Alexander the Great's famous warhorse Bucephalus was described as a huge black horse with a white star on his brow. According to legend, Bucephalus mated with mares all over Asia. Strangely, all foals birthed by Persian and Afghan mares had unicorn horns.

#FairyTaleTuesday: `It was not long till Finn and his men were before the rest, in the front of the hunt, gaining on the beast.
And about midday Bran made the beast turn, and then she forced it to turn a second time, and it began to put out cries, and it was not long until its strength began to flag; and at last, just at the setting of the sun, it fell dead, and Bran was at its side when it fell.
Then Finn and his men came up, but in place of a beast it was a tall man they saw lying dead before them. And the Red Woman came up at the same time, and she said: "High King of the Fianna, that is the King of the Firbolgs you have killed; and his people will put great troubles on this country in the time to come, when you yourself, Finn, and your people will be under the sod.
#Celtic
Source: Gods and Fighting Men by Lady Gregory - Project Gutenberg eBook
https://hear-me.social/@NeuKelte/114303314407771864

#FairyTaleTuesday: `The king struck a blow then on his golden chair, and a door opened behind him, and a strange beast came through it. It had narrow feet, and a head like the head of a boar, and long horns on it; but the rest of it was like a deer, and there was a shining moon on each of its sides.
The wonderful beast stood before the king. And it stooped down before him, and it said: "I am going on towards my own country now; and there is not in the world a runner so good as myself, and the sea is the same to me as the land. And let whoever can come up with me come now," it said, "for I am going."
With that the beast went out from the hill as quick as a blast of wind, and all the people that were in it went following after it.` #Celtic
Gods and Fighting Men by Lady Gregory - Project Gutenberg eBook

#FairyTaleTuesday: As compensation for the murder of his father, #Lugh demanded as price of honour (éric) from the sons of Tuireann `the two wonderful horses of Dobar, King of Siogair. The sea was the same as land to them, and there were no faster horses than themselves.` #Celtic
Gods and Fighting Men by Lady Gregory - Project Gutenberg eBook

#FairyTaleTuesday
Discover the enchanting Asian #unicorns like the #Qilin from China and the Kirin from Japan .
Did you know #narwhals might have inspired the unicorn legend? Their tusks were once sold as unicorn horns!
#FairytaleFlash

Photo of Chinese Qilin Statue in Summer Palace, Public Domain.

#Fairytaletuesday
Young woman with a #Unicorn
by Raphael circa, 1505-1506 Galleria, Borghese, Rome, Italy.
#FairytaleFlash

#FairyTaleTuesday: Manannan‘s enchanted isle could be reached through burial mounds or caverns, travelling over the sea for three days, whether on a boat or on Manannán's magical horse Aonbharr which could travel over land and sea, or by passing through mists in the right place and at the right time.
Source: https://emeraldisle.ie/manannan-mac-lir

#FairytaleTuesday
In medieval times, #unicorn horns, known as #alicorns, were treasured for their miraculous healing powers.
Royal alchemists crafted potent plant-based antidotes, harnessing the power of alicorns to combat plagues and neutralize snake and scorpion venom.

These mystical horns were the ultimate guardians of health and well-being.

Photo: Three Unicorn horns from the Mariakerk in Utrecht, now on display at the Rijksmuseum.

#FairyTaleTuesday: The #Afanc is a lake monster from #Wales. It is described variously as e.g. resembling a crocodile, beaver or dwarf-like creature, and is sometimes said to be a demon. The #Afanc preyed upon any foolish enough to fall into or swim in its lake. #Celtic
https://x.com/BeMoreSquirrel/status/1199725826465501184

Among Turkish mythology across Central Asia, the Tulpar is a winged horse, black or white in color, known to be faster than a storm and able to cross great distances quickly. The first fiddle was made from a Tulpar's hair and sinews. #FairyTaleTuesday

: A. Santiso

They only wanted to please their mother: Gawain and his brothers used a maiden of King Lot's court to summon the unicorn. Gahreis and Gareth were too moved by it, Gawain uncertain of how to get it home. Agravaine had an idea: decapitate it. Morgause was furious. #FairyTaleTuesday

The unicorn could come from several sources, but the original unicorn from the Indus River Valley civilization is a bull, most scholars agree. Others look to extinct sources such as a rhino of Central Asia instead of the Indian rhino. #FairytaleTuesday

The only appearance of a unicorn in a medieval Welsh legend is a surprisingly savage creature that attacks any human it finds and drinks lakes dry, killing all the fish. Peredur (the Welsh Sir Percival) slays the unicorn, but then discovers it's the pet of a fairy lady.

