The Unicorn is National Animal for Scotland While Scotland proudly boasts the Loch Ness Monster, one of the world’s most famous fabled creatures, the country opted to make another mythical beast its n

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Daphne Dickens

The Unicorn is National Animal for Scotland

While Scotland proudly boasts the Loch Ness Monster, one of the world’s most famous fabled creatures, the country opted to make another mythical beast its national animal: the unicorn. Although this might seem like an odd choice, <a href="https://www.visitscotland.com/about/uniquely-scottish/national-animal-unicorn/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(251, 3, 34);">Visit Scotland</a> explains that unicorns played an integral role in the country’s history. Back in the 12th century, William I used the “proud beast” in the Scottish royal coat of arms.

Jun 29, 2019 3:24 PM

Comments · 7

By the way, it is thought that the legend of the unicorn might be based on a sea animal, a mammal known as the narwhal. Try a web search on "narwhal." A narwhal has a single, large tusk that has a striking spiral or twisted appearance.

There was a belief in the Middle Ages that there really were corresponding animals and plants on land on sea, which is why so many sea creatures have name like "sea horse" and "sea lion" and "sea urchin" and "sea cow." In fact, that's why people believed in mermaids and mermen--they were the sea creatures corresponding to humans.

I'm not sure if people know what narwhals were and assumed there had to be a land equivalent, hence a unicorn--or whether the separated tusks of dead narwhals were believed to be the horns of unicorns.

June 29, 2019

And instantly I was reminded of the nursery rhyme:

"The lion and the unicorn were fighting for the crown;

The lion beat the unicorn all around the town.

Some gave them white bread, and some gave them brown;

Some gave them plum cake, and drummed them out of town."

Don't ask me what it means. I don't know. And I wouldn't believe any explanations anyway.

"The Lion and the Unicorn" is also the title of one of a chapter of Lewis Carroll's <em>Through the Looking-Glass, </em>based on the rhyme. It is quite a long chapter featuring Alice's attempt to divide up a plum cake between the two, and it also pulls in a lot of miscellaneous garbled English history, which, well... I don't understand any of that, either.

June 29, 2019