| The Horn |
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| One of the most mystical things about the Unicorn, is their horn. They vary in shape and size, being anywhere from a few inches to several meters long. They can be straight or curved or wound like a corkscrew. They can be smooth or spiral. And their color can be any color as the rest of the unicorn. Some tales even describe the horn as having more than one color. Ctesias, a Midevil Greek Psychian, described the horn as having a white base, black middle, and red at the tip. During the Middle Ages, and even later, the Unicorn's horn, because of it's fabled purity, was a popular ingredient for medicines and for alchemical reactions. Potentates and pontiffs reputed Unicorn's horns because it was conisdered strong protection against poison. The horn was also believed to ward off stomach trouble and epilepsy. The dust filed from a Unicorn's horn, or alicorn, was a popular ingredient used in magic potions that were thought to be highly effective against malignant ills and other evils. The horns were so prized that they were kept in the vaults of royalty. In Medievel times there was some contraversy about alicorns [Unicorn's horn]. Many people could not affor real alicorns and rumors circulated that that many horns were actually fakes. Since people were so concerned over the authenticy of their alicorns, scientists came up wih tests to tell whether the alicorn was a genuine horn or counterfeit. These are some of the tests for a true alicorn: The true horn, when thrown in water, sends up bubbles. The water seems to boil, though cold, and one can hear it boiling. The true horn gives out a sweet odor when burned. Poisonous plants and animals, when brought near the horn, burst and die. The true horn sweats in the presence on poison. The true horn is always straited, is extremely hard, very heavy, the color of boxwood, and able to save the life of a pigeon poisoned with arsenic. Enclose a spider in a circle drawn on the floor with an alicorn. If the horn is true the spider will not be able to cross outside of a circle and will starve to death inside it. Place the horn in a vessel and with it three or four live, large scorpions, keeping the vessel covered. If four hours later the scorpions are dead ,or almost lifeless, the alicorn is true a true one. If a piece of silk is placed upon a piece of coal, and burns when the alicorn is near, then it is genuine. |
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