Unicorn
mentioned in the Old Testament as the beast reem - a biblical metaphor for strength.
However, modern translations of the Holy Book most often say directly - “unicorn”. Reem is not only strong, but also wild, uncontrollable by man (Job, 39: 9; Psalms, 22: 21; 29: 6; 92: 10; Numbers, 23: 22; 24: 8). Source - Esoterics.
Living Knowledge The spiral horn of a unicorn was called an alicorn. It was mentioned by the Greek historian and physician Ctesias, who said that the rulers of India were so afraid of being poisoned that they used alicorn to neutralize supposed poisons in their food.
Unicorns are immortal. They live alone, usually in the forest near a creek with clear water in which you can see a reflection, because they are a little vain and know that there are no creatures in the world as beautiful and magical. Unicorns rarely pair up, and there is no place more mysterious than where a unicorn was born.
In the ancient world, he was considered to have come from India, where he was depicted as red-headed, with a white or black horn. Then he appeared in Babylon, China, Tibet, Greece. In the West, the apogee of his fame occurred in the Middle Ages. The unicorn represents power, the force that opposes the forces of darkness, maintaining balance in the Universe. It is a symbol of the sun's ray, purity, turning towards unity, towards the center. The spiral is a reminder of what remains unchanged through time. In addition, the unicorn is a symbol of transmutation, freedom and knowledge, it shows the way to those who seek the truth.
Many traditions speak of the unicorn as a mythical animal that personifies the highest power of Being. He is clothed in mystery and embodies the original unity, the beginning and final goal of human existence, the unity of opposites and the ability to overcome internal contradictions, universal love and compassion.
In Babylon
he was represented as winged. On a cylinder amulet dating from around 1800 BC. e., on its opposite surfaces two unicorns are depicted, symbolizing the two sides of the Tree of Life. In the Sumerian-Semitic tradition, the unicorn is a lunar symbol, an attribute of virgin goddesses.
In ancient China, the unicorn
(qilin) is interpreted as a combination of two concepts: “qi” represents the male aspect, yang, the driving force, the energy of creation; “Lin” is the feminine principle, yin. Thus, the qilin represents the creative impulse and its endless expansion, as well as the unity of the opposites of male and female. The unicorn is shown to people only in exceptional cases.
He is considered a messenger of happiness, his appearance symbolizes the rise to power of a good ruler or the birth of a true sage. The appearance of the qilin marked the birth and death of Confucius.
Qilin is associated with some historical moments of Chinese tradition. So, one day, 5 thousand years ago, Emperor Fu-si was sitting on the shore near the mouth of the Yellow River. Suddenly a qilin appeared, and the dirty waters of the river brightened and became crystal clear green. Qilin stopped in front of the emperor, struck the rock with his hoof three times and spoke to him in a voice that rang like a temple bell. When the qilin turned to leave, the emperor saw that his back was covered with magical marks, which he tried to copy. This is how the first written language of China appeared.
Unicorn in Tibet
called "se-ru", it is mainly a gazelle or fallow deer that lives on mountain peaks. The unicorn is a bridge between Heaven and Earth, between the world of light principles and the world of dark and dense matter, manifested and unmanifested. The unicorn is a symbol of awakened consciousness, integrity and inner peace, it enlightens, shines in the darkness and, like the morning star, shows the way, inspiring people in the search for wisdom. The pediments of Himalayan monasteries invariably depict two unicorns turning the wheel of Dharma.
Unicorn in India
represents the power of spiritual wealth. He is both a destroyer and a creator. The symbol of the unicorn is found in the Atharva Veda and in the Mahabharata in the myth of the flood, during which Manu tied a ship to the horn of a giant unicorn fish.
In Persia the unicorn
represents the fertilizing principle, strength and ability to cleanse. In a Persian manuscript of the 15th century. it is said: “As for its horn, it appears golden, with its help all corruption and vileness will be destroyed and dispelled.”
In Hebrew
tradition, the legend says that when Yahweh asked Adam to name all the animals, the unicorn was the first to receive it, and thus he was elevated to the highest rank. When Adam and Eve were expelled from paradise, God gave the unicorn a choice: stay in Eden or go with people. The unicorn chose the latter, and was forever blessed with compassion for people.
In
the Greco-Roman
tradition, the unicorn is an attribute of all virgin, lunar goddesses, for example, Artemis (Diana).
In Christianity
The unicorn's horn is a symbol of divine unity, spiritual power and nobility, in connection with this the unicorn becomes the image of Christ. The small stature of the unicorn is associated with the humiliation of Christ at his birth; its white color symbolizes purity, that which must be acquired by following the ways of the sons of God.
In knightly symbolism, the unicorn
associated with purity of feelings. The Unicorn, accompanied by the Virgo, is the personification of chastity and purity. It often represents the devoted love of a knight for a lady. The unicorn also represents the abandonment of physical love for a purer and stronger love. This is something like a charm of purity, a miraculous purification of bodily life and sexual energy, giving the knight strength and courage.
Alchemical Unicorn
represents the stage of purification, the White Work. It signifies transmutation and spiritual evolution. His horn symbolizes the possibility of the Spirit penetrating Matter.
Along with the decline of faith, the deep meaning of the unicorn symbol gradually disappears. But the mythical animal, immortalized in iconography and sacred texts, is present everywhere and is ready to reveal its message to those who are able to hear it.
A hymn to chastity?
In the Middle Ages, this mysterious creature was glorified as a symbol of purity, nobility and knightly service to the Beautiful Lady. The European unicorn is a great connoisseur of female beauty. As the myths tell, it is precisely this weakness that hunters use when wanting to catch a beautiful animal. And this can only be done with the help of a beautiful, immaculate maiden. Attracted by her beauty (and some manuscripts also casually note that for greater effect the maiden should be naked), the unicorn falls asleep on the beauty’s lap. This is where the hunters manage to capture the fabulous animal. This legend existed in different variations in the Middle Ages in poetry, chivalric novels, and fine arts.
