|
The Unicorn Family  he unicorn is one of the most beautiful of the "shapes that haunt thought's wildernesses", but he did not attain his beauty all at once. As soon as we begin to inquire how he looked to the imagination of the Ages of Faith we are reminded that his ancestry is mixed, that he descends from the horse and the ass on the side of the Greeks and from the goat on that of Physiologus. The results of this miscegenation were a series of hybrid variations as perplexing as those governed by the Mendelian law. Aristotle had said that the unicorn's hoof is solid, on the excellent ground that animals with divided hoofs have two horns when they have any horns at all; but on the other hand, Physiologus declared that the unicorn resembles a little goat, and the goat has a divided hoof. The faithful did not know what to think, and in default of a Thomas Aquinas to resolve the apparent discrepancies between Aristotle and Physiologus they tried to believe in a unicorn somewhat like a goat and somewhat like a horse at the same time. Early representations of the animal show cloven hoofs on the fore feet and solid hoofs behind, or vice versa; they show a goat's beard on a horse's head or even the body of a goat with the head of a horse. A more perfect example of the divided allegiance of the Renaissance could hardly be imagined; yet, in spite of these difficulties, the artists of the time made the unicorn at least as credible as the animals they had before their eyes, and usually far more graceful." Odell Sheppard - History of the Unicorn Since all things change, and nothing ever remains the same, it is entirely possible that, as with all other species on this planet, the unicorn family has developed differently in appearance and ability, according to the circumstances in which he finds himself. As vegetation, 'civilization' and humanity has changed through the ages, so the unicorn has evolved to take his rightful place in the scheme of things. Thus in educated, highly developed nationss, the unicorn has attained an elegancy and sophisticated horselike appearance, while on the lesser developed continents still with vast areas of wilderness, the unicorn has maintained his original goat or horselike antelope appearance, with variations from country to country. No matter how he appears, throughout the ages, the mystical unicorn has always captured the imagination of kings, peasants, warriors, artists and poets alike. The sheer beauty and mysterious purity of the unicorn remains a symbol of an elusive quality, sought after by men since time began.Embued with qualities of magic, strength and innocence of worldly vice, these wondrous beasts offer mankind the dream of a simple and pure existence, with no need to take from, enslave or even envy others. The beautiful and mysterious unicorn family represent purity, beauty, sexuality, and magical strength. Members of the family have been sighted throughout the known world and have been sought avidly for the mystery they present.
|
