| Unicorns | Unicorn Poems | ||
| ||
| Unicorns | Unicorn Poems | ||
|
| ||
The unicorn represented chastity and purity. It would fight fiercely when captured or cornered, but it could be tamed by a virgin's touch.
The basic method for catching a unicorn is pretty simple. A pure woman is taken into the woods and placed beneath a tree. Since unicorns are irresistibly attracted to such young ladies, if there is a unicorn in the area it will come and lay its head in the maiden's lap. Then she may sing to it, or slip a golden bridle over its head. Once the unicorn has been tamed in this manner, hunters leap out of their hiding places and either capture of kill the unicorn. The greatest prize of this beast is the horn. Some people also believe that there is a carbuncle (precious jewel) hidden underneath the horn.
The unicorn's horn, called "alicorn," was fabled as pure in the Middle Ages. For this reason, it was a popular ingredient for medicines and cures. Popes and kings prized it because it provided protection against all evil, including epilepsy, pestilence, and poisoning. It was so valuable and rare it was a great temptation for frauds.
The modern image of the unicorn has changed from goat-like creatures to one of equine beauty. Unicorns may have wings like Pegasus. They can be any color, from snow white to the darkest night.
In Medieval Europe the unicorn attained its greatest fame. Stories of a magnificent horned steed filtered into Europe throughout the Middle Ages. They are believed to have originated from three sources. First, written accounts from Greek and Roman sources contributed to the widespread belief in the unicorn. Second, popular acceptance of the unicorn's existence. Finally, explorers brought back tales of the beast from other lands. It was in Medieval Europe that the unicorn attained its greatest fame, and where it began to assume the physical attributes we associate with it today. The European unicorn took the form of a large, white steed with flowing white mane and tail, with a tuft of white hair on its chin. In most other respects it was much like an ordinary horse, except for having white hooves. Its most unusual feature, of course, was the single white spiral horn projecting forward at an upuward angle from its forehead.
Caesar's connection is a minor one; he wrote of a unicorn that lived in the Hercynian Forest.
Alexander the Great was actually said to have ridden a unicorn -- the famous Bucephalus, who many think was merely a horse, but others claim was a unicorn. Bucephalus gained fame as a war horse, so he was probably a relative of the Kar-ka-dann, the unicorn of Persia.
It is written that in the year of 1206 Genghis Khan set out with a great army to conquer India. As he was standing in the mountain pass overlooking the great country, a one horned beast came running up to him and knelt three times in token of reverence. The Mighty Khan took this as a sign from his dead father, and turned his army back.
Sin-You the Avenging Unicorn. A fierce Japanese unicorn which looks like a lion with a thick tawny mane and single horn. Used as a symbol of Japanese law, since it was said to have the ability to know who was guilty and who was innocent.
The Unicorn is a mortal enemy of the elephant and can fight as furiously as a bull.
The most famous example of this happened 2500 years ago, when K'i-lin came to a young woman named Yen Chen-tsai. Into her hand it dropped a tablet made of jade, the beautiful green stone used in much Chinese art. On the stone was a message prophesying that she would become the mother of a throneless king. The prophecy came true. Yen Chen-tsai became the mother of the Chinese sage Confucious. He never wore a crown or commanded men, yet his teachings did as much to shape China as the power of many Kings and warlords combined.
The Japanese equivalent of the Ki-Lin is called the Kirin
Some look exactly like Arabian horses (what we imagine they look like today), except for their slender horns. These are desert unicorns, and they are swift and untiring. Some of them are fairly old, several hundred years or more, but they keep their youthful appearance.
The rare donkey unicorn as ears longer than its horn! These shaggy little unicorns have long, white coats almost like polar bears. Their voice is sweeter than the regular donkey's voice, but it's just as loud. It sounds a little like a bugle.
The Palomino Unicorns have a 3 foot long horn and are very magical. They can make you live longer and heal your pains. Ones with silky beards are older and have one other special power -- to let any unicorn live forever. This is the most rare of them all. They are mostly found in paris in the tropical forests of South America.
