If you were walking the woods of Scotland on Midsummer’s Day (June 24 in the U.K.), you might have spotted something few humans have seen … unicorns.
Of course if you’re Scottish, you might not blink an eye. After all, the unicorn is the “national animal” of Scotland, along with the red lion, both of whom appear on its royal coat of arms.
Photo, Woodland Trust
Scotland’s Woodland Trust, an organization that protects and restores the country’s woodlands, likes to inspire people to visit forests, plant trees, and enjoy the many benefits that woodlands have to offer. And this year, they also inspired imagination and wonder as they held an event in the Ledmore and Migdale woods in Sutherland featuring the mythical, mystical unicorn.
Photo, Woodland Trust
Needless to say, the event was a magical success, drawing fantasy lovers from around the area to marvel over the elusive unicorn.
Although we think of the unicorn as pure myth, the ancient Babylonians, Persians, Romans, and Greeks all describe a horse with a single horn who had magical properties that could heal any disease or illness.
This parallels the woodland fairies that live at the waterfalls in Norway on the fjords and come out and sing and dance when visitors pass by. It all feels so magical at the time and the mist of the falls provides just enough of a veil to make one second guess their rational thinking!
Most of the ” proof” of unicorns existence came from showing Narwhal tusks. Read about it in wikipedia:
“Some medieval Europeans believed narwhal tusks to be the horns from the legendary unicorn. As these horns were considered to have magic powers, such as neutralising poison and curing melancholia, Vikings and other northern traders were able to sell them for many times their weight in gold. The tusks were used to make cups that were thought to negate any poison that may have been slipped into the drink. In 1555, Olaus Magnus published a drawing of a fish-like creature with a horn on its forehead, correctly identifying it as a “Narwal”..[The narwhal is largely mentioned in the book Lore of the Unicorn. In the book, the author Odell Shepard describes the earlier interpretations of the narwhal, from being a fish with a horn in its forehead, to a sea-unicorn. ”
Just wanted to give the ” rest of the story” as Paul Harvey used to say.
Traveling in Scotland is a favorite of my hubby’s and mine! We’ve had the privilege of making three different trips, and they have included travel in Ireland, Wales and England.
On our first trip we were on a tour with a lot of other Americans with the last name “Armstrong”. Our guide took us to many places that had Armstrong Clan influence. But we also traveled to other places as well, one of which was a boat trip across the Loch Ness. At one point I went below deck to the ladies room and decided when I came back up to join my hubby and other travel companions I’d be sure to tell them I saw the Loch Ness Monster from the porthole window! It was fun!
CJ
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