Modern viewers may be horrified by medieval images of people hunting unicorns, but--to judge by medieval images of unicorns--medieval people may have seen unicorns as a little....murdery.

(BL, MS Sloane 3544, f. 4) #MedievalTwitter

When not being hunted, medieval unicorns mostly seem to be attacking other creatures, like this poor elephant.

(BL, MS Royal 2 B VII, f. 100v)
Or these bears.

(BL, MS Royal 10 E IV, f. 157)
Or this lion.

(BL, MS Royal 2 B VII, f. 190v)
Here's a whole troop of them fighting Alexander the Great.

(BL, MS Royal 15 E VI, f. 21)
Fighting this man.

(Bodleian Library, MS Ashmole 828, f. 7v)
Here's a common allegorical image, where the tree represents a person's life and the unicorn represents.....death.

(Morgan, MS M.729, f. 354v)
Here's another version of the same image.

(BL, MS Additional 37049, f. 19v)
"You've got to come down sometime, dude!"

(Morgan, MS M.763, f. 251r)
Here's St Anthony being tormented by demons, including one in the shape of a very threatening unicorn.

(BnF, MS Français 313, f. 298)
"I've got you cornered, buddy."

(Morgan, MS M.1093, f. 154r)
They even attack marginal decorations!

(Morgan, MS W.82, f 205v)
More marginal carnage.

(BL, MS Additional 42130 f. 15)
A unicorn gleefully menaces a terrified lion.

(Bodleian Library, MS Douce 48, f. 221v)
In conclusion, medieval unicorns woke up every day and chose violence.

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