| Bicorn | |
|---|---|
 | |
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Real Name |
Bicorn |
|
First Appearance |
Middle Ages and Renaissance Satirical Works |
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Created by |
Unknown |
Origin[]
Bicorn are fabulous beasts that appear in European satirical works of the Middle Ages and Renaissance.
There are two different versions of the Bicorn in appearance depending on the region it comes from:
- The first type is a creature—part panther, part cow, with a human-like face—that devours kind-hearted and devoted husbands and (because of their supposed abundance) is plump and well fed.
- The second type of Bicorn is a horse with two horns. In some stories the horns are side by side like a goat's, and in other stories the horns are in front of each other on the horse's forehead like a rhinocerous.
It has counterpart, called the Chichevache, which devours obedient wives and (because of their supposed scarcity) is thin and starving.
In the early fifteenth century John Lydgate wrote "Bycorne and Chychevache", a 133-line poem in 7-line stanzas, probably from a French original. Written "at the request of a worthy citizen of London" to accompany a tapestry or painted wall-hanging, the poem is accompanied by instructions for pictorial representations. Lydgate describes the two beasts as husband and wife.
Public Domain Appearances[]
All published appearances of Bicron from before January 1, 1930 are public domain in the US.
Some notable appearances are listed below:
Public Domain Literary Appearances[]
- Bycorne and Chychevache
Notes[]
- A Bicorn is mentioned in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Its powdered horn is used as an ingredient in Polyjuice Potion.