Scotland: The unicorn as national animal?

 

SCOTLAND: THE UNICORN AS NATIONAL ANIMAL?

 National animals are representations of the spirit of a country. America, for instance, has the eagle, a symbol of freedom. England has the lion, an illustration of strength, Spain has the bull, India has the Royal Bengal tiger... But Scotland's national animal is quite strange, as it is entirely fictional, as if taken out of a fairytale: the unicorn.

Unicorns have been a popular mythical creature since Ancient Greek times when people believed they lived in exotic India. People have believed in these magical creatures for over 3,000 years. In fact, the unicorn has been mentioned in religious books like The Bible and the Quran.

In Celtic mythology, the Unicorn of Scotland is said to symbolise bravery, innocence, purity, healing powers, pride, intelligence, joy and virility. They’re also said to be proud and untamable.

Kings considered the mythical beast to be the best representation of power, and many monarchs of Scotland used the unicorn in their coat of arms. In fact, unicorns were believed to be so strong that only Kings and virgin maidens could keep them captive. Kings were able to do this due to their divine right to ruler-ship and virgins are as pure and innocent as the unicorns themselves. James II wholeheartedly embraced the legend, and the unicorn became the symbol of purity and power that Scottish kings and nobility identified with in the 15th Century. Over time, this led to the unicorn becoming officially recognised as Scotland’s national animal.

British coat of arms

The British coat of arms depicts a unicorn and a lion flanking a shield. As we mentioned before, the lion is the national animal of England, and the unicorn represents Scotland; both of which are part of the British empire. It’s said the lion is the unicorn’s arch nemesis. Moreover, the unicorn is undefeatable.

National Unicorn Day

As crazy as it may sound, National Unicorn Day is a thing in Scotland. It is celebrated on 9th April in different ways. To learn more about this holiday and how to celebrate it, click here.

Everywhere you go in Scotland you can see them – you just need to know where to look

As the unicorn has been a symbol of purity and power for a long time, we can find representations of them in form of tapestries, paintings, monuments... all over Edinburgh. For example, at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, Edinburgh Castle, Craigmillar Castle and St Giles’ Cathedral, all in Edinburgh, unicorns are found everywhere.