#FairyTaleTuesday: `In the misty moon­light, a beautiful woman, with long fair hair flowing down to the hem of her dress, stood before them. They were astonished at her sudden appearance, but before #Fionn could speak to her she said, looking at him: "Surely you are Fionn, lord of the Fianna. If so, there is a woman not far from here who wishes to meet you, and has already prepared a great feast in your honour."
"That is good news," said Conan the jester hurriedly, before Fionn could speak. "I should like to be with her now."
The woman smiled, and courteously included Fionn's companions in the invitation.` #Celtic
Source: Heroes of the Dawn by Violet Russel
https://hear-me.social/@NeuKelte/114258389153917476

#FairyTaleTuesday: `The Fians were in deep and silent despair. The loss of their hounds would be a great calamity, for they had brought with them only the best trained and the swiftest. Even Conan was silent, then their jester burst out: "Never yet, O #Fionn, have I been out with you that you did not get me into some trouble or scrape. Now, following after that animal which hasn't its like in any country under the sun, my best hounds are gone, and I swear I will give you neither rest nor peace until you have found me two equally good." #Celtic
Source: Heroes of the Dawn by Violet Russel
https://hear-me.social/@NeuKelte/114258389153917476

Sir Percival was one of King Arthur's most virtuous and pious knights. He was the "holy fool," whose innocence protected him from the world's sins. Percival was inspired to become a knight as a child when the light gleaming off their armour made him mistake the knights for angels.
Howard Pyle

#FairyTaleTuesday: `#Conan mac Morna, the jester of the Fianna Eireann, hiding behind Oisin and Oscur, could not restrain his tongue when he heard Cael's speech.
"Undoubtedly you have heard of us-who has not?" he proudly asked. "But in all our forays and wanderings we have never heard any man speak of you, nor do I, for one, believe a word of what you have said. The warrior has not yet lived who would not be easily conquered by even the youngest and most inexperienced of the Fians. I think too, young man, it will be better for your health if you remove yourself from this place immediately, and cease tempting the Fians with your idle and boasting words."
"There is only one man among the Fianna who would speak in such a foolish manner," Cael responded, " and that is Conan the Bald.` #Celtic
Source: Heroes of the Dawn by Violet Russel
https://hear-me.social/@NeuKelte/114258389153917476

April Fools' Day has no clear origin, only theories, with the leading one being an endearing insult to those who celebrated the New Year in March-April instead of December-January. What does endure is regional and national traditions and how reviled it can be. #FairytaleTuesday #Folklore #AprilFools #History

#FairyTaleTuesday: After they had been trapped by the Hags of Kescorran, Conan mac Morna, the jester of the Fianna Eireann, began to taunt and revile #Fionn: "Is it not enough for you, 0 Fionn," he said, "that you have put my life in danger many times before? And now you have done it again. Though the poets sing of you as a doer of great deeds, and say you know what has happened in the past and will happen in the future, I think they lie, for surely one who had so much wisdom would not get into the trouble you do. But if you'll take off these old witches' enchanted bonds, and let me escape from them, I shall believe there is some truth in what the bards say about you." #Celtic
Source: Heroes of the Dawn by Violet Russel

Skadi would win her bargain with the gods if she was not made to laugh, so they desperately sent their jester: Loki tied his bits and beard to a goat and kicked the goat, who pulled and pulled. Skadi at last smiled: her blood feud was over. #FairytaleTuesday #Norse #Myth #Folklore

: P. Gannon