Unicorn

A unicorn is a legendary and mythical creature. It looks like a pony with one long, single white horn on its head. In some pictures unicorns also have horses' feet or a lion's tail. In most myths, a unicorn's blood and horn have mystical powers.

The word unicorn means "one-horned". It comes from the Latin word ūnus, which means one, and cornu which means horn, which term is in itself borrowed from the earlier Greek word monokerōs (also 'one horned').

The term "unicorn" is also used in business to refer to a business startup valued at a billion dollars or more.

Around the world

Unicorns are found in many stories and myths from around the world, especially China and India. In On the Nature of Animals (Περὶ Ζῴων Ἰδιότητος, De natura animalium), Aelian, quoting Ctesias, says that India has a one-horned horse (iii. 41; iv. 52). He writes (xvi. 20) that the monoceros (Greek: μονόκερως) was sometimes called cartazonos (Greek: καρτάζωνος), which may be a kind of the Arabic word karkadann, meaning "rhinoceros".

In mythology and heraldry, the unicorn symbolizes innocence, purity and feminine power. It is often seen as the counterpart of the lion, which symbolizes the masculine virtues.

In Western culture, a unicorn's horn is said to have power to heal wounds and sickness, and to neutralize poison. This power was often called alicorn in medieval times, when stories of unicorns became more popular. People purchased expensive "unicorn horns" that were usually Narwhal horns or walrus tusks.

Christian legends say the unicorn is as small as a normal-sized goat. According to these legends, unicorns are so fearful that no hunter can catch them; only a maiden that goes into the forest alone can catch a unicorn. The unicorn will come and fall asleep in the maiden’s lap.

The unicorn is the official animal of Scotland.

Narwhal tusks were bought and sold as unicorn horns in the past

Real animals

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  Male narwhal (Arctic Ocean)
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  Walruses with tusks (Arctic Ocean)
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  Indian rhinoceros (Indian subcontinent)
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  Indian rhinoceros (Indian subcontinent)
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  White rhinoceros (Sub-Saharan Africa)
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  Scimitar oryxes (North Africa)
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  Scimitar oryx with one horn
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  Gemsbok (Sub-Saharan Africa)

Sources

• Lindahl, Carl. "Unicorn." World Book Advanced. World Book, 2012. Web. 29 Nov. 2012.
• SuperScience: Mythical Creatures Revealed. Scholastic, May 2006. Web. 29 Nov. 2012. <http://www.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=11851 Archived 2010-03-07 at the Wayback Machine>.