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A winged unicorn or flying unicorn is a mythical ungulate, typically portrayed as a horse, with feathered wings like a pegasus and the horn of a unicorn. It further features in modern popular culture and fiction.

Origin

Etymology

In some literature and media, it has been referred to as an alicorn, a word derived from the Italian word , or as a pegacorn, a portmanteau of pegasus and unicorn.

Origin and Symbolism

As a combination of the unicorn and Pegasus, who are characterized as symbols of purity, poetry, reverie, and magic, winged unicorns naturally carry both portfolios of symbolism, and are depicted in drawings and cited in channeling-type visions.

Ancient depictions

Winged unicorns have been depicted in art. Ancient Achaemenid Assyrian seals depict winged unicorns and winged bulls as representing evil, but winged unicorns can also represent light.

In popular culture

*Irish poet W. B. Yeats wrote of imagining a winged beast that he associated with ecstatic destruction. The beast took the form of a winged unicorn in his 1907 play ''The Unicorn from the Stars'' and later that of the rough beast slouching towards Bethlehem in his poem " The Second Coming".
*In '' She-Ra: Princess of Power'', the titular character rides an alicorn named Swift Wind.
*In ''Sailor Moon SuperS'', a man named Helios, the Guardian Priest (the high priest and guardian) of Elysion who guard the Golden Crystal, took the form of a pegasus, which is depicted as in such form, having both a golden horn and wings, as he hid from the Dead Moon Circus after having been imprisoned by Queen Nehelenia.
*The PBS Kids series ''Arthur'' features one of DW's toys, a blue fluffy unicorn from the fictional company My Fluffy Unicorn with white feathered wings and stars on her hips.
*In the 2010 incarnation of the ''My Little Pony'' toyline and its '' Friendship Is Magic'' television series, winged unicorns have made several appearances, including Princess Celestia and her younger sister Luna who formerly ruled Canterlot, then Princess Cadance, the ruler of the Crystal Empire and her daughter Flurry Heart, and her sister-in-law Twilight Sparkle, who formerly lived in Ponyville and later lives in Canterlot as the ruler of Equestria as of the series finale.
*In the 2021 film '' My Little Pony: A New Generation'', Sunny Starscout was originally an earth pony until the end where she gained translucent wings and a horn. The 2021 soft reboot of the My Little Pony franchise, in which ''A New Generation'' is a part of, further explores the idea, as the evil pony Opaline has tangible wings and a horn. Additionally, ''Friendship Is Magic'' winged unicorns return in ''Make Your Mark''.
*In ''Sofia the First'', the Mystic Isles episodes, one of the isles is called the Isle of Unicorns, where the winged unicorns reside, and in episode 29 of the 4th season "Forever Royal, Part 2", Sofia uses the amulet of Avalor to change her into a winged unicorn.
*''Luigi's Mansion'' (2001) has two pegacorn statues on the big balcony.
*''Webkinz'' has two pets called the Celestial Unicorn, a winged unicorn that is colored purple and cyan, and the Quirky Carnival Unicorn, a dark purple and mint green one.
*The ''Skandar'' book series by A. F. Steadman feature winged unicorns that reside on an island between Britain and Ireland known simply as The Island. These unicorns hatch from eggs that appear in The Island's hatchery on the same day their destined riders are born and hatch when the riders turn thirteen. In order to find which of the Hatchery's eggs contains their destined unicorn, riders must place their right hand onto an egg. If the rider finds the correct egg, the unicorn inside will start to hatch from it and their horn will pierce their rider's palm, leaving a wound on it called a Hatchery wound. This procedure causes the unicorn to transfer some of its magic into their rider, allowing them to use magic connected to the elements of Fire, Earth, Air, Water and Spirit. Afterwards, the unicorn and their rider train at a school on The Island called The Eyrie for five years, where they are taught how to perform elemental magic (with their assigned element being their strongest). Eyrie students in their fourth and fifth year along with older riders participate in the Chaos Cup, an event where twenty five unicorns and their riders race whilst using elemental magic against their opponents. The winning rider earns the title of Commodore of Chaos, which involves them taking charge of The Island. The rider holds onto the title for a year unless they continue to win future Chaos Cups. It is known that the life of a bonded unicorn is connected to their rider, meaning that if the rider were to die, the unicorn would die too, though if the unicorn died first, their rider would survive. It is also known that unicorns that hatch and do not have a rider to bound with will become wild and ferocious. Wild unicorns are also immortal (but can be killed by those allied to the Spirit element) and have a decayed appearance. The series' protagonist Skandar Smith owns a unicorn called Scoundrel's Luck.

See also

* List of fictional horses

References

{{Fictional biology

Heraldic beasts
Greek legendary creatures
Medieval European legendary creatures
Horses in mythology
Fictional horses
Mythological hybrids