"Thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns:" The Biblical Unicorn in Late Medieval Religious Interpretation

Weitbrecht, Julia (2018) "Thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns:" The Biblical Unicorn in Late Medieval Religious Interpretation. Interfaces: A Journal of Medieval European Literatures, 5. pp. 49-64. ISSN 2421-5503

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Abstract

[EN] This article investigates the 'allegorical hunt of the unicorn' in late medieval visual and narrative art. The existence of the unicorn in biblical lore is an important factor in how the unicorn has been integrated into Christian symbolism. By expanding the narrative connection between hunting, virginity, and taming provided by Physiologus, the allegorical interpretations turn the taming of the wild unicorn into signifying the incarnation of Christ. This influential interpretation enables an overlaying of allegorical meanings in various media. In this process, knowledge is organized into clusters of meaning in which the creature functions as a dynamic reservoir of knowledge. This perspective allows for a deeper understanding of the functions of animals (or more specifically, human-animal relations) in medieval Christian interpretation.

Tipologia del documento:	Articolo in rivista
Parole chiave:	Unicorn; Allegorical Hunt of the Unicorn; Annunciation; Beschlossen gart des Rosenkrantz Marie; Human-Animal Relationships
Soggetto:	D History General and Old World > D History (General) > D111 Medieval History P Language and Literature > PN Literature (General) > PN0441 Literary History
Depositato il:	21 Ago 2026 21:40
Ultima modifica:	22 Ago 2026 14:26
URI:	https://www.rmoa.unina.it/id/eprint/7999

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