Monoceros (legendary creature)
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The monoceros (Greek: μονοκέρως) is a legendary animal with only one horn.
Mythology
It derives from the Greek word Μονόκερως, a compound word from μόνος (monos) which means "one" and κέρας (neuter gender, keras) which means "horn".
The monoceros was first described in Pliny the Elder's Natural History as a creature with the body of a horse, the head of a stag (minus the antlers), the feet of an elephant, and the tail of a wild boar. It has one black horn in the middle of its forehead, which is two cubits in length, and is impossible to capture alive.[1]
In today's English language, the term monoceros typically refers to a unicorn or similar one-horned creature.[2]
See also
References
- ^ introduction, Pliny the Elder ; translated with an; Healy, notes by John F. (1991). Natural history. London, England: Penguin Books. ISBN 9780140444131.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "monoceros". OED Online. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
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