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Days in Horse Country – The Unicorn
The unicorn is one of the most
common fantastical equine images. Little
girls seem to love unicorns, and the animals have made their way into popular
culture in the form of dolls, fantasy paintings, and even movies.
The image of the unicorn as a horse with a single horn in the middle of its forehead is a modern one. The unicorn of ancient Chinese mythology not only had a horn on its head, it also had the body of a deer, the tail of an ox, and the hooves of a horse. This creature was careful never to tread on any living thing. It only ate plants that had died. Seeing it was considered a good omen.
Unicorns also appeared in Greek writings in the third century BC, but they were referred to as “horned asses” rather than horses. The legend of the unicorn, whose horn was considered magical, persisted through Roman history and the Middle Ages.
Unicorns are even mentioned in the Bible. In some translations, the first animal Adam named in the Garden of Eden was the unicorn. Noah banished the unicorn from the ark because of the beast’s demanding nature, which is why these animals are no longer seen.
During medieval times, the unicorn
became a symbol of Christ, with the horn being a symbol of Christ and God’s oneness. Throughout history, the unicorn has almost
unicersally appeared as a symbol of good.
Michael