The Unicorn: a Mythological Investigation Astral Origin of the Emblems and Hebrew Alphabet

Abstract

IT is perhaps unjust to Mr. Brown's very attractive and suggestive book to couple it with the wild and ignorant lucubrations of the Rev. J. H. Broome. Mr. Brown has collected his facts from the latest and best authorities, and displays a wonderful amount of wide reading. His main object is to show that the unicorn of heraldry is the last faded representative of the horned moon of early mythology who struggles in vain with the solar lion, and among other curious points which he seems to have made clear is that the Triquetra of Sicily, the three legs of the Isle of Man, is the lunar ass of the Bundehesh with the triple legs. His book supplies another illustration of the close connection that exists between mythical astronomy and mythical zoology. As for Mr. Broome it is sufficient to say that he supposes the square Hebrew characters to constitute an independent alphabet of early origin, and the zodiac of Denderah to be “the oldest planisphere in the world, apparently referring to a time when the winter solstice, 4000 B.C., was quitting Pisces to enter Aquarius.” Before he again commits himself to print, a study of some elementary work on the history of the alphabet, as well as some acquaintance with Hebrew and Arabic, would be advisable.

The Unicorn: a Mythological Investigation.

By Robt. Brown Jun. (London: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1881.)

Astral Origin of the Emblems and Hebrew Alphabet.

By J. H. Broome. (London: Edw. Stanford, 1881.)