Page 65 - October1997

October 1997 NATIONAL BUTTON BULLETIN 247

HEROE' AND HORN'

BY HARRIET B. MARTIN
Like the unicom in ancient lore, horns and heroes often joined to make a
fascinating whole. To the medieval mind, the unicom not only existed but had a
magical quality, which caused it to be hunted with fervor. Ancient belief
endowed its hom with the unique power to nullify poison and purify water. It
would cerlainly take a hero to do that. Medieval tapestry artists wove its image
into their designs, picturing the gentle creature dipping its wondrous hom into
the waters of fountains and streams so that patiently waiting animals could then
drink in safety. A recent novel described its horn as gold, as though the hunger
for gold was the only reason for hunting unicorns. The idea of a healing, helpful
horn is much more appealing. Healing homs are evidently a very old concept,
bome out by comments made by Heinrich Schlieman when excavating at the
site of ancient Troy. Finding fragments of terra cotta serpents with homs, some
of his workmen broke off the horns and took them home. In that region of
Turkey, there was a superstition that these homs could cure epilepsy and other
diseases. Heroes and horns again converge in the legend of St. Hubert, patron
saint of hunters. Seeing the vision of a
p radiant cross, so impressed Hubert that
stately stag, horns crowned with a
a *,-s
eea antler horn button is so appropriate. The
he became a Christian. The illustrated
odd shaped example in metal displays a
full set of characters in a wonderfully
detailed Sylvan setting. Here is the
U=G hunter, gazing at the distant stag bearing
its radiant cross. We can always count
on Greek Mythology for a good story
like that of Zeus in childhood. nurtured
on goat's milk by the Nymph
ffiru Amaltheia. When the goat's horn broke,
the resourceful nymph filled its hollow
with grain, fruit and flowers to delight
the young god. That was the very first
horn of plenty. When Zeus came to
maturity the incident inspired him to
create constellations to honor both the
nymph and the goat. Zeus was, of
course, a law unto himself, and we can
almost hear him say..."Have homs, will
travel" about his adventure with
Princess Europa. He transformed
himself into a bull, enticed her to ride
on his broad back. and carried her offto