Unicorns have fascinated the human imagination for centuries. Nearly for as long as there have been humans, there have been stories and art about these majestic beasts. But what else is there to know about unicorns? Keep reading to find out 20 amazing facts about the unicorn.
20 Amazing Facts about Unicorns
1. Is There A Unicorn Day?
Yes, there is! Unicorn day is April 9th.
2 What is a Baby Unicorn Called?
You might expect it to be called a foal, but this isn’t correct. A baby unicorn is, in fact, called a shimmer or a sparkle.
3. What Do Unicorns Eat?
Unicorns are very similar to horses in that they are herbivores. This means that they eat plants such as grass, hay, and flowers. This is not always the case, however. In some stories, unicorns are said to survive only on the sun’s light (like a plant). There are some unicorns that are also said to be meat-eaters.
4. Is There a Black Unicorn?
Some stories include depictions of black unicorns. They are rarer in general and have a slightly different connotation. Black unicorns are often seen as being darker than traditional unicorns in that they are often hunters in the mythical world. In some cases, they are taller than traditional unicorns with longer, slender legs. One popular book series, the “Magic Kingdom of Landover” has a book called “The Black Unicorn.”
5. What is a Flying Unicorn Called?
If it is a unicorn with wings, then that is an alicorn. A winged unicorn is also sometimes called a pegacorn. They have appeared in art as early as 500BC. Their image has been seen in Achaemenid Assyrian seals. If it is a winged horse, that is a pegasus. The legendary pegasus was a character in Greek myth. In some versions, Pegasus was born from the neck of Medusa after she was slain by Perseus.
6. Can Unicorns Fly Without Wings?
In the traditional stories about unicorns, they could not fly without wings. Unicorns, in general, were known for being very fast, and the closest they may get to flying is a long jump off a cliff. Outside of traditional sources, some modern depictions of unicorns let them fly. This is just a part of the magic surrounding unicorns that allow them to fly without wings.
7. What is a Pegasus Unicorn called?
A pegasus unicorn is called an alicorn. Alicorns have the body of a horse, a horn, and wings all in one form. Some sources claim that Alicorns are the royalty of the unicorn world.
8. The difference between a Pegacorn and an Alicorn?
A pegacorn and an alicorn are two names for the same thing. They both depict a winged horse with a single horn. The name Unicus has also been used to describe this type of creature, but it is the less common name.
9. How Long Have Unicorns Been Around?
As unicorns are mythological creatures, our only source of them comes from stories. The earliest stories about unicorns come from Ctesias. He was a Greek historian who wrote about unicorns around 400 BC. His unicorn had a purple head, white body, blue eyes, and a multicolored horn. The horn was white at the base, black in the middle, and red at the tip.
The earliest pictures of unicorns, on the other hand, come from the Lascaux Caves. These caves in France have paintings that date back to 15,000 BC. However, it is possible they weren’t meant to be unicorns at all, as it was later discovered that the unicorns painted here had two horns rather than one.
10. How Do You Control a Unicorn?
The short answer is that you don’t. Unicorns were thought to be very wise and existed outside of the control of humans. However, the only thing that was thought to control a unicorn was a virgin woman. Due to their innocence and purity, two things that the unicorn stands for, it was thought maidens were able to tame unicorns.
11. Can You Hunt Unicorns?
Technically yes. If you go to Lake Superior State University, found in Sault Ste. Maire, Michigan, you can get a license to hunt unicorns. The hunting permits have been available since 1971.
12. Are Unicorns In the Bible
Yes! If you’re reading the King James Version of the Bible, you will find a grand total of 9 unicorns mentioned within the pages. This was mostly thanks to a mistranslation, however, as the original word used may have meant a wild ox instead.
13. How Much Are Unicorns Worth?
Occasionally “unicorn horns” will pop up in markets. In 1560, one such horn was sold in Germany for 90,000 scudi, the currency used at the time. It would be worth about $18,000 today. This horn was bought by the pope.
14. What did Marco Polo Think of Unicorns?
Marco Polo was a famous explorer who once claimed to see a unicorn. He said they were “ugly brutes.” It is thought that what he actually saw was a rhino.
15. What Is A Unicorn Horn Called?
An alicorn.
16. Did Genghis Khan Really See a Unicorn?
According to stories, Genghis Khan was on his way to invade India when he saw a unicorn. As the unicorn bowed to him, he took that as a sign from his late father to leave India alone.
17. Can You Buy Unicorn Horns?
It’s not as common anymore, but once you could find “unicorn horns” in marketplaces around the world. More often than not, it was really a narwhal horn that was being sold.
18. Why Are Unicorns So Special In Scotland?
To start out, unicorns are the national animal of Scotland. Before that distinction, it was often used as a symbol by Scottish kings, being used in seals, coats of arms, even coins.
19. Were Unicorns Ever Real?
Technically yes. While the majestic white horse as we know it was never real, there was one creature that lived in Siberia that strongly resembled a unicorn. It looked like a furry rhino with a single long horn protruding from its head. They were last alive around 39,000 years ago.
20. Is There a Unicorn Shop?
Thanks to the rising popularity in recent years, there are indeed full shops dedicated to unicorn merchandise. Best selling products include Unicorn Stationery, Unicorn gifts & Unicorn Bedroom Decor
We hope you enjoyed our Unicorn Facts. Make sure you check out our other amazing blog posts about Unicorns including the most popular posts Facts about unicorns and what do unicorns represent.
