My grandmother used to tell stories of a large horse-like creature fifty feet in length with a single horn on its head and a six-color striped coat. The unicorn is a vain creature who is quite proud of its colorful coat. Growing up in Fida, my grandmother told me one herd of unicorns lived in Markes and that the Giants of the Altir Mountains ride them as steeds, bribing them with compliments and sugar. I now believe it is merely a legend and Markes was just a convenient far away land for her tales. To my disappointment, I have never seen a unicorn, but quite enjoyed my grandmother’s stories of them as a child.

Commentary #

Rafa Apothecary Yuva bet Viva v’ Zamir of blessed memory drew many unicorns on the side of her notes accounting the healing herbs that grow at the base of the Altir Mountains. It is unclear if she witnessed actual unicorns or just enjoyed drawing them from stories.  – Rafa Shai

I recently read an interesting account in the writings of Rafa Scholar Taamrat bet Mulualem v’ Wodage of Ny’olir. He took much interest in horned creatures. As a child, he would sneak into the forest against his parents’ warnings to watch what he called Rhinoceros, large black creatures with a single horn.

While traveling in the Far West, he met a spirit called a Kirin. It had the head of a lion with a horn and body of an ox covered in scales. The Kirin announces the arrival of scholars. This Kirin followed Rafa Taamrat all the way back to Ny’olir.

One day, he noticed the Kirin’s horn crawling off its head with small feet like a centipede. It laid a nest of eggs and later a baby horn-bug crawled onto the Kirin’s head, where it continued to grow. Rafa Taamrat found the same phenomenon among the Rhinoceros and a species of horned air serpents. I cannot help wondering if unicorn’s horns are also symbiotic insects.    

-Rosh Rafa Shai