| Each month, this page is dedicated to a fantastic creature from myth and legend, particularly rare or unheard of mythical creatures. I'll provide some information, and possibly some links, and maybe even some pictures of the creature in question, and hopefully get some writer or artist inspired to draw or write about the creature presented here! I like to have some feedback about this site and the creatures presented, so please email me. | ||||
| Background: When one thinks of a unicorn, one thinks of a beautiful white horse with a glittering spiral horn atop its head, who is graceful and elegant, and would hide at the slightest hint of danger. This unicorn from the Arabian lands is NONE of these things! It is the largest and most ferocious of all the unicorns in the world. It has a taste for blood and meat, and would even attack elephants. It has no fear of humans and would drive both humans and animals away from its territory. |
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| Origin:
The name karkadann is a variation of the Sanskrit kartajan, which means "lord of the desert". Other spellings and pronunciations include karkadan, karmadan, and Cartazoon. It ranges from the plains and deserts of India and Persia to northeastern Africa. Another well-known modern creature also lives in those areas, the rhinoceros, and some believe that the two are one in the same. The oryx, a large type of antelope also in those regions, was also another creature which is believed to give rise to the karkadann; the oryx's two black horns can appear to be a single horn when seen from the side.
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| Description and Behavior:
The description for this one type unicorn are as varied as unicorn descriptions in general. The size and shape ranges from a wolf to a cow to an elephant! Its feet has either two or three hooves and its tail is like that of a lion. Its horn was pitch black and spiral, but had more of a corkscrew shape than the typical straight spiral horn. Around 400 BCE, the historian Ctesias described the karkadann as follows: "Their bodies are white, their heads dark red and their eyes dark blue. They have a horn on the forehead that is about a foot and a half in length.... The animal is exceedingly swift and powerful, so that no creature, neither the horse nor any other, can overtake it." The ground shook whenever the creature ran, and it could make a loud bellow that frightened all animals away. However, their was one animal that would not be frightened away and which the karkadann tolerated: the ringdove. Legend says that the ringdove would perch upon a karkadann's horn and sing a beautiful song which the karkadann enjoyed. It would stake a territory near a nest of ringdoves and would guard them jealously.
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| Links:
If you know of any other interesting links, please let me know! | ||||