Other colors include bay and black, but they are seen in just about any color. They are always shy and quiet animals, and seldom seen.
"Then came the splendor of light, bringing life and love into the
Universe, and the Lord of Darkness retreated deep into the shadows of
the earth, plotting his return to power ... by banishing light forever.
"But the precious light is protected, harbored into the souls of Unicorns,
the most mystical of all creatures. Unicorns are safe from the Lord of
Darkness, they can only be found by the purest of mortals ... Such a
mortal is Jack, who lives in solitude with the animals of the forest.
"A beautiful girl named Lily loves Jack with all her heart. In their
innocence, they believe only goodness exists in the world. Together
they will learn there can be no good without evil ... No love without
hate ... No heaven without hell ... No light without darkness.
"The harmony of the Universe depends upon an eternal balance. Out of
struggle to maintain this balance comes the birth of "Legends."
"Once, long ago, before there was such a thing as time, the world was
shrouded in darkness.
Jack is a wise and loving forest boy who dwells in a forest filled with fairies and elves, but unknown to him, also houses the evil Lord of Darkness and his goblins. Darkness sends out his head goblin, Blix to do an EVIL deed. For the Lord of Darkness has learned that the last two Unicorns on earth dwell in the very forest he lives in. To rid the world of goodness and light forever, he must succeed in killing both of the Unicorns and retrieving their magican horns. The Unicorns are the balance between night and day, which makes them unique, and Darkness wants to break the balance so it will always be dark and evil. So Blix and 2 other goblins go out to find and capture the two Unicorns in the nearby forest.
While the goblins are looking for the Unicorns they see a beautiful girl, Princess Lily, looking for someone. She is looking for her beloved Jack. They are in love and very close to each other. Lily comes into the forest often to visit him and learn of the forest secrets, and talk to the animals like Jack does. But on this particular day, Jack wants to show her the Unicorns ...
Jack takes Lily to where the Unicrons dwell, not knowing the goblins are following closely behind. Lily is entranced by them, but Jack warns her Not to Touch Them because they are sacred animals and she is a mortal and can't touch such pureness or she will harm it. But Lily doesn't believe him; not listening to Jack, she walks up to the male and pets him. The goblins take the distraction as a chance to capture it and shoot a poison arrow into the male Unicorn's side. Then all hell breaks loose!
Knowing what has happened, the Unicorns race off to get away from the goblins. But the male is too weak to run far. He kneels down and as the Lord of Darkness had instructed, Blix chops off the Unicorn's precious horn, but the goblin's don't follow the female. Lily and Jack are separated in all the confusion, as the world is changing fast. What was once a beautiful and colorful fairy tale land is now changing into an icy, cold, dark, winter wonderland.
Jack finds and approaches the female Unicorn after the male dies. Through telepathy Jack learns they must find a champion that can restore the world back to light and goodness and bring the male Unicorn back to life.
The goblins find and eventually capture Lily and the female Unicorn who are trying to set things right again. Jack teams up with a group of fairies and pixies, after they convince him that he is the Champion who will save the world. Jack learns what has happened to Lily and the female Unicorn and, with the pixies and Oona the little fairy, travels to Darkness castle to fight the final battle of good and evil before the Lord of Darkness banishes light forever and the Unicorns are no more.
Everyone knows that good will banish evil. In this story, this does happen, but you must see it to really enjoy the story. This movie has everything in it -- love, honor, battles, swords, trickery, sword fights, mischief, beauty, evil, action, romance, goodness, beautiful music and much more. You enter a fantastic world of imagination, the movie sets are something else and the Unicorns are gorgeous!
For more information on related mythical creatures visit:
For more information on unicorns visit:
Sources for most of this information were found on the internet.
|
© 1997-2007
NW Breyer Horse Club & Refiner of Gold Creations Equinealities in place since 1997, Section in place 2001, Updated 3/13/2007 |
|
| ||
|
|||||
