a battle that
may have roots in the unicorn, which represents spring, and the lion, which
represents summer. King James I added the Scottish unicorn to the Royal arms,
indicating knightly power, courage, and pugnaciousness. The unicorn has been
part of the official seal of Scotland since the 1300’s, used at first for its
association with purity and strength. England, with a lion emblem, and
Scotland, with a unicorn, were at war for a long period; the battles are
remembered in a traditional nursery rhyme from 1603 where England was usually
victorious:
The lion and the unicorn were fighting for
the crown
The lion beat the unicorn all around the town.
Some gave them white bread, and some gave them brown;
Some gave them plum cake and drummed them out of town.
The lion beat the unicorn all around the town.
Some gave them white bread, and some gave them brown;
Some gave them plum cake and drummed them out of town.
Today, the unicorn
and the lion are reconciled on the British coat of arms, the unicorn as a
symbol of goodness and honor in women, and the lion as a symbol of courage and
strength in men. Unicorns are often imaged as white horses with a single horn
growing from their
Old esoteric writings
describe the unicorn as having a white body, red head, and blue eyes; some have
a horn that is white at the forehead, red in the center, and black at the tip.
Added to the symbolism associated with the unicorn, this description indicates
royal Celtic origins, a symbol for the bloodlines of princes and kings. A poem
by Thibaut, Count of Champagne, supports the idea of the unicorn being a symbol
for male royalty:
“The unicorn and I are one:
He also pauses in amaze
And, while he wonders, is undone.
On some dear breast he slumbers deep,
And Treason slays him in that sleep.
Just so have ended my life’s days;
So Love and my Lady lay me low.
My heart will not survive this blow.”
From a 1566
manuscript of a bestiary by Manuel Philes
Bibliothèque
Sainte-Geneviève, Paris, ms. 3401
Isaiah 34:7 in the King
James version also makes reference to the unicorn in such a way as to denote a
royal position: “And the unicorns shall come down with them, and the bullocks
with their bulls; and their land shall be soaked with blood, and their dust
made fat with fatness.” As the use
of unicorn symbols traveled, we can see a particular conception of its meaning
develop. Although the opinion that unicorns really existed is common, to date
there is no provable evidence beyond the many images which resemble oral
tradition and literary descriptions. Unicorns are much loved characters in Fairy
tales; and their history has been preserved through these great stories. The
character of Prince Charming, the hero prince, is the Unicorn at his best.
The
Light Princess, MacDonald, G., 1864
About Symbologist Michelle Snyder
Michelle is a professor of mythology and symbolism, an author, blogger, artist, and geek. She earned her post-graduate degree at the University of Wales, decoding prehistoric images and folklore, tracing them to their roots. Her artwork has appeared in galleries from MA to CA. Michelle is co-owner of White Knight Studio.
Symbology ReVision: Unlocking Secret Knowledge
Symbology: Hidden in Plain Sight
Symbology: My Art and Symbols
Symbology: Fairy Tales Uncovered
Symbology: Decoding Classic Images
Symbology: World of Symbols
The Fairy Tales: Once-Upon-A-Time Lessons First Book
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