WHY WE LOVE A UNICORN
UNICORNS ARE HAVING A MOMENT. BUT LOOK PAST THE GLITTER AND GARISH COLOURS, AND YOU’LL DISCOVER MORE REASONS TO ADMIRE THEM THAN YOU MIGHT THINK
Much is made these days of the magic of the unicorn, and its uniqueness. Cutesy memes encourage us to “be more unicorn”, while coffee shops sell unicorn frappuccinos that change flavour part way through, and T-shirts declare us to be one of a kind. Silverywhite, proud, and with one golden horn on its forehead, this mythical creature has become synonymous with exploring our more fantastical side and rediscovering a childlike playfulness.
Our current interest might well be due to nostalgia for old-school TV and simpler days when She-Ra and
My Little Pony were all we had to preoccupy us, rather than politics or what to cook for dinner. But it’s not just about escapism: look past the glitter and you’ll find there’s much more to “being unicorn” than wearing multi-colours and discovering your ditsy side. The mythical qualities of this tall, noble – and entirely mythical – beast have captured our imaginations, and inspired our behaviour for centuries.
It started with Ancient Greek natural history writers, who were convinced the unicorn existed, somewhere in India. What they recorded as fact was a mangled, whispered tale, the third-hand description passed from ear to ear of travellers along the silk roads. The creature they recorded, experts think, was probably the Indian rhino, reportedly an incredibly strong animal.
MYTHICAL BEAST
The unicorn’s strength became legendary. By the Middle Ages, unicorns were depicted in bestiaries as untameable and ferocious – unless shown the bared breasts of a virgin. They also became associated with innocence since, clearly, they were creatures so pure they could only abide the company of the truly chaste. It was thought that the unicorn’s incredible strength came from its single horn. Medieval con-artists made a fair penny selling ‘horns’, which were actually taken from creatures such as the narwhal and the rhino. Hokey medicine it definitely was, yet the lucky purchasers of these rare commodities would grind the horn and stir it into food or drink hoping to heal their ailments and imbibe some of the unicorn’s strength.
Some of the old meanings still hold true. Today, wherever you see the Queen’s coat of arms, you’ll see it flanked by a lion and a unicorn. The unicorn symbolised Scotland, and when James VI of Scotland succeeded Elizabeth I as James I of England, he partnered it with the lion of England to show that two creatures who had previously vied with one another were now united in their strength. The Scottish unicorn is shown with a chain around its neck – still too fearsome to be left untethered.
A CREATURE OF TODAY
Even the current trend isn’t based wholly on being pink and fabulous. Unicorns also represent something with a seemingly impossible existence. In the tech world, a company worth a billion dollars or more is described as a unicorn company, for example. Something that’s “unicorn” is precious and prized.
We’re missing a trick if we think there’s no more to “being unicorn” than donning a sequinned top and some exotic eyeshadow. When times are tough, work is grinding you down and things are just, well, a little run of the mill, maybe we need a bit of unicorn in our lives? To know we’re unique, wonderful and one of a kind. What does it matter if you want to dress up and feel magical every now and then? We won’t judge.
But being unicorn could also mean aiming to be the pride of your nation, like the Scottish unicorn, or being known for your honesty and purity of intent, like the virginal unicorns of Medieval times. It could be that you bring life and hope to others, as some believed the unicorn could. Or all of these things. Why not be that unicorn – fierce and untameable, unchained and wild, standing tall and proud?
And if you want a sparkly top and rainbow leg warmers to help pull it off, who are we to stop you?