How did the myth of the Unicorn start?

Question

Who was the first one to bring it up, or write a story about it? How long has the myth of the Unicorn been around? I want to know as much as I can about the Unicorn, like how they came about.

Answer 1

The origin of the unicorn is much harder to pin down than the creation of the Pegasus myth. Pegasus is a mainly Greek/Roman phenomenon whereas the unicorn can be found in the stories and legends of a far flung region of the Northern continents, from Japan in the Far East to most of Europe and even into northern Africa and India.

In the orient the unicorn, usually referred to as a Ki-lin or Chi-Lin, is considered a harbinger of good fortune and a prophet of great things to come. It is said that a Ki-Lin would appear at or near the time of the birth of great men and wise emperors. One legend relates the appearance of a Ki-Lin at the birth of Confucius and that it carried in it's mouth a piece of imperial jade with the prophecy of the baby's greatness written upon it. The Ki-Lin has been a foundation of Chinese mythology as early as 2700 BC and is thought to be the first manifestation of the unicorn myth. He was one of the “four auspicious animals” that included the dragon, the phoenix and the tortoise. He was believed to live to a thousand years old and therefore embodied great wisdom and knowledge. His voice was exceptionally beautiful and likened to the sound of harmonious bells. His gentleness was so extreme that he would lift his feet very high to avoid stepping on any living creature. He was very strong, a leader among the animals yet he lived alone and it was thought to be impossible to catch him. This unicorn did not resemble the European unicorn, he was more of a cross between a lion and dragon, with his single horn shorter and growing backwards instead of rapier like forward from the brow.

The first known western written account is attributed to a Greek historian named Ctesia circa 400 BC. He described an ***-like horned creature that was thought to inhabit India. His unicorn was an animal that had the head of a deer, the body of a horse, the tail of a lion, the feet of a goat, blue eyes and a horn that was white at the base, black in the middle and red at the tip and was about 1 ½ foot in length. Interestingly enough, this creature was supposed to have purple head. This may have been a first attempt to link the animal with royalty as the colour purple has always been so hard to get and so expensive only royalty could afford to wear it. The unicorn was a very fast, powerful runner, even swifter than a horse. A recurring theme is that they are extremely hard to catch and were fierce fighters. Aristotle was fond of the unicorn myth and may have been responsible for it becoming popular in the Greco-Roman pantheon of mythical beings. A later historian, Megasthenes, also mentioned a unicorn that more resembled a rhinoceros.

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Answer 2

Where Did Unicorns Come From

Answer 3

Unicorns, - who are they? Commonly they are described as mythical creatures with a horse body, white fur, and a twisted horn on the forehead. With small variations this conception is present practically everywhere in reference literature. So, is a unicorn really just only a white horse with a horn and nothing more?

Unicorns have been with us since the dawn of history. However there is no one "true" version of the unicorn legend - modern conception of unicorn is a result of handed down stories and tales from one generation to another. In other words, there is no one "correct" version of the unicorn, although there are general guidelines which make up a sort of composite of what a unicorn is like. They were first described in China about 26 century B.C. as a miraculous creature called the k'i-lin that radiated exquisite colors, had a voice like the tinkling of bells, and lived for a thousand years. He was honoured as the king of the land animals. Although his body-type more likely a dragon with fish scales that shimmer in every colour of the rainbow, it does have a mane and cloved hooves as well. This unicorn brought important messages to human beings: K'i-lin was observed in 2697 BC for the first time as it wandered through the palace of the emperor Huang-ti. This was seen as the announcement of lucky years. People say that in the following years Huang-ti invented music instruments, taught his people how to build houses with bricks and united the Chinese tribes for the first time. The k'i-lin showed itself to the emperor at the end of his life for a second time to carry him to the land of the dead on its back. -

Answer 4

some people say those whale, the narwhales or something like that, with the long spiral horn might have inspired it. They are pure white and have shiny sparkly horns, but i dont see how you get a horse from a whale, so mabye rhinos where incorporated into the myth, who knows. You cant ever realy know.

Answer 5

myth?hoo said thay are a myth.

Answer 6

the irish rovers used to sing about it

Answer 7

they are not a myth