Unicorn horn

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"Alicorn" redirects here. In some literature and media, "alicorn" refers to a winged unicorn.
unicorn throne in Denmark
.

A unicorn horn, also known as an alicorn,

spagyric medicine. The horn's purificational properties were eventually put to the test in, for example, the book of Ambroise Paré
, Discourse on unicorn.

Seen as one of the most valuable assets that a person could possess, unicorn horns were given as diplomatic gifts, and chips and dust from them could be purchased at

Danish kings, the sceptre and imperial crown of the Austrian Empire, and the scabbard and the hilt of the sword of Charles the Bold. The legendary unicorn could never be captured alive, but its symbolic association with virginity made it the symbol of innocence and the incarnation of God's Word
.

Belief in the power of the alicorn persisted until the 16th century, when the true source, the

video games, which make use of its legendary symbolism
.

Nature and properties

Around 400 BCE, the unicorn was described by

leather belt was supposed to protect a person from the plague and fevers, while leather shoes of this animal prevented diseases of the feet, legs and loins.[6]

The medicinal efficacy linked to its horn and its alexipharmic powers were assumed to be true in antiquity, but were not explicitly mentioned in the West again until the 14th century. Legends about these properties were the stimulus for a flourishing trade in these chips and dust up to the mid-17th century, when their true origin became widely known. The alicorn never existed as such; it was most often narwhal teeth that were known as "unicorn horns".[7]

Water purification

Left panel of The Garden of Earthly Delights by Hieronymus Bosch (1503-1504), showing unicorns purifying water.

The first post-classical reference to the cleansing power of the unicorn appears in an interpretation of the Physiologus (dated perhaps to the 14th century), when reference is made to a large lake where animals congregate to drink:

But before they are assembled, the serpent comes and casts his poison into the water. Now the animals mark well the poison and do not dare to drink, and they wait for the unicorn. It comes and immediately goes into the lake, and making with his horn the sign of the cross, renders the power of the poison harmless Freeman 1983, p. 27

This theme became very popular, and in 1389 Father

Christ the Redeemer.[8] The origin of this legend seems Indian, and Greek texts report that Indian nobles drank out of unicorn horns to protect themselves from diseases and poisons.[9]

The unicorn is most often represented beside a river, lake or fountain, while animals wait for him to finish his work before drinking. This scene is common in the art of the 16th and 17th centuries.[10] Studies and translations of these drawings and stories popularized the belief that the power of the animal came from its horn, which could neutralize the poison as soon as the liquid or solid touched the alicorn piece.[9]

Medicinal properties

Ainkhürn, "unicorn horn", offered to the Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand I in 1540, exhibited at Wiener Schatzkammer.

The alleged properties of the alicorn may be compared with those of the

cabinets of curiosities.[11]

The alicorn was assigned many medicinal properties and, over time, in addition to the purification of polluted water in nature,[12] its use was recommended against rubella, measles, fevers and pains.[13] The monks of the Parisian monasteries used to soak it in the drinking water given to lepers.[12] It was thought to act as an antidote and, in a powder form, was known to facilitate wound healing, help neutralize poisons (such as scorpion or viper venom)[14] or against the plague.[15] The horn was prepared in several ways, in solid form, or by infusion[16]

Its prophylactic function and magical power were assumed for centuries; as its trade increased, "fake" horns and false powders appeared.[17] The astronomical prices paid for alicorn reflected the belief that their imaginary virtues could cause real healing.[12]

Many works are devoted to the explanation and defence of the medicinal properties of the alicorn, including The Treaty of the Unicorn, its wonderful properties and its use (1573) by Andrea Bacci and Natural History, Hunting, Virtues, and Use of Lycorn (1624) by apothecary Laurent Catelan. Bacci probably wrote his book at the request of his patients, who were major investors in the unicorn horn trade.[18]

Display and use as antipoison

Three unicorn horns from the Mariakerk in Utrecht, now on display at the Rijksmuseum.

Of a twisted configuration, alicorns were traded as valuable items for many centuries: according to legend, the "horn" on display at the

Saint-Denis Cathedral in Paris, and St Mark's Basilica in Venice. They were often mounted on silver socles and presented as trophies that were only shown for important ceremonies.[14]

King of France to detect the presence of poison in food and drink: if the comestible became hot and started to smoke, then the dish was poisoned.[21] Pope Clement VII offered a unicorn horn two cubits long to King Francis I of France at the wedding of his niece Catherine de' Medici in Marseille in October 1533,[22] and the king did not ever move without a bag filled with unicorn powder.[23] Also, the Grand Inquisitor Torquemada always carried unicorn horn to protect himself from poison and murderers.[24]

References

  1. ISBN 9781437508536
    .
  2. ^ "re'em - Google Search". www.google.com. Retrieved 2018-03-13.
  3. ^ Faidutti 1996, p. 13
  4. ^ a b c de Tervarent 1997, pp. 281–287
  5. ^ Hildegarde de Bingen 1989, pp. 196–197
  6. ^ Lecouteux 1993, p. 45
  7. ^ Didrit, Mireille; Pujol, Raymond (September 1996). "Note de recherche d'Ethnozoologie : Licorne de Mer ou Licorne de Terre : le Narval" (in French). Paris: Université Paris V - Sorbonne. Archived from the original on 11 June 2008. Retrieved 21 September 2012.
  8. ^ Faidutti 1996, p. 59
  9. ^ a b Faidutti 1996, p. 39
  10. ^ Faidutti 1996, p. 61
  11. ^ Martin, Jean Hubert; Jean Guillaume and Frédéric Didier (2000). Le château d'Oiron et son cabinet de curiosités. Éditions du patrimoine, p. 131
  12. ^ a b c d Rochelandet 2003, p. 131
  13. ^ Valentini 1704, p. vol. 3, ch. 30
  14. ^ a b c Brasey 2007, pp. 259–263
  15. ^ Paré, Ambroise (1628). Les œuvres d'Ambroise Paré (in French). N. Buon. p. 812. Retrieved September 28, 2012.
  16. ^ Pomet 1696, p. 26
  17. ^ Rochelandet 2003, p. 130
  18. ^ Giblin 1991, p. 77
  19. ^ Mireille Didrit; Raymond Pujol (1996). Licorne de Mer ou Licorne de Terre : le Narval (Master). Université Paris-V - Sorbonne. Archived from the original on 2008-06-11.
  20. ^ Buck & CESR 1973, p. 215
  21. ^ Malrieu 1987, p. 131
  22. ISBN 9788882655549
    .
  23. ^ Davenne 2004, p. 130
  24. ^ Lutavd 1906, pp. 197–199

Bibliography

Founding works on medicine and alchemy

Founding travel and exploration stories

Founding works on zoology

Theses and studies

Popular works

External links

  • The dictionary definition of alicorn at Wiktionary
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