Chasing Unicorns

[Tomo]

Mythical beasts - certainly.

Scottish - most definitely.

So why is there a dearth of representations of Scotland's national emblem on Highlandwear and associated paraphernalia?

Everything else seams pretty well covered:

• Rampant lions - check
• Stags - check
• Thistles - check
• St Andrew - check
• Saltires - check
• Celtic stuff - check
• Pictish stuff - check
• Clan ephemera - check
• Heilan Coos - check
• Unicorns - err... well...

[FossilHunter]

It does seem a shame. In modern times I’m sure it has to do with unicorns being feminized in pop culture.

A lot of people think of this:



Rather than this (the unicorn from CS Lewis’ The Last Battle):

[FossilHunter]

There’s also the fact that the crest of clan Oliphant is a unicorn.



It’s possible the association with a specific clan has made it less popular as a general highland symbol. On the other hand stags feature in the crests of some clans but are a very popular symbol of the highlands as well. Deer stalking and the fact that deer are real probably has something to do with that.

[MacKenzie]

I'll go with modern cultural association. "Unicorns and rainbows" and all that falderal.

It is a part of the Royal coats of arms, after all.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Li...th_Realms).svg

[Micrographia]

Well, it's the national animal rather than emblem - the lion rampant on the royal banner is our emblem and would always always be first choice for an animal design that refers to Scotland. It's also only really present on the Royal coats of arms (both the English and the Scottish versions) so doesn't have that feeling of specificity that the other symbols of Scotland have. I wouldn't be surprised if a lion was the first choice for national animal, but some other country got there first...

You can still find them though. I remember being in the crowd when this handsome example was unveiled.

Untitled.jpg

Regards, EEM

[Bruce Scott]

Some unicorn kilt pins:

https://stkildastore.com/Unicorn-Kilt-Pin

https://bagpipespecialists.com/produ...corn-kilt-pin/ (probably the same as the one above)

https://www.craftycelts.com/product/...-talisman-pin/

https://www.etsy.com/ie/listing/6872...search_click=1

[Tomo]

As I have a 5 year old daughter, I am familiar with the modern take on unicorns - but the association with Scotland certainly pre-dates this by some way.

It was first used on the Scottish royal coat of arms by William I in the 12th C. - so around the same time as the Lion was used as the royal banner - and later adopted as an emblem (The National Museum of Scotland's word - not mine, although I did actually mean to say national animal in my o.p.) by James I in the 15th C.

It's typically used as one of the supporters (or both of them in earlier versions - pre-1603).

The photo in my o.p. is from the Gatehouse at Holyrood - although I can't remember if it is associated with James IV or James V. A number of Scottish towns still sport them on top of the Merkat Cross, the one on the Royal Mile being an obvious example - as well as other representations in public art etc.

I has seen some of the kilt pins before. Although three are to the same design - and whilst this is relatively accurate as one of the supporters (oddly enough taken from the English version of the royal arms as the one on the Scottish version faces right and wears a crown) it does look a little disembodied when separated from the rest of the arms. I think the style often seen on Merkat Crosses would work better for a kilt pin design etc.



I don't have a yearning for a unicorn something or other - but wondered if anyone had any insight as to why it appears to have been largely overlooked in the context of Highlandwear.

[Micrographia]

Tomo - I think its simply that the unicorn isn't widely recognised as a symbol of the country and there is no emotional attachment to it among Scots. Grown-up ones anyway - I have a young daughter as well . If yours is getting into her reading I can recommend the Phoebe and her Unicorn comic books

The national football team and a good number of professional sides, including the one I support , use the lion rampant and you can find stags and thistles on the badges of other teams. No unicorns though. Scottish Rugby Union uses the thistle. The saltire and its colours are ubiquitous, including the emblem of the Church of Scotland (along with a burning bush) and the celtic cross would appeal to a lot of religious folk as well. Thistles, stags, St Andrew and the like can be found on regimental badges and there is obviously a strong emotional bond there. Coos are cute, Celtic and Pictish work appeals to people who see biscuit tin imagery as twee and those into the whole pan-Celtic thing. Tartan itself is a big signifier of Scottishness everywhere. Unicorns only really crop up as part of the Royal arms, on some clan badges or as ornamentation on architecture. If you're going to choose a symbol to display as part of your Scottish identity then for most folk a unicorn would be a long way down the list .

To be honest I reckon most Scots aren't aware of what their national animal is - how many on xmarks could honestly say they associate unicorns with Scotland?

Regards, EEM.

[FossilHunter]

Tomo - I think its simply that the unicorn isn't widely recognised as a symbol of the country and there is no emotional attachment to it among Scots. Grown-up ones anyway - I have a young daughter as well . If yours is getting into her reading I can recommend the Phoebe and her Unicorn comic books

The national football team and a good number of professional sides, including the one I support , use the lion rampant and you can find stags and thistles on the badges of other teams. No unicorns though. Scottish Rugby Union uses the thistle. The saltire and its colours are ubiquitous, including the emblem of the Church of Scotland (along with a burning bush) and the celtic cross would appeal to a lot of religious folk as well. Thistles, stags, St Andrew and the like can be found on regimental badges and there is obviously a strong emotional bond there. Coos are cute, Celtic and Pictish work appeals to people who see biscuit tin imagery as twee and those into the whole pan-Celtic thing. Tartan itself is a big signifier of Scottishness everywhere. Unicorns only really crop up as part of the Royal arms, on some clan badges or as ornamentation on architecture. If you're going to choose a symbol to display as part of your Scottish identity then for most folk a unicorn would be a long way down the list .

To be honest I reckon most Scots aren't aware of what their national animal is - how many on xmarks could honestly say they associate unicorns with Scotland?

Regards, EEM.

To be fair, I don’t really associate lions with Scotland either. There are about as many wild lions in Scotland as there are unicorns. ;)