The Legends of the Unicorn – Facts About a Mythical Beast

Facts About the Mythical Unicorn

Everyone loves unicorns, and why wouldn’t they? Unicorns are beautiful, magical, and pure, and if you saw one in person, it would be the best day of your life. Unfortunately, these amazing horned horses are just a fantasy, but that’s what makes the unicorn such a popular Halloween costume. Who doesn’t have an occasional yearning for a world where magic is REAL!? The legend of the unicorn has been passed down through the ages. So far, the appeal of the one horned horse shows no sign of fading.

You might think you know everything there is to know about unicorns, but these fun facts might surprise you. Check out this infographic and learn something new about these unique creatures.

There’s no better way to fully understand the captivating power of the unicorn than by becoming one! Costume SuperCenter has amazing unicorn costumes and accessories in baby, toddler, child, teen, and adult sizes, so no matter who wants to be a unicorn this year, we’ve got them covered.

Facts About the Mythical Unicorn Infographic

  • Greek historian Ctesias is responsible for the earliest mention of unicorns in Western literature, back in 5th century BCE. He described them as having a red head, white body, blue eyes, and a multicolored horn that measured 18 inches in length.
  • A unicorn’s horn is sometimes called an alicorn, and it is believed to have magical powers. Alicorn is also the name for a winged horse with one horn.
  • The unicorn is the national animal of Scotland, and National Unicorn Day is celebrated there every April 9th. Many of Scotland’s statues and buildings feature the mythological creature, and the unicorn was even on the Scottish royal coat of arms in the 12th century and on gold coins in the 15th century.
  • It is rumored that a unicorn changed Genghis Khan’s mind about invading India. A unicorn reportedly bowed down to Khan, and he took it as a sign from his deceased father that he shouldn’t go through with the invasion, so he turned back his army.
  • Since unicorn horns were thought to have the power to purify water and counteract poison, selling them became popular, and the narwhal tusk was often used as a counterfeit unicorn horn. Royals tested drinks for poison by dipping the tip of a unicorn horn in it or drinking from alicorn-lined cups.
  • Explorer Martin Frobisher presented Queen Elizabeth I with a unicorn horn in 1577. This horn, known as the “Horn of Windsor,” is now believed to be a narwhal tusk.
  • In Celtic mythology, the unicorn symbolizes purity, power, masculinity, nobility, and courage and can only be caught by those who are completely pure.

Now that you know these cool facts, you’re qualified to be a unicorn expert (yes, that’s an actual job). Unicorns have been a part of popular culture for centuries, from the beautiful unicorn art of the late Middle Ages to The Last Unicorn and Lisa Frank’s Markie the Unicorn in the 1980s and 1990s. Today it’s rare to set foot in a store without seeing unicorn merchandise, so it’s clear that these mystical creatures aren’t going anywhere. Though none of us will ever have the pleasure of seeing a real unicorn, you can delight everyone you encounter this Halloween when you wear a unicorn costume from Costume SuperCenter.


Becoming a Unicorn would be legendary, so follow Costume SuperCenter on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and share pictures of your magical look with us!

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