The Lore of the Unicorn

The Lore of the Unicorn is a book by Odell Shepard, first published in 1930. It offers a learned yet readable survey of the unicorn as an idea, tracing the creature’s appearance in myth, religion, medicine, literature, and art across both Eastern and Western traditions.

Moving between scholarship and storytelling, Shepard gathers classical and medieval references, folk beliefs, heraldic traditions, and artistic representations to show how the unicorn developed into a figure of layered symbolism. The creature emerges variously as a moral emblem, a medicinal curiosity, and a marketable wonder shaped by changing cultural needs.

The book remains valuable both for readers seeking a compact introduction to unicorn lore and for researchers wanting a well-organised compendium of primary references and artistic examples. It stands as a thoughtful study of how a single mythical image could endure and adapt across centuries of belief and imagination.