The Crossroads Gazette
The Crossroads Gazette
Patron Podcast: Unicorns, From Ancient India to the Unicorn Tapestries
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Patron Podcast: Unicorns, From Ancient India to the Unicorn Tapestries

In this episode, we track the transformation of the unicorn in folklore, along with the mythical creature's presence in consumer products today.
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Welcome to the Patron Podcast! The Patron Podcast is where we dive deep into fascinating stories from history, folklore, literature, and more. While many of our essays are free, the Patron Podcast is for paid subscribers only. To get access to the Patron Podcast, the weekly Crossroads Roundup, and the full archive, become a paid subscriber below:

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When you picture a unicorn, what comes to mind? For many people living today, the unicorn is the domain of children’s literature, My Little Pony, and a very colorful Starbucks Frappuccino. But unicorns were once regarded as fearsome, wild beasts, whose legendary horns could purify poisoned water just as easily as they might bludgeon a hunter to death.

In today’s episode, we explore how the unicorn evolved over the centuries, from the Indus Valley civilization to Renaissance tapestries, and eventually, the 2010s “unicorn food” trend.

Our theme song is “Arabesque No. 1” by Claude Debussy (public domain).

The Unicorn Rests in a Garden (from the Unicorn Tapestries), ca. 1495-1505. Via the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

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