So, you thought that unicorns were pure fantasy? How about some mythology--and even some reality, as well? The author traces evidence for the unicorn in the paleontological records and concludes that a certain, now extinct, species may have survived into the historical time.
The book has an astonishing, truly encyclopedic breadth of mythological references--from Mesopotamia to Europe to India to China--although a more in-depth analysis of the original sources to determine which one influenced which and how is not the focus of this book. The links to the Sumerian culture are especially interesting and well researched, and some original hypotheses are formulated.
Three major themes are explored: (1) the myth of the endless battle between the lion and the unicorn; (2) how to hunt the unicorn (and now, virginity is not always involved--or even chastity, which is a quite different quality); (3) the special properties of the unicorn …
