A short article on the mythological fabulous beast, the unicorn, and its place in legends and fairy tales. Children's curiosity can be sparked with  fantasy toys such as those produced by Schleich. including the unicorn.

The unicorn is of course a mythological creature that looks like a horse but has a single horn on its forehead. The unicorn is one of very few good guys in mythology, often depicted as fierce and brave, and possessed of mystical powers used to help protect mankind from evil. It is only apparently, because Noah overlooked the unicorn when rounding up all the earth's animals for the ark, that we have none left today.

The myth of the unicorn may have derived from early Nordic people's sightings of a species of huge rhinoceros that once used to roam the plains of Europe, or may have been inspired by African animals like the Oryx and Eland, types of antelope with two long thin horns. Viewed from the side and from a distance these could be seen as rather like a horse with a horn. Another theory is that the long horn of the Narwhal, a species of whale, was responsible for the myth. We don't really know where the story of the unicorn originated.

The magical unicorn has mystified mankind for centuries and been the stuff of legends. A Scottish folk tale tells how once a unicorn helped to guard a fair young maiden from unsuitable suitors and could turn them to stone with a shake of its head. Unicorns have appeared throughout history in religious settings, and in heraldry where these icons signalled the merits of courage and chivalry. More recently, unicorns have featured, along with other mystical beasts in the tales of Harry Potter, and thus hold as much fascination for children as ever.

To find a unicorn today, you need only go to a manufacturer of toys and collectables like Schleich. Their Bayala World of Fantasy range includes marvellous models of unicorns and Pegasus, the flying horse, as well as princes and princesses.

Myths and legends can be brought to life with action figures such as those produced by Schleich. So the kids can have a "real" unicorn today!