Rainbows and unicorns are so intrinsically linked that it’s not surprising that the magic creature started to appear at Gay Pride parades around the world. In the last century, the unicorn has made its appearance in the LGBTQ+ community.
Entire horns were very precious in the Middle Ages and were often really the tusks of narwhals. Alicorn powder, typically made from the tusks or horns of various animals, has been sold in Europe for medicinal purposes as late as 1741. While these were not definitively unicorn horns, they sold for many times their weight and gold and proved to be a very profitable industry. In fact, many ‘horns’ were sold by traders who came from the north and south. Cups were often made from alicorn for kings and given as a gift. It was common for those of great wealth or nobility to attempt to procure a horn to protect themselves against attacks or to extend their lifespan in general. Because of its supposed magical abilities, the unicorn and its horn was greatly sought after by anyone with means in the early ages. Those who drank from its horn were thought to be protected from stomach trouble, epilepsy, and poison. Its horn was said to have the power to render poisoned water potable and to heal sickness. The horn itself and the substance it was made of was called alicorn, and it was believed that the horn held magical and medicinal properties and thought to cure many diseases. He stated that the Indian wild ass was the size of a horse, with a white body, purple head, and blue eyes, and on its forehead was a cubit-long horn colored red at the pointed tip, black in the middle, and white at the base. The earliest description in Greek literature of a single-horned animal was by the Greek physician and historian Ctesias around 400 BCE. The unicorn appeared in early Mesopotamian artworks, and it also was referred to in the ancient myths of India and China. Over time, the unicorn acquired additional significance as a symbol of purity, protection, and medieval chivalry. Early accounts describe the unicorn as ferocious, swift, and impossible to capture, with a magical horn capable of healing numerous ailments. The unicorn has been described as an animal resembling a horse or a goat with a single horn on its forehead. In fact, it was even included in many natural history books of the time. Though in modern day this creature is thought to be nothing more than a myth, ancient cultures wrote of it as a real animal. The Unicorn is a legendary creature that is known to possess magical abilities.