Stained glass windows and sculptures in medieval churches and cathedrals often depict scenes with the mythical unicorn. Perhaps medieval priests patronized the development of very piquant themes in art? Nothing happened! They simply interpreted the legend of the unicorn as the main gospel story. The fantastic unicorn appears as the incarnation of Christ, the horn signifies his connection with God the Father, as well as the life-giving cross. The Immaculate Virgin is, of course, a symbol of the Virgin Mary. This interpretation of the image of the unicorn runs not only through all theological treatises, but also through most medieval bestiaries - a collection of information about animals, which explains their symbolic meaning. Thus, the romantic legend gives way to another moralizing parable, which, it must be said, is very unsuccessfully combined with an ancient mythological plot.
Description of unicorns
One day, a fragment of a description of an unknown beast was found, made by Photias, Patriarch of Constantinople (circa 810-893 AD). He's writing:
“In India there are wild asses as large as horses, or even larger. Their body is white, their head is dark red, their eyes are bluish, and they have an elbow-length horn in their forehead. The lower part of the horn, at a distance of about two palms from the forehead, is completely white, the middle part is black, the upper part is fiery red. Those who drink from a cup made from it are resistant to convulsions, epilepsy and even poison, provided that before or after taking the poison they drank wine, water or other liquid from these cups. Their ankles are very beautiful. These animals are very strong and fast, neither a horse nor any other animal can overtake them.”
Erotic fantasy?
What is the origin of this mysterious image, and what is more in it - Christian symbolism or the outright eroticism of pagan cults? To answer this question, it is worth getting acquainted with other images close to the European unicorn.
First of all, this is the Chinese unicorn - Qi-lin, which, according to the beliefs of the ancient Chinese, descends from the sky. His appearance foreshadows the birth of a great and glorious man. They say that Qi-lin appeared to the mother of Confucius. In China, women kept images of Qi-lin in their chambers. This was supposed to bring glory to the unborn child or, at a minimum, ensure the birth of a boy and not a girl. The unicorn was often depicted next to the moon goddess Guanyin. As we see, the Chinese Qi-lin also did not disdain female society and, characteristically, was a harbinger of good for women in labor.
Qi-lin
Syrian sources mention a unicorn-like animal called "daya". It can also be caught only with the help of a maiden: the beast approaches her and sucks her naked breast. At this time, the girl grabs him by the horn - and Daya becomes the prey of the hunters.
Arab authors do not emphasize the obligatory virginity of the huntress. Any beautiful girl can catch a unicorn.
The legend of the unicorn is by no means only a European story and is not at all of Christian origin. Its origins should be sought, first of all, in fertility cults, characteristic of both European and Asian pagan traditions.
According to mythological beliefs, Mother Earth and Father Sky enter into a sacred marriage, from which all living things come. The annual imitation of this marriage was a spring cycle of rites designed to ensure the harvest. These rituals were openly erotic in nature. Their participants (often the ruler played the role of a male deity, and the priestess played the role of a female deity) performed a ritual sexual act, which symbolized the fertilization of the Earth with heavenly seed.
Unicorn. II millennium BC Relief from a seal from Mohenjo-Daro
Sacred figurines depicting the male reproductive organ had an important sacred meaning in these rituals. Such cult phallic symbols have been discovered in large numbers by archaeologists throughout Eurasia. Some of them contain an image of the world tree. According to researchers, animal horns could also carry similar symbolism. The horn in pagan tradition was also a symbol of supreme power.
Delving deeper into pagan tradition, it can be assumed that the roots of the image of the unicorn most likely lie in ancient fertility cults. The animal itself could symbolize the god of fertility or his earthly incarnation - the king-priest. The phrase in ancient manuscripts where “the unicorn comes and lies down on the virgin’s bosom” can be interpreted as a description of ritual sexual intercourse. It should be noted that the plot of hunting a unicorn and killing it also has archaic roots. In many mythological traditions, there is a story about the death and subsequent resurrection of the god of fertility (for example, the Egyptian Osiris). The blood of God, spilled on the earth, ensures the future harvest. Such stories are close to the ancient mysteries dedicated to the god Dionysus.
Unicorn magic
The unicorn is a symbol of magic. His magical powers are also legendary. His horn is harder than the strongest diamond, and is capable of neutralizing poisons. And the tears of a unicorn can heal both physical wounds and sorrows of the heart. Some of them can fly and talk to all kinds of other living things. The magical unicorn is a symbol of freedom, healing and beauty. Powerful magic wands had unicorn hair at their core, and its blood could heal a person who was dying.
Food
For those who value an appetizing and spectacular appearance in food, the fashion for everything rainbow has become simply manna from heaven. There are hundreds of unicorn-inspired recipes on social media, especially YouTube and Instagram. Natural dyes (berries, fruits, vegetables) and culinary paints are used in preparation, as well as edible glitter, gilding, pearls, and so on.
For example, there are many ideas for preparing various colorful sweets.
Food blog The Indigo Kitchen came up with a recipe for rainbow noodles. Red cabbage and lemon were used to give it a pinkish-blue hue.
Happy Sunday everyone! This is a laid back rainbowl for a laid back day. I'm so proud of having it with my first nasturtium harvest! These blossoms are sooo good, you should definitely grow some if you haven't yet. • Today started out perfectly with a yoga session at the beach. I'm honestly feeling oh so grateful for living so close to the beach, especially since it seems to soothe my eczema. Do any of you know more about this? Should I take as many swims as possible to help me heal my skin? • Have a blessed Sunday everyone, do what feels good
