Unicorn - Myths and Beliefs Around the World

the unicorn has no home or a legend of its own like bellerophon's pegasus but it is one of the most popular mythological creatures we come across the unicorn is not a simple invention being intriguing even now its existence in stories these mythical creatures have been in paintings stories and legends for as long as most of us can remember unicorns are so impressive that scotland has even made the creatures their national animal as well as having them appear on their royal coat of arms with so many myths surrounding the beings could there finally be an answer to the legend the unicorn is mythologically unique it is the greatest unsolved mystery and sometimes a plausible myth given the cave drawings and mentions in the bible it has no beginning no end it crosses the ether and revives in various forms in people's minds since the world began unicorns have long been thought of as horse or goat-like creatures with a single horn in the middle of their head they are generally pictured as having white bodies while the unicorns with wings are referred to as a pegasus these creatures have been rumored to live in woodlands where their hair powers and even blood are all said to have healing and magical properties these incredible animals have left people guessing for years whether they are the thing of legends or if somewhere in the world these beings really exist [Music] one of the theories behind why unicorns no longer exist goes back to the story of noah's ark legend tells that the creatures were too slow at making their way onto the ark meaning the creatures were forced to leave before they could make it to safety another version of the story tells that the unicorns took up too much room within the ark meaning noah was forced to ask them to leave in western beliefs the mythical unicorn is born from white donkeys bigger than horses with a bright red head and deep blue eyes and the horn is 30 inches long at least that's what the lost travelers in the indian and himalayan lands say the horn is the only thing that makes it physically special it was thought to be white at the base black in the middle and red at its sharp tip but with clear holistic properties that protected against poisoning and other diseases over the years it was believed that unicorns could only be tamed by virgin women as the creatures represented innocence and purity in japan the myth of the unicorn was a creature that could hunt down criminals and bring them to justice by piercing through their hearts with their horns however in china the beasts were never accused of bringing harm towards anyone but they did bring good luck to people in their presence chinese legends also state that the unicorn lives in paradise and visits the world only when a wise philosopher is born it lives for 1 000 years and when it's seen it looks like a deer with a buffalo's tail a horse's hooves and a body covered with dragon glittering scales his back is covered with magical symbols and bizarre signs he is one of the four ling the four spiritual creatures of chinese myths the russians have a bizarre folklore full of interpretations indrik was the miraculous beast that led the animals the lord who lived on the holy mountain in places only he could reach when he walked the earth shook russian legends say that this creature with two horns on its forehead used to save people from drowning there is a legend in which the unicorn saved india from genghis khan the mongolian warrior ruler one of the most famous conquerors of history while the greatest mongol warrior and his glorious army were preparing to conquer india as well after numerous conquests of territories in asia a unicorn got in his way and knelt down genghis khan stepped back and realized that it was a divine sign not to attack the country ordering his troops to withdraw as it turned out the most ruthless warrior in history had been tamed by a unicorn saving india from the mongol invasion as i told you at the beginning of the video scotland has even made the unicorn their national animal the unicorns are the symbol of scotland and have been since the 1500s they also appear on the british flag beside the british lion as a representation of the union between britain and scotland they were chosen as a symbol for scotland because of their association with freedom and power they are also closely associated with healing and purity it is often said the real reason unicorns were chosen as the national symbol of scotland is that they would rather die than be captured the scots were known for being fierce proud fighters who would never surrender to invaders or tyrants so the association was very fitting unicorns have walked south america as well in the form of a creature known as a cameletto this creature shared many similarities with other unicorns though it tends to be depicted as a heavy bull-like creature it is specifically associated with chile it has one horn which like many unicorn horns was thought to have curative properties mixed with vinegar and seawater it could cure impotency as well as other ills some believe camouettos came from the sea and others believed they returned there it was thought that planting a piece of a cameletto's horn would lead to the growth of a new creature this regeneration isn't unlike the idea of a unicorn's immortality though this is very dependent on the myth certainly the power of these creatures is centered upon their horns just as with other unicorns they may not share as much similarity in terms of their bodies but they are clearly immensely powerful creatures worthy of their place in unicorn mythology but unicorns are not always white there are also dark unicorns perhaps surprisingly dark unicorns are not necessarily associated with evil though in some cases they certainly are in some mythological sources black unicorns are nightmares or are the result of nightmares breeding with white unicorns in many other incarnations however dark unicorns are seen as stronger and faster versions of the white ones in dreams this can mean that they bring particularly potent help to the dreamer the black unicorn has also appeared in pop culture as a force for good such as the black unicorn by terry brooks in which the black unicorn is needed to assist the characters in saving a kingdom black unicorns are probably amongst the most contentious unicorns when it comes to deciding what they represent but whether you feel they bring good fortune or bad luck they are breathtaking powerful creatures that have left their mark on many legends and tales unicorns are clearly enigmatic magnetic creatures which have held the attention and admiration of artists everywhere these amazing mythological creatures appeal to us on so many levels and represent so many different things it's difficult to absorb just how influential they have been throughout history so what do unicorns mean to you do any of the myths and traditions mentioned here sound particularly appealing share your thoughts in the comments below thanks for watching and if you enjoyed the video please like and subscribe to the channel by hitting the notification bell to be notified when new videos arrive yours truly mythos the historian

Channel: Mythos The Historian

Views: 17,903

Keywords: unicorn, unicorns, the unicorns, myths, mythology, Royal Coat of Arms, pegasus, unicorn with wings, black unicorn, noah ark, noah's ark, unicorn horn, china mythology, japanese mythology, russian mythology, four lings, Genghis Khan and the unicorn, south america mythology, dark unicorns, the black unicorn, terry brooks, camahueto, indrik, Indrik unicorn, qilin, unicorn creatures, unicorn mythology, unicorn legends, unicorn myths, unicorns are real, unicorns existed

Id: Hu-ABsUPZ-8

Length: 8min 5sec (485 seconds)

Published: Sun Feb 20 2022