In medieval times the unicorn became much more popular. Its horns were said to have magical healing properties, and some legends even claimed the hooves were a powerful ingredient in potions. Unicorns were described as wild horses with a large twisted horn on their head. They lived in large forests and were protected by the faerie people. Only a young virgin maiden could tame the wild beast; it had no choice but to obey her. The Christian Church altered this so that only the Virgin Mary could tame the unicorn.
It was in the medieval times that two species of unicorn evolved. the black unicorn was evil and served a evil faerie or witch, spreading disease and death. Its horn was highly poisonous and just a small scraping could kill even the strongest man. The white unicorn however was a free creature. It was gentle and pure in nature, only attacking if threatened. Its horn, as mentioned previously, had great healing powers, often being the only cure to certain diseases such as cholera and the plague.
There were other descriptions of unicorns. Some varied greatly, such as this one by Marco Polo,
"scarcely smaller than elephants. They have the hair of a buffalo and feet like an elephant's. They have a single large black horn in the middle of the forehead... They have a head like a wild boar's… They spend their time by preference wallowing in mud and slime. They are very ugly brutes to look at. They are not at all such as we describe them when we relate that they let themselves be captured by virgins, but clean contrary to our notions." Although this is probably a description of a rhinoceros, an unknown creature at the time, it is an example of the conflicting opinions on the aesthetic features of the unicorn. Most however do agree that the unicorn had the beard of a goat.
For more information visit the following sites:
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unicorn
- http://www.allaboutunicorns.com/
- http://monsters.monstrous.com/unicorns.htm
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