Mythologis
Unicorns: The Complete Guide to the Unicorn in Myth, Legend and Folklore

Mythical Creatures Mythology

Unicorns: The Complete Guide to the Unicorn in Myth, Legend and Folklore

The One-Horned Beast, from Ancient Legend to the Medieval Hunt

The complete guide to the unicorn: the one-horned beast of ancient report, the unicorn of the Bible and the bestiary, the medieval hunt and its meaning, and the long history of a creature people genuinely believed was real.

160 pagesPDFEnglishMythologis Library

$14.99

Instant PDF download

Inside this book

What you will read

  • 11 chapters, primary sources
  • Instant PDF download
  • Original ink illustrations
  • From ancient natural history to heraldry
  • Designed for print quality
See all chapters  +
  1. 01The Beast That Was Real
  2. 02Ctesias and the One-Horned Ass of India
  3. 03The Unicorn of the Bible
  4. 04The Bestiary Unicorn and the Maiden
  5. 05The Hunt of the Unicorn and Its Meaning
  6. 06The Healing Horn: The Alicorn Trade
  7. 07Narwhals, Rhinoceroses and the Search for the Source
  8. 08The Unicorn in Heraldry
  9. 09The Unicorn in the East: The Qilin and Others
  10. 10How the Unicorn Became a Fairy Tale
  11. 11The Unicorn Today

About this book

About this Mythical Creatures mythology guide

For most of its history the unicorn was not whimsical but a fact: hunted, listed in the Bible, its horn sold for fortunes. This is the complete guide to the unicorn in myth and history.

The unicorn was not always whimsical. For most of its history it was a fact: a real animal, fierce and untamable, described by Greek physicians, listed in the Bible, hunted in tapestries and sought for the miraculous healing power of its horn, which sold for fortunes in the courts of Europe. The story of the unicorn is the story of how a serious belief became a fairy tale, and it is far richer than the rainbow version suggests.

This is the complete guide to the unicorn. The one-horned beast of Ctesias and the Greek reports from India; the wild ox of the Hebrew Bible that the translators turned into a unicorn; the bestiary unicorn, so fierce it could only be caught by a maiden, and the Christian meaning read into that hunt; the alicorn trade, when narwhal tusks were sold as unicorn horn to kings; and the unicorn of heraldry and folklore that survives today.

The book traces the unicorn from ancient natural history to the tapestry to the toy shop, drawing on the classical sources, the bestiaries and the records, with every chapter citing its sources.

Delivered as a print-quality PDF within 24 hours of purchase.

What you will discover inside

  • The ancient Greek reports that first described the one-horned beast
  • How a wild ox in the Hebrew Bible became the unicorn in translation
  • The bestiary unicorn that could only be tamed by a maiden, and why
  • The alicorn trade, when narwhal tusks were sold as unicorn horn to kings
  • The qilin and the one-horned beasts of the East
  • How a creature people believed was real became a fairy tale

Mythical Creatures mythology book at a glance

TraditionMythical Creatures mythology
Chapters11 chapters
Length160 pages
SourcesDrawn from the primary sources, cited inline
Reading levelBeginner-friendly. Every name and place is explained from scratch
FormatPrint-quality PDF
DeliveryPDF within 24 hours

Formats and editions

EditionWhat you getPrice
Instant PDFPrint-quality download, readable on any device. PDF within 24 hours.$7.99
PaperbackA paperback edition is on the way. Sign up on this page to hear when it lands on Amazon.Coming soon

About the author

Guillaume Henry, founder of Mythologis

Guillaume Henry

Founder & Editor-in-Chief, Mythologis

Guillaume Henry founded Mythologis to make the world's mythologies readable without losing what makes them strange. Every Mythologis book draws on the primary sources first, cross-references multiple translations, and avoids inventing details that aren't in the originals.

More about the author

Questions about the Mythical Creatures mythology book

When will I receive my PDF?

Within 24 hours of purchase. Your download link arrives in your inbox automatically.

Did people really believe the unicorn was real?

For centuries, yes. It was described in natural history, listed in the Bible and hunted for its horn, which was traded as genuine medicine. The book shows exactly how that belief rose and finally fell.

Is this book based on primary sources?

Yes. It draws on Ctesias and Pliny, the Septuagint and the Vulgate, the medieval bestiaries and the records of the alicorn trade, with references to the standard editions.

How long is the book?

Eleven chapters, around 160 pages depending on the final layout.

Will there be a paperback on Amazon?

The PDF is available immediately. A KDP paperback edition follows once the book has been validated by readers.

What formats is this book available in?

Every title is available as an instant PDF, downloaded the moment you buy it: the link appears on the confirmation page and lands in your inbox. Selected titles also have a paperback edition on Amazon. Where the paperback is not out yet, you can sign up to be notified the day it does.

What is the return policy?

The PDF is delivered instantly by Mythologis. If a download ever fails or a file looks wrong, get in touch and we will make it right. Paperbacks bought on Amazon are handled under Amazon's own returns and refund policy.

Can I order from outside the United States?

Yes. The PDF is a digital download, so it works instantly anywhere in the world, with nothing to ship. Where a paperback edition exists, it is sold across Amazon's international marketplaces, with shipping rates and delivery times depending on your country.

More Mythical Creatures books

See the full library
← Back to Mythical Creatures books