44 Facts About Unicorns

Here are some interesting facts about unicorns. (Which are definitely real and totally not a myth.)

1. The Throne Chair of Denmark, constructed in the 1600s, was said to be made with unicorn horn. Upon scientific inspection, it was revealed to be narwhal horn. A narwhal is a whale with a large tusk on its head. Unfortunately, since 400 years had passed and Denmark had lost their receipt, they were not entitled to a refund.

2. The most popular unicorn movie is called The Last Unicorn. It’s an animated film that was released in 1982. It stars Mia Farrow, Jeff Bridges, and Christopher Lee.

3. It’s possible to breed a one-horned goat. Not quite a unicorn, but it’s close!

4. The horn of a unicorn is called the alicorn.

5. In Christian art, unicorns represent love and chastity.

6. Unicorn horn was once thought to be an antidote for any type of poison. This was a magic trick that could only be performed once. (Because it didn’t cure anything. You just died. And not even a kiss from Prince Charming can fix a corpse.)

7. In addition to raiding, looting, and pillaging, Vikings were the number one seller of fake unicorn horns.

8. The King James Bible mentions the word “unicorn” nine times. This book was first published in 1611.

9. Saint Isidore, a scholar and the Archbishop of Seville, claimed that the easiest way to catch a unicorn was to use a naked unmarried woman as bait.

10. The Siberian rhino is nicknamed the “Siberian unicorn” because of its gigantic horn.

11. Cave paintings/drawings of unicorns date back to 15,000 BC.

12. Genghis Khan reportedly cancelled his planned invasion of India because he met a unicorn. The unicorn bowed to him, and the warlord took this as a sign that maybe he should go home and play with his friends.

13. Some deer are born with one antler. So it’s possible that if there used to be horses with horns, then one of those horses could have been born with a single horn. Presto. Unicorn.

14. The unicorn is the national animal of Scotland. The government won’t say where they’re keeping them hidden though. Just like the Irish and their leprechauns!

15. Several Roman scholars, such as Pliny the Elder, claimed to have seen a unicorn. Unfortunately, he was known for writing fiction when he was supposed to be writing non-fiction. If Pliny was around today, he’d definitely be banned from editing Wikipedia articles.

16. Marco Polo claimed to have seen a unicorn. Although this was a man constantly on a quest for funding, and back then it looked better on your business application if you wrote down things like “Planning to catch a big unicorn, or maybe a sea monster. It doesn’t matter because soon we’ll be swimming in gold.”

17. Scientists believe that most unicorn sightings were actually rhinoceros sightings. Because if you turn your head and squint they kind of look like one.

18. One famous Greek historian/doctor (Ctesias) claimed to have seen a unicorn with a red head and a multi-colored horn. Although it’s more likely he used the wrong medicinal herbs and was hallucinating. I mean come on, a rainbow horn? That’s just bananas!

19. The government of North Korea claims a unicorn is buried in the tomb of King Tongmyong.

20. Unicorns were stamped on Scottish coins from 1460-1488.

21. Unicorn horns (which were usually narwhal horns) were sold for 10 times their weight in gold in the 1500s.

22. At Lake Superior University you can get a unicorn hunting license. Catch and release is preferred, but really it’s up to you. A unicorn might make a nice friend.

23. Unicorns were thought to come in any color, but their eyes were either blue or purple.

24. It was believed that unicorns didn’t need to eat anything because they absorbed energy from the sun. Like plants and solar panels.

25. Unicorns are solitary creatures. Like a moose, they travel alone through the forest searching for food and the meaning of life. Okay maybe not the meaning of life. Everybody knows what that is. It’s chocolate.

26. Most people believed unicorns could not be tamed. That’s why you never saw a domesticated unicorn. It wasn’t because they didn’t exist. It’s because they didn’t like living in a barn. And really who can blame them? Barns are cold and smelly.

27. In Jewish myths, if a unicorn and an elephant got into a fight, the elephant would be destroyed. It was believed that unicorns were super strong. Magic even!

28. Just like Wonder Woman’s Lasso of Truth, a unicorn can use its horn to tell with someone is lying.

29. Pharmacies in London sold “powered unicorn horn” until 1745.

30. Scientists have tried transplanting a goat horn onto a horse in order to turn the horse into a unicorn. This did not work out, and the goat was quite unhappy.

31. Queen Elizabeth of England owned many cups and dishes carved from “unicorn horn.” She thought it would prevent her from being poisoned, which she never was. So maybe the horn worked in a sense. Because if her assassins thought she couldn’t be poisoned, they wouldn’t even try. Clever girl… 

32. In Scotland, unicorns are depicted as having the tail of a lion.

33. During the Beanie Baby craze of the late 1990s, the most expensive Beanie Baby was Mystic the Unicorn. One once sold for more than $6,400. (Inflation adjusted to 2021.)

34. Myths, drawings, and cave paintings of unicorns have been found all over the world. Many scientists believed unicorns might once have actually existed, but are now unfortunately extinct. (Or maybe they’re just hiding deep in the jungle.)

35. It was once believed that rubbing unicorn horn on a wound could magically fix it.

36. Julius Caesar claimed to have once seen a unicorn.

37. If you see a unicorn, it’s rumored you will have good luck.

38. Queen Elizabeth the 1st was given a unicorn horn by explorer Martin Frobisher. It became known as the Horn of Windsor and is still part of the Crown Jewels.

39. In the Bible, a horse with a horn on its head is called a “re'em.”

40. Ancient Greeks believed unicorns lived in India. So, whenever a famous Greek or Roman would visit India, they’d often return with a story of seeing a unicorn.

41. Danish physician Ole Worm figured out in 1638 that all the unicorn horns being sold were actually narwhal horns. Of course nobody listened to him and kept buying powered “unicorn horn” for another hundred years.

42. Fake unicorn skeletons were displayed in museums in the 1600s. They were constructed using the bones of a rhino and a mammoth.

43. The royal coat of arms of Queen Elizabeth II has a unicorn on it.

44. Many scientists believe the unicorn myth comes from a species of extinct rhinoceros called the Elasmotherium. It was about the size of a horse and had a huge horn on its head so…there you go! Unicorns were real.