This is my first trial at blogging or rather even trying to write a few lines so please tolerate my attempt at is man or unicorn a myth ?! :)
Being fascinated by mythological creatures and lately falling in love with Unicorns made me want to read and explore more about them. Surprisingly my depiction ( thanks to movies and pictures ) of Unicorns wasn't the same as i thought :P
All this time i thought Greek mythology and Unicorns were hand in hand , well not really. In fact the story of the unicorn in western world came from India through the writings of Greek authors who heard the story in either Persia or India. *Yea i'm pretty surprised too ;) * . So i kept digging :D
The East
The white horse we think of as a unicorn today is not necessarily the same animal that emerged from Chinese folklore where stories of its existence began 5000 years ago. To the Chinese the unicorn was called ki - lin or qilin and it was an omen that all was well with the world.
The Japanese call the unicorn Kirin and its supposed to be more of a bull with a long shaggy mane. Different from the interpretations of this beast, as per legend the Japanese unicorn is to be feared especially when one has guilt in his heart.
* Yup , a unicorn on steroids * :P
The Indians call the unicorn rsya which is meant to be an wild ass large like a horse with white body , dark red head and dark blue eyes. They have a horn in the forehead about a foot and half in length. The Indians believe that the dust filed from their horns in a potion is protects against deadly drugs. * shucks ! from a bull to an ass *
The West
Cave art drawings in lascaux cave in southwestern France dates back to around 14,000 BC. The first mentions of a unicorn in the western world are int he 3rd and 4th century BC. Aristotle was a believer and so was Alexander the great. Julius Caesar claims he saw one deep in the forests of Germany and Marco polo later said he had seen a unicorn the size of
Elephant on his many travels to Asia.
* An elephant with a single horn ....hmmm... he was on mushrooms * :P
The Medieval
The medieval unicorn is said to be a wild beast that cannot be tamed. In fact the only way to tame one is to lay a virgin maiden as bait and wait until a unicorn wanders along and lays its head in her lap Although much of the unicorn art that comes from this time depicts the maiden having tricked the unicorn by trapping him for an accomplice to slay.
* There goes my virginity and the unicorn * :P
The Bible
Tales of the mighty unicorn from this time are largely biblical in source and the animal was thought to symbolize Christ himself in many respects.
Psalm 92:10
But my horn shalt thou exalt like the horn of an unicorn , i shall be anointed with fresh oil
Numbers 23:22
God brought them out of egypt , he hath as it the strength of an unicorn.
Job 39:9-12
Will the unicorn be willing to serve thee or abide by the crib ?
* The bible wasn't originally written in English , how can one be sure it meant a horse with a horn when in a Spanish bible it doesn't say unicorn but a búfalo" and in Tanakh translation by the Jewish publication society it says "wild ox" and not a unicorn *
Since there are no solid proofs or findings to any of the mentioned above i would still like to picture a unicorn as this :)
:)
Being fascinated by mythological creatures and lately falling in love with Unicorns made me want to read and explore more about them. Surprisingly my depiction ( thanks to movies and pictures ) of Unicorns wasn't the same as i thought :P
All this time i thought Greek mythology and Unicorns were hand in hand , well not really. In fact the story of the unicorn in western world came from India through the writings of Greek authors who heard the story in either Persia or India. *Yea i'm pretty surprised too ;) * . So i kept digging :D
The white horse we think of as a unicorn today is not necessarily the same animal that emerged from Chinese folklore where stories of its existence began 5000 years ago. To the Chinese the unicorn was called ki - lin or qilin and it was an omen that all was well with the world.
The Japanese call the unicorn Kirin and its supposed to be more of a bull with a long shaggy mane. Different from the interpretations of this beast, as per legend the Japanese unicorn is to be feared especially when one has guilt in his heart.
* Yup , a unicorn on steroids * :P
The Indians call the unicorn rsya which is meant to be an wild ass large like a horse with white body , dark red head and dark blue eyes. They have a horn in the forehead about a foot and half in length. The Indians believe that the dust filed from their horns in a potion is protects against deadly drugs. * shucks ! from a bull to an ass *
The West
Cave art drawings in lascaux cave in southwestern France dates back to around 14,000 BC. The first mentions of a unicorn in the western world are int he 3rd and 4th century BC. Aristotle was a believer and so was Alexander the great. Julius Caesar claims he saw one deep in the forests of Germany and Marco polo later said he had seen a unicorn the size of Elephant on his many travels to Asia.
* An elephant with a single horn ....hmmm... he was on mushrooms * :P
The Medieval
The medieval unicorn is said to be a wild beast that cannot be tamed. In fact the only way to tame one is to lay a virgin maiden as bait and wait until a unicorn wanders along and lays its head in her lap Although much of the unicorn art that comes from this time depicts the maiden having tricked the unicorn by trapping him for an accomplice to slay.
* There goes my virginity and the unicorn * :P
The Bible
Tales of the mighty unicorn from this time are largely biblical in source and the animal was thought to symbolize Christ himself in many respects.
Psalm 92:10
But my horn shalt thou exalt like the horn of an unicorn , i shall be anointed with fresh oil
Numbers 23:22
God brought them out of egypt , he hath as it the strength of an unicorn.
Job 39:9-12
Will the unicorn be willing to serve thee or abide by the crib ?
* The bible wasn't originally written in English , how can one be sure it meant a horse with a horn when in a Spanish bible it doesn't say unicorn but a búfalo" and in Tanakh translation by the Jewish publication society it says "wild ox" and not a unicorn *
Since there are no solid proofs or findings to any of the mentioned above i would still like to picture a unicorn as this :)
:)
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