The unicorn is a mythical animal that many authors wrote about in ancient times. There are many stories about encounters with a unicorn, from which you can get an idea of the appearance of this creature.
Instructions
Step 1
There is a lot of scattered evidence of encounters with unicorns. For example, during the conquest of Gaul, Julius Caesar himself saw rather strange creatures in the Herzianian forest. According to him, these animals resembled a mixture of a bull and a deer. Each animal was armed with a very long and straight horn, which was located in the center of the forehead. It should be noted that Julius Caesar in his texts was distinguished by pedantry and meticulousness, so he, most likely, described these unusual animals quite accurately.
Step 2
The first mentions of unicorns in written sources date back to 416 BC. A certain Ctesias of Cnidus at that time went to Persia to serve as court physician for Darius II. He collected many stories of merchants, travelers and ambassadors about India and Persia in his writings. In particular, they contain a description of an unusual creature the size of an ordinary horse. Some of the travelers with whom Ctesias spoke called this creature the Indian donkey. This creature had a white body, a brown head and bright blue eyes, on its head was a horn about half a meter long. At the very base, the horn was bright white, the middle part, on the contrary, was almost black, and the pointed top was blood red. The powder made from this horn was considered a wonderful remedy for any kind of poison.
Step 3
It was believed that the vessels from the horns of these animals possessed healing agents. People who regularly drank from such vessels did not experience convulsions, epilepsy, or other similar diseases, moreover, they acquired resistance to poisons.
Step 4
It should be noted that hunting unicorns was considered a very dangerous business, since the speed and strength of these animals made them very dangerous rivals.
Step 5
The later European concept of the unicorn was generally consistent with the picture described by Ctesias. However, it was believed that the unicorn must have a goatee. In European medieval legends, the unicorn played an important role. Sorceresses and wizards moved on this fabulous animal. When meeting an ordinary person, the unicorn most often killed him, and only a virgin could tame the rabid temper of the animal. When meeting an innocent girl, the unicorn simply fell asleep.
