The History of Unicorns

Of all the creatures, the unicorn is still said to be the most mystical of all. Whether there is cause to say that they are a figment of our imagination, there are many possibilities that recognize that at some point in time they did in fact exist. There are sightings that date back as far as Ancient China.

The unicorn stemmed from Greek and Roman myths. They were regarded as pure. It has been said that the unicorn's horn was a popular ingredient for medicines. The horn was believed to ward off stomach trouble and epilepsy.

As the years have progressed the way we've seen unicorns described has changed through the centuries. First it was described as a kid or small goat and then the popular description of the white horse with a long spiralled horn. It has been said that the unicorn was first seen in India.

The earliest description in Greek literature of a single-horned animal was by the historian Ctesias in 400 BC, who related that the Indian wild ass was the size of a horse with at white body, purple head and blue eyes. This was the description of the Indian rhinoceros.

In the middle ages the unicorn was linked to Christ who rose up a horn of salvation for mankind and dwelt in the womb of the Virgin Mary. In Greek and Roman myths the unicorn had hind legs like an antelope, and a tail like that of a lion. The body was white, the head red and the eyes bright blue. The horn had a white base, a black middle and a long red tip.

Whatever we believe to be true, the majority of the world clings to the mystical ideas of what could have been possible.