Unicorn
Historical illustration of a Unicorn. In traditional lore it is actually the horn of the unicorn that was magical. Many believed that a unicorn's horn had the ability to neutralize poisons. Some courts would make ceremonial cups from unicorn horn, to prevent poisoning. This unicorn horn, probably came from the narwhal, a tusked sea mammal. From antiquity to today, accounts of unicorns and their magical properties are found in literature, art, and legend. Unicorns are included in the royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom. This illustration is from the 1551 book Historiae Animalium by the Swiss naturalist and bibliographer Konrad Gessner
Picture No
10799073
Media ID
47596593
Size
1500px x 1282px
(251KB)
Credit
©Photo Researchers / Mary Evans Picture Library
Source
Photo Researchers





























