Unicorn, a wonderful creature

Unicorn, a wonderful creature.

A lot of people think that unicorns don't exist, others think that they only existed in the past and others believe that unicorns do exist but they hide from us. Whether you believe in them or not, this mythical creature has a lot of worth knowing facts you should know such as its origin, some of its virtues and what does the unicorn symbolizes.

First of all, what is an unicorn? Well, it is a legendary creature, similar to a horse, with a large horn growing out of its forehead. A ferocious and strong beast impossible to tame by man. In the popular mythology, unicorns were hunted for their horns, also called alicorns. In the middle ages unicorns were seen as frightening and aggressive creatures, but nowadays they are presented in a more friendly way.

The origins of the unicorns are uncertain but the oldest register of this creature is a prehistoric cave painting in France where you can appreciate an animal with two large horns that appear to be a single horn growing out of its forehead, this animal received the name of unicorn. There were find other aboriginal pictures of unicorns in southern Africa and South America. Later in Ancient History an animal called re'em that can be translated to "unicorn" is mentioned several times in the Bible, describing him as a wild, indomitable and strong animal. There are other stories that connect this animal with some historical characters such as Julius Caesar, Alexander the Great, and Genghis Khan.

Is said that the unicorns had a lot of medicinal virtues and magical "powers". People used to believe that the unicorn horn neutralized poison, so if a patient drank from a cup made from a horn, he would be healed, and if the horn was mixed with other potions it could protect people against deadly diseases, any kind of poison and purify water. Unicorns were also said to be able to guess if a woman was virgin or not, if she was a virgin the unicorn would lie down with its head in her lab.

Nowadays the unicorn is the symbol of purity, chastity and virginity. And its horns is seen as the weapon of faith and christ.

In conclusion it doesn't matter if you believe in them or not, unicorns are wonderful creatures, with interesting characteristics and legendary properties that are worth knowing, and the most important thing is that they are part of our mythological history and of the history of our ancestors.

Owens, Kevin (2013)

All about unicorns. [Online] Available in: http://www.allaboutunicorns.com/what.php

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