The Hunt for Unicorns

When turning through the pages of a bestiary from 1235, it may not be completely unexpected to see a unicorn. However, the bloody demise of this mythical creature may be somewhat jarring. During the middle ages, books called bestiaries served to capture the imagination of their readers. The extensive trade routes which allowed for the exchange of goods and ideas also allowed fantastical stories of beasts and other oddities to circulate in the ever-developing culture of Europe. Knights fighting in the Crusades and merchants sailing to faraway ports would return with often exaggerated stories of camels, lions, phoenixes, dragons, and unicorns. Unicorns were thought to be elusive creatures from India whose horns were infused with magic. It was widely believed that the horn of a unicorn would neutralize any poison in a drink, making their horns highly prized by those wealthy enough to afford them. While the unicorns were mythical, the “horns” were actually tusks from narwhals. The widespread belief in this mythical creature makes sense having this seemingly irrefutable evidence of their existence. 

Unicorns were often featured in bestiaries, which would usually describe how to hunt the unicorns to take their magical horns. One 14^th century document even described how to properly cook a unicorn, despite the creature being imaginary. Bestiaries themselves became more akin to psalters; as described on the British Library website, “They have traditionally described by scholars in terms of being natural history books, but recent research has shown that from the 12th century onwards the bestiary was used largely as a source of theological inspiration for sermons, rather than for information about animals.” This religious connection is clear to see in the hunting of unicorns. The clearest connection is to the Virgin Mary; only a virgin would be able to lure the unicorn to lay its head in her lap. In bestiaries, the unicorn was usually shown being pierced in its side, similar to Christ being pierced on the cross. 

The public fascination with unicorns has continued. In the 16th century, a highly-detailed tapestry was made, featuring unicorns among the trees and flowers. Even today, unicorns may be seen in movies, toys, or clothing, but the origin of the mythical creature lies in the middle ages. Despite being imaginary, or, perhaps, because it was imaginary, the unicorn captured the imagination of the public as well as chefs, artists, and authors alike.

“How to Capture a Unicorn, In a Bestiary” Illuminated Manuscripts, The British Library Board, http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/illmanus/harlmanucoll/h/011hrl000004751u00006v00.html

 “Magical Unicorns at Musée de Cluny” Medieval Histories: Natural History Heritages, Medieval Histories Inc, https://www.medieval.eu/magical-unicorns-at-musee-de-cluny/

“Unicorn Cookbook Found at the British Library” Medieval Manuscripts Blog, The British Library Board, April 2012, https://blogs.bl.uk/digitisedmanuscripts/2012/04/unicorn-cookbook-found-at-the-british-library.html