Skill India

literature of a single-horned (Greek monokerōs, Latin unicornis) animal was by the historian
Ctesias (c. 400 BCE), who related that the Indian wild ass was the size of a horse, with a white
body, purple head, and blue eyes, and on its forehead was a cubit-long horn coloured red at the
pointed tip, black in the middle, and white at the base. Those who drank from its horn were
thought to be protected from stomach trouble, epilepsy, and poison. It was very fleet of foot and
difficult to capture. The actual animal behind Ctesias’s description was probably the Indian
rhinoceros.Certain poetical passages of the Bible refer to a strong and splendid horned animal
called reʾem. This word was translated “unicorn” or “rhinoceros” in many versions of the Bible,
but many modern translations prefer “wild ox” (aurochs), which is the correct meaning of the
Hebrew reʾem. As a biblical animal, the unicorn was interpreted allegorically in the early
Christian church. One of the earliest such interpretations appears in the ancient Greek bestiary
known as the Physiologus, which states that the unicorn is a strong, fierce animal that can be
caught only if a virgin maiden is placed before it. The unicorn leaps into the virgin’s lap, and she
suckles it and leads it to the king’s palace. Medieval writers thus likened the unicorn to Christ,
who raised up a horn of salvation for mankind and dwelt in the womb of the Virgin Mary. Other
legends tell of the unicorn’s combat with the elephant, whom it finally spears to death with its
horn, and of the unicorn’s purifying of poisoned waters with its horn so that other animals may
drink.Cups reputedly made of unicorn horn—but actually made of rhinoceros horn or narwhal
tusk—were highly valued by important persons in the Middle Ages as a protection against
poisoned drinks. Many fine representations of the hunt of the unicorn survive in medieval art,
not only in Europe but also in the Islamic world and in China.Unicorns don’t really exist in our
world today. However, thanks to many myths and legends, they are alive in the imaginations of
children all over the world. So how exactly did such myths and legends get started? Were they
based on a unicorn-like creature that lived thousands of years ago?If we asked you ‘what’s
Scotland’s national animal?’, you might ponder between a couple of our iconic wildlife species.
You probably wouldn’t think of a magical horned creature typically seen on children’s
lunchboxes!
But it’s true: the unicorn really is the official national animal of Scotland. And our love for this
famous mythological creature dates back many centuries.
Unicorns have featured in many cultures going as far back as the classical age, including the
ancient Babylonians and the Indus civilization. With its white horse-like body and single
spiralling horn, the unicorn is a symbol of purity, innocence and power in Celtic mythology.
Legend also tells that their horns can purify poisoned water, such is the strength of their healing
power.
These proud, untameable creatures are fiercely independent and famously difficult to capture or
conquer, which will sound familiar to anyone who has read their Scottish history. Even though
unicorns are mythological, Scots have always felt drawn to what they represent.When did
Scotland adopt the unicorn?
The answer to that question lies in heraldry – the age-old practice of designing and displaying
coats of arms or crests to distinguish between groups of people, armies or institutions. Using
heraldry as our guide, we can see that the unicorn was first introduced to the royal coat of arms
of Scotland around the mid-1500s.
Prior to the Union of the Crowns in 1603, our coat of arms was supported by two unicorns.
However, when King James VI of Scotland also became James I of England, he replaced one of
the unicorns with the national animal of England, the lion, as a display of unity between the two
countries. Of course, folklore fans will know that lions and unicorns have always been enemies,
locked in a battle for the title of ‘king of beasts’.An interesting thing to note is that Scottish
unicorns in heraldry are always shown with gold chains wrapped around them. Why? Although
we don’t know for sure, it’s believed that this was a way of showing the power of Scottish kings – that only they had the strength to tame the untameable.
Where can you find unicorns in Scotland?
For thousands of years, people around the world believed that unicorns did exist. However, in
1825, a prominent French naturalist called Georges Cuvier attempted to dispel the myth by
stating that an animal with a split hoof could never grow a single horn from its head (he also
argued against theories of evolution). Nevertheless, the spirit of the unicorn has lived on ever
since – people even celebrate National Unicorn Day every year on 9 April.
So … do unicorns exist in Scotland? Of course they do! You just have to know where to look.
Here are some places in Scotland where you can spot our country’s national animal:
When exploring Edinburgh you’ll see a number of unicorns of various shapes and sizes. There’s
a fine example on a heraldic shield by the gates to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, another in the
Royal Apartments at Edinburgh Castle, and several hiding among the Victorian woodcarvings at
St Giles’ Cathedral, just down the road from Gladstone’s Land.Wherever you see a mercat
cross (a Scottish market cross and an old symbol of trade and prosperity for many of our towns
and cities), look for a unicorn atop the tower. There are many different examples across the
country, ranging from the modest to the ornate, in towns and cities such as Edinburgh, Culross,
Prestonpans, Dunfermline and Falkland.
Further north, you’ll find interesting examples of Scottish unicorns at Stirling Castle, home of the
‘Hunt of the Unicorn’ tapestries, and Dundee, where HMS Unicorn, one of the oldest warships in
the world, proudly displays a unicorn as its figurehead.In European literature and art, the
unicorn has for the last thousand years or so been depicted as a white horse-like or goat-like
animal with a long straight horn with spiralling grooves, cloven hooves, and sometimes a goat’s
beard. In the Middle Ages and Renaissance, it was commonly described as an extremely wild
woodland creature, a symbol of purity and grace, which could be captured only by a virgin. In
encyclopedias, its horn was described as having the power to render poisoned water potable
and to heal sickness. In medieval and Renaissance times, the tusk of the narwhal was
sometimes sold as a unicorn horn.
A bovine type of unicorn is thought by some scholars to have been depicted in seals of the
Bronze Age Indus Valley civilization, the interpretation remaining controversial. An equine form