Heraldry

n heraldry, a unicorn is depicted as a horse with a goat's cloven hooves and beard, a lion's tail, and a slender, spiral horn on its forehead.[16] Whether because it was an emblem of the Incarnation or of the fearsome animal passions of raw nature, the unicorn was not widely used in early heraldry, but became popular from the 15th century.

Though sometimes shown collared, which may perhaps be taken in some cases as an indication that it has been tamed or tempered, it is more usually shown collared with a broken chain attached, showing that it has broken free from its bondage and cannot be taken again.

It is probably best known from the royal coat of arms of Scotland and the United Kingdom: two unicorns support the Scottish arms; a lion and a unicorn support the UK arms. The arms of the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries in London has two golden unicorn supporters although, as emblazoned on its homepage, they have horses', not lions', tails.

The royal throne of Denmark was made of "unicorn horns," which were actually narwhal tusks. The same material was used for ceremonial cups because the unicorn's horn was believed to neutralize poison.

In heraldry, a unicorn is depicted as a horse with a goat's cloven hooves and beard, a lion's tail, and a slender, spiral horn on its forehead. Whether because it was an embelm of th eIncarnation or of the fearsome animal passions of raw nature, the unicorn was not widely used in early heraldry. It only became popular around the fifteenth century, usually collared, an indication that its nature had been tempered.

Scotland and the United Kingdom use the unicorn in their heraldry. Two unicorns support the Scottish arms, and a lion and a unicorn support the United Kingdom arms. The arms of the Society of Apothecaries in London has two golden unicorn supporters.