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.

More from History

**Thread on Bravery of Sikhs**
(I am forced to do this due to continuous hounding of Sikh Extremists since yesterday)

Rani Jindan Kaur, wife of Maharaja Ranjit Singh had illegitimate relations with Lal Singh (PM of Ranjit Singh). Along with Lal Singh, she attacked Jammu, burnt - https://t.co/EfjAq59AyI


Hindu villages of Jasrota, caused rebellion in Jammu, attacked Kishtwar.

Ancestors of Raja Ranjit Singh, The Sansi Tribe used to give daughters as concubines to Jahangir.


The Ludhiana Political Agency (Later NW Fronties Prov) was formed by less than 4000 British soldiers who advanced from Delhi and reached Ludhiana, receiving submissions of all sikh chiefs along the way. The submission of the troops of Raja of Lahore (Ranjit Singh) at Ambala.

Dabistan a contemporary book on Sikh History tells us that Guru Hargobind broke Naina devi Idol Same source describes Guru Hargobind serving a eunuch
YarKhan. (ref was proudly shared by a sikh on twitter)
Gobind Singh followed Bahadur Shah to Deccan to fight for him.


In Zafarnama, Guru Gobind Singh states that the reason he was in conflict with the Hill Rajas was that while they were worshiping idols, while he was an idol-breaker.

And idiot Hindus place him along Maharana, Prithviraj and Shivaji as saviours of Dharma.

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