The Enduring Cultural Presence of the , Unicorn .
The Enduring Cultural Presence of the , Unicorn .
'The New York Times' reports that the legendary unicorn has been woven into our cultural imagination for centuries.
'The New York Times' reports that the legendary unicorn has been woven into our cultural imagination for centuries.
In the fourth century B.C., a Greek physician named Ctesias first described the animal that would come to be known as the unicorn.
In the fourth century B.C., a Greek physician named Ctesias first described the animal that would come to be known as the unicorn.
His description is found in his written catalog of an unknown world, titled 'Indica.'.
His description is found in his written catalog of an unknown world, titled 'Indica.'.
In A.D. 77, Pliny the Elder described a similar animal, wihch he called the monoceros.
In A.D. 77, Pliny the Elder described a similar animal, wihch he called the monoceros.
Then, in the 17th century, the unicorn appeared in the King James Version of the Bible.
Now, centuries later, the mythical animal appears in everything from the works of Lewis Carroll to the 'Harry Potter' series and 'My Little Pony.'
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Now, centuries later, the mythical animal appears in everything from the works of Lewis Carroll to the 'Harry Potter' series and 'My Little Pony.'
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The unicorn is also Scotland’s national animal, symbolizing the country’s bravery.
The unicorn is also Scotland’s national animal, symbolizing the country’s bravery.
The 'NYT' asks the question: why has the unicorn persisted in our collective imaginations, and why does it remain relevant?.
Ctesias described an animal able to outrun all pursuers, which was impossible to capture unless encircled by an army of men and horses.
According to him, a unicorn would rather fight and die free than live in captivity.
The 'NYT' suggests that the unicorn may stand for our own desire to be seen as extraordinary, to defy conformity and to live unconstrained.
The 'NYT' suggests that the unicorn may stand for our own desire to be seen as extraordinary, to defy conformity and to live unconstrained