

all 9 comments

[–]LeftBehind83British Army 1754-1815 32 points33 points  (2 children)

Nobody knows how the Unicorn came to be Scotland's "national animal", but it was at the heart of Celtic mythology, symbolising purity, life and happiness. The earliest we can trace it to in Scotland is on the Royal Coat of Arms at Rothesay Castle on the Isle of Bute which is believed to have been carved prior to the 15th Century and during the reign of King James III gold coins were minted that bore the design of a unicorn and indeed today you'll still find a unicorn on the Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom.

Also, Unicorns are badass.

[–]shackleton1 2 points3 points  (1 child)

Do you have a source for this? What's the reason it's thought to be of Celtic origin? (I ask because, though I could be wrong, I rather thought it was Greek).

Further, while the symbolism of unicorns is often purity and other good things, I think it's probable that, in this example, it is a bestial presence; a monster that's difficult to capture. If you look closely, you'll see the unicorn on the crest is chained. It would be quite odd to have happiness and purity in chains.

[–]LeftBehind83British Army 1754-1815 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I didn't say it was of Celtic origin, I said that it featured in Celtic mythology. The unicorn actually originated in Babylon and it was brought back to Greece by the Greek physician Ctesias when he visited Persia in 416BC.


In reference to your second issue, all (as far as I am aware) heraldic Unicorns are chained as they were indeed considered dangerous and bestial creatures. But chaining animals in heraldry is commonplace with Bulls, Deer, Lions and Griffins springing to mind as being chained, it doesn't diminish what they represent.

[–][deleted]  (5 children)


    [–]Algernon_Asimov[M] 7 points8 points  (4 children)

    This may not answer your question but it is related. Fun Fact:

    Sorry, but this isn't r/ShareHistoricalTrivia. We expect people who post top-level comments to actually be attempting to answer the question that was asked.

    [–]dflove 11 points12 points  (3 children)

    Damn. I thought r/ShareHistoricalTrivia was a real subreddit. Got a little excited.

    [–]Algernon_Asimov 3 points4 points  (2 children)

    So create it!

    [–]dflove 5 points6 points  (1 child)

    Not a bad idea. It's not like TIL... because it's the useless and fun little historical tidbits that people have been carrying around with them and would like to share with others.

    [–]Algernon_Asimov -1 points0 points  (0 children)

    By the way... if you're looking for trivia in this sub, keep an eye out for our Tuesday Trivia threads.