On Unicorns
Last week I ranted a bit about how unicorns have horns, and do not have wings. I feel strongly about this. Both Maya and Suzanne mentioned the term ‘alicorn’ which I had never heard before, but which I like a lot more than lumping a singular horse god (Pegasus) into a mythical species. It would be like saying ‘a Poseidon’ is a species, or ‘a Zeus’. Anyway, I looked up alicorn, and found these admittedly pretty yet historically problematic examples. I’m working on opening my mind a smidge.
I know, I said historically problematic about a mythical creature. I’m ridiculous. I love this statue, the ‘alicorn’ is beautiful and is making me think, hmmm…what if Pegasus fell in love with a unicorn and they had a baby? The caption, however, is stupid. See Pegasus = god, NOT SPECIES, above.
Winged unicorn sounds better, right? I like this one, very steam punk, and also weird. Where are the hind quarters?
Did you know that a unicorn’s horn is also called an alicorn? I did not. I do remember reading in a novel once that the horn is supposed to have medicinal properties.
Apparently, winged unicorns are not just the product of My Little Pony, and have their own mythology. From Wikipedia:
“Ancient Achaemenid Assyrian seals depict winged unicorns and winged bulls as representing evil, but winged unicorns can also represent light.
Irish poet W. B. Yeats wrote of imagining a winged beast that he associated with ecstatic destruction. The beast took the form of a winged unicorn in his 1907 play The Unicorn from the Stars and later that of the rough beast slouching towards Bethlehem in his poem The Second Coming.”
I haven’t read much Yeats, maybe I need to rectify that. I did really enjoy the class I took in Greek and Roman mythology in college, maybe that’s why I get so hepped up about Pegasus.
I’m curious though…are there ridiculous things that you get hepped up about? Let’s discuss. Make me feel better.
8 Comments
PocoBrat
lol, J! I have a whole list! I’ll have to upload it when I get home from work. XO
J
LOL, I look forward to that.
AC
You are definitely in the right about perserving the hstorical accuracy of mythical creatures. It’s important that someone takes a stand. we have to be principled and not just wing it.
J
Thank you for your understanding.
Margaret
Pegasus is a winged horse and does not have a horn. Unicorns have a horn but no wings I will not be budged on this. Do I get obsessive about silly stuff? Let me make you a list…
It mainly involves grammar or lack thereof.
J
Oh the grammar things feel WORTH IT TO ME. Not so sure why I feel so strongly about the unicorn/Pegasus thing.
Tobia | craftaliciousme
I had no idea there is such a word as alicorn. But then its not my native language. As said previously I never think of unicorns with wings so this is not een in my mind.
I do have a one thing I get really upset about is when people call it Christmas time before December 24th. It is Advent. Same thing around Easter. Its not Easter Saturday – that does’t excist. Easter happened on Sunday. Its Good Saturday for crying ot loud. I get really worked up about this.
I have a couple more but lets not get into a frenzie.
J
I had never heard of an alicorn either.
Interesting about Christmastime vs. advent. Around here people start calling it Christmastime pretty early, an you’re right, it’s at the beginning of advent.
I’m not sure I’ve heard of either Good Saturday or Easter Saturday, though we are not religious. I have heard of Easter Sunday, of course, and Easter Monday.