Facts about Unicorn

The unicorn usually has the body of a horse, with a single (usually spiral) horn growing out of its forehead (hence its name—cornus being Latin for “horn”).

In both the East and West, the unicorn is a symbol of purity.

The origins of the unicorn in the East are a little different.

The famous late Gothic series of seven tapestry hangings, The Hunt of the Unicorn, is a high point in European tapestry manufacture, combining both secular and religious themes.

A unicorn skeleton was supposedly found at Einhornhцhle ("Unicorn Cave") in Germany's Harz Mountains in 1663.

The unicorn appears in ancient Sumerian culture, as well as throughout the Old Testament of the Bible.

The Japanese Kirin, though based on the Chinese animal, is usually portrayed as more closely resembling the Western unicorn than the Chinese qilin.

The skeleton was examined by Leibniz, who had previously doubted the existence of the unicorn, but was convinced thereby.

Compounding the question of the unicorn's origin are the various allegations of authentic remains.

The arms of the Society of Apothecaries in London has two golden unicorn supporters.

Facsimiles of the unicorn tapestries are being woven for permanent display in Stirling Castle, Scotland, to take the place of a set recorded in the castle in the sixteenth century.

The unicorn, a legendary creature usually depicted with the body of a horse, but with a single—usually spiral—horn growing out of its forehead, is one of the most revered mythical beasts of all time.

The usual depiction of the unicorn horn in art derives from these.

Some scientists have even speculated that perhaps a mutant form of a goat was mistaken for a unicorn in the past.

One traditional artifact of the unicorn is the hunting of the animal involving entrapment by a virgin.

Appearing in numerous cultures, the unicorn has come to be a symbol of purity and beauty, and is one of the few mythical creatures not associated with violence, danger, and fear.