The Myth of the Unicorn

• Published in: Diogenes
• Main Author: Caillois, Roger
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 1982
• Subjects: General Arts and Humanities; Cultural Studies; narwhal*
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/039219218203011901; http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/039219218203011901; https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0392192100310720

We are pleased to offer our readers an unpublished article by Roger Caillois, a posthumous text which takes its place alongside his other studies on the myth and the imaginary. The octopus, the praying mantis and the fulgora in the real world led Roger Caillois to reflections similar to those which he exposes here relative to the narwhal and the imaginary unicorn. The importance of the unicorn in the author's work comes from the relationship established by the narwhal's tusk between two squares on Roger Caillois’ chess board: myth and dissymmetry. (Editor's note).