Did/Does the Unicorn exist?

Jamie, I think they did. They lived next door to the Chimera and across the street from the Phoenix.

Actually, no...I think this is a translation error. My opinion, and I'm entitled to it!!!

 

As a child I was told they were too busy playing and having fun to get on the ark and that is why there are no more around today

I think they are a myth, but if ones comes to my door I may want to go for a ride LOL

 

A singing group called "The Irish Rovers" had a hit song about this, back in the 1960s I think. Lyrics below:

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A long time ago, when the earth was still green,
There were more kinds of animals than you've ever seen;
They'd run around free while the earth was being born,
The loveliest of all was the Unicorn.

There was green alligators and long-necked geese,
Some humpty-backed camels and some chimpanzees,
Some cats and rats and elephants, but sure as you're born,
The loveliest of all was the Unicorn.

Now God seen some sinnin' and it gave Him pain.
And He said, "Stand back, I'm going to make it rain."
He said, "Hey, brother Noah, I'll tell you what to do.
Build me a floating zoo."

And take some of them green alligators and long-necked geese,
Some humpty-backed camels and some chimpanzees,
Some cats and rats and elephants, but sure as you're born,
Don't you forget my Unicorn."

Old Noah was there to answer the call,
He finished up making the Ark just as the rain started fallin',
He marched in the animals two by two
And he called out as they went through,
"Hey, Lord: I've got yer....

Green alligators and long-necked geese,
Some humpty-backed camels and some chimpanzees,
Some cats and rats and elephants, but Lord, I'm so forlorn,
I just can't see no Unicorn."

Old Noah looked out into the driving rain,
Them Unicorns was hiding, playing silly games,
Kicking and splashing while the rain was pouring,
Oh, them silly Unicorns.

There was green alligators and long-necked geese,
Some humpty-backed camels and some chimpanzees,
Noah cried, "Close the doors 'cause the rain is pourin',
And we just can't wait for no Unicorns."

The Ark started movin', it drifted with the tide,
Them Unicorns looked up from the rock and they cried,
And the waters came down and sorta floated them away,
That's why you'll never see a Unicorn, to this very day.

You'll see green alligators and long-necked geese,
Some humpty-backed camels and some chimpanzees,
Some cats and rats and elephants, but sure as you're born,
You're never gonna see no Unicorn.

 

My OLDER brother had an Irish Rovers tape with that song on it!

 

It's mentioned in the Bible, so it must be. However, it had two horns and was built much like an ox.

The mythical one-horned unicorn, IMHO, did not exist except in the mind of whoever dreamt it up.

 

All unicorns, if they ever existed, had one horn (hence the name, uni-, meaning "one," and -corn, which is Latin for "horn."

A two-horned "unicorn" would be called a "bi-corn" or something similar.

 

I just listened to it, I completely forgot about that song but remembered it instantly once I heard it :flower:

Thank you for bringing back memories :thumbs:

 

Jamie: The unicorn is mentioned in several verses in the Bible:

Num 23:22 God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn.

Num 24:8 God brought him forth out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn: he shall eat up the nations his enemies, and shall break their bones, and pierce [them] through with his arrows.

Job 39:9 Will the unicorn be willing to serve thee, or abide by thy crib?

Job 39:10 Canst thou bind the unicorn with his band in the furrow? or will he harrow the valleys after thee?

Isa 34:7 And the unicorns shall come down with them, and the bullocks with the bulls; and their land shall be soaked with blood, and their dust made fat with fatness.

Psa 29:6 He maketh them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young unicorn.

Psa 92:10 But my horn shalt thou exalt like [the horn of] an unicorn: I shall be anointed with fresh oil.

Here are two verses than mention horns - plural:

Deu 33:17 His glory [is like] the firstling of his bullock, and his horns [are like] the horns of unicorns: with them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth: and they [are] the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they [are] the thousands of Manasseh.

Psa 22:21 Save me from the lion's mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns.

Many commentaries say the unicorn is much like the rhinocerous of today with one horn, while many others say it was like a wild ox with two horns.

Either way, I believe it was an animal of much strength and broad of shoulder - unlike the beautiful, slim, mythical unicorn we see today.

 

An interesting aside...

I just found out that the song was written by the late Shel Silverstein who wrote many poems and children's books. One of my favorites of his was "Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout, Would Not Take The Garbage Out!"

Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout
Would not take the garbage out!
She'd scour the pots and scrape the pans,
Candy the yams and spice the hams,
And though her daddy would scream and shout,
She simply would not take the garbage out.
And so it piled up to the ceilings:
Coffee grounds, potato peelings,
Brown bananas, rotten peas,
Chunks of sour cottage cheese.
It filled the can, it covered the floor,
It cracked the window and blocked the door
With bacon rinds and chicken bones,
Drippy ends of ice cream cones,
Prune pits, peach pits, orange peel,
Gloppy glumps of cold oatmeal,
Pizza crusts and withered greens,
Soggy beans and tangerines,
Crusts of black burned buttered toast,
Gristly bits of beefy roasts. . .
The garbage rolled on down the hall,
It raised the roof, it broke the wall. . .
Greasy napkins, cookie crumbs,
Globs of gooey bubble gum,
Cellophane from green baloney,
Rubbery blubbery macaroni,
Peanut butter, caked and dry,
Curdled milk and crusts of pie,
Moldy melons, dried-up mustard,
Eggshells mixed with lemon custard,
Cold french fried and rancid meat,
Yellow lumps of Cream of Wheat.
At last the garbage reached so high
That it finally touched the sky.
And all the neighbors moved away,
And none of her friends would come to play.
And finally Sarah Cynthia Stout said,
"OK, I'll take the garbage out!"
But then, of course, it was too late. . .
The garbage reached across the state,
From New York to the Golden Gate.
And there, in the garbage she did hate,
Poor Sarah met an awful fate,
That I cannot now relate
Because the hour is much too late.
But children, remember Sarah Stout
And always take the garbage out!

Shel Silverstein, 1974