"Purity Contemplates Darkness" by Desiree J. Isphording

A single horned creature almost universally makes an apprearance in world myth. Most are only familiar with its European incarnation, or with the sugary, playful unicorns that are so popular with young children. However, the unicorn's influence is much more profound than either stereotype suggests. Even in medieval times, the unicorn had many meanings. It was said that the creature could only be captured by luring it with a young female virgin, and when it rested its head in her lap, it was trapped with a gold harness. This led to an anology between the unicorn, Jesus, and Mary, with the unicorn representing Christ, and the maiden taking the role of Mary. Conversly, during the same time period, the unicorn was also associated with Satan, who could only be tamed with innocence (represented by the virgin). They were hunted in the Dark ages for their horns, called Alicorns, because they were believed to purify food and water, as well as cure any illness. However, many ended up settling for the horn of the narwhal instead. The unicorn also made an appearance in the Orient. The Chinese refer to it as a 'Ky-lin', and the Japanese as 'Kirin'. Their illustrations of the creature do not depict it as a horse-like being, but rather as something along the lines of a hybrid between a dragon and a lion with a single horn. A unicorn was said to appear to Confucius' mother before his birth, and was also present at his death. Generally speaking, the unicorn was given the traits of purity and innocence (although there are a few noteworthy exceptions!), which was the spirit in which I drew this one.

For some more information on unicorns, visit The History of the Unicorn. I would also recommend a book entitled The Unicorn written by Nancy Hathaway which details the history and mythology of the unicorn far better than I have! The medium is black ballpoint pen.

Once upon a time, before the big crash in April, this image actually received a moderator's choice.