Did fantastical beasts like the unicorn and phoenix use to exist?

[Kennigit]

maybe for those of you who suscribe to linear time.

The unicorn exists in what you creatures would describe as, um, what's the word called? "Soon"

Apologies for not knowing your language. My native language is aramaic.

 

[timtofly]

I doubt one can convince an evolutionist that a mutated or regressive gene could ever produce a singular horn in the middle of the forehead of the Equus genus.

There are other genus like the Rhinoceros that might fit the bill.

 

[warpus]

Sorry Warpy but this time you're wrong . The Bible says that women were created for men so Eve could not have been superior to Adam. You did give me a good laugh though, thanks for that

Since when is the Bible an authority on unicorns and duocorns?

 

[Terxpahseyton]

Dunno. But I believe the LotR became the authority on elves quickly after its publication (previously elves tended to be more like fairies I think).

 

[warpus]

In the original draft of Lord of the Rings Elves had horns on their heads. True story.

 

[Terxpahseyton]

Viking elves?
I really don't know what to respond.
I need to let that sink in.
Did they also have giant massive beards occasionally serving as a third fist? Did dwarfs shave their legs? It all seemed so right, but now it all seems to be put into question.
Well I suppose many adherents of fictional books eventually go through that phase.

 

[MilesGregarius]

In the original draft of Lord of the Rings Elves had horns on their heads. True story.

I thought they periodically burst into flame before being reborn under cabbage plants.

 

[Birdjaguar]

We know that unicorns once existed (perhaps they still do) because they are mentioned many times in the Bible. For example:

Isaiah 34:7 And the unicorns shall come down with them, and the bullocks with the bulls; and their land shall be soaked with blood, and their dust made fat with fatness.

There are more instances listed here:
http://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/unicorn/

Yes, but the KJV translates a Hebrew word unknown to the English.

http://carm.org/bible-unicorn

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unicorn

 

[Perfection]

Jesus rode a unicorn.

 

[Kyriakos]

To believe that those creatures existed is chimeric.

 

[Krogan Doctor]

To believe that those creatures existed is chimeric.

It's not, unless you can provide irrefutable proof why

 

[Kyriakos]

I just meant to make the 'pun' with the chimera, one of those very creatures

As for there existing (or ever having existed) beings populating mythology, i suppose something like them might have had. You picked two of the most savory ones, anyway (unicorn and phoenix). The Phoenix is great as a metaphor, obviously.

 

[Borachio]

Unicorn.

Well, Diceros bicornis, I know. But cut a myth some slack!

By the time some traveller gets back from Africa, a tale gets taller.

 

[Krogan Doctor]

I just meant to make the 'pun' with the chimera, one of those very creatures

As for there existing (or ever having existed) beings populating mythology, i suppose something like them might have had. You picked two of the most savory ones, anyway (unicorn and phoenix). The Phoenix is great as a metaphor, obviously.

I can't imagine Jesus using something nonexistent as a metaphor. He is the creator and source of all living things (according to the, and my, Christian faith anyway) ergo He wouldn't use a human construct to make a point.

 

[sanabas]

So the reason you imagine the unicorn to be real is actually because you lack imagination? Tricky.


There are much more fantastical beasts than the unicorn & phoenix that actually do exist. People should get more excited about them. Instead of ordinary animals with added magic powers.

 

[Kyriakos]

Well, the Phoenix was supposed to be reborn from its own ashes, so it would have been far more interesting than any animal which merely had a strange form but nothing out of the ordinary in its biology

 

[Chukchi Husky]

I think I heard somewhere that the origin of the phoenix may have come from stories about the birds-of-paradise.

 

[Lillefix]

My personal theory, backed up by I'm sure something, is that Adam was a unicorn and Eve was a duocorn. Then Adam got annoyed that she had two horns and he only had one, so they were kicked out of the garden of eden by the phoenix and lost their horns.

Unicorn and bicorn thank you very much It's latin.

If it were greek it would be monoceros and diceros(?)

 

[Kyriakos]

^ Yes

Going by the triceratops, anyway, a being with only two horns would be a diceros or diceratops i suppose. Monoceros just means singularly-horned.

A two-horned being might also be called amphiceros though (i don't recall ever seing this term but it sounds ok).

 

[Ajidica]

Did unicorns and phoenix exist?
Only in really awesome acid trips.