The tale of the unicorn began with the Greek physician Ctesias in the 8th century B.C. He told of a creature from India whose description inspired the image of a rhinoceros with a horn that had both magical and medicinal powers.

This belief created a trade on rhinoceros horn for its qualities of healing and protecting the user from poisons. The Roman naturalist Aelian (ca. A.D. 170-ca. A.D. 235), first described the horn of the unicorn as a spiral which changed the perception of the fabled creature's protrusion from the rhinoceros horn to the narwhal tooth. Once the horn of the unicorn was described as a spiral, the rhinoceros horn was replaced by the narwhal tooth and newly sought for its medicinal and magical powers. The famous Unicorn Tapestries, six from the Lady and the Unicorn hanging at the Cluny Museum in Paris and seven from the Hunt of the Unicorn at the Cloisters Museum in New York, are among the most famous and well known works of art of all time. The Unicorn, and the narwhal tooth protruding from its head, continues as an endless source of fascination in modern culture.

Our History
The Narwhal Tusk Research was initiated in 2000 in search of answers to one of nature's most intriguing mysteries. Research efforts combine leading investigators in the fields of marine mammal science, dental medicine, engineering, mathematics, evolutionary biology, anatomy, and histology with the traditional knowledge of Inuit elders.

About The Whale
The narwhal, Monodon monoceros, has long fascinated sea explorers, scientists and aristocracy. The arctic whale is characterized by a single spiraled tusk extending six to nine feet which emerges from the upper jaw and through the lips of adult males. Some females may exhibit a tusk and, in rare instances, a male with two tusks has been observed. Often associated with the horn of the mythical unicorn, the narwhal tooth has found its way into the books of scientific rarities and mythical tales. Researchers have proposed myriad theories to explain the tooth’s purpose and function, yet considerable debate surrounds these reports.

The Narwhal Legend
Throughout history, the narwhal tooth has inspired legend and lore. So prized was the fabled tooth of the unicorn that Queen Elizabeth in the 16th century paid 10,000 pounds for one, equivalent to the cost of an entire castle. The tooth is revered by many cultures around the world. In Japan, two crossed narwhal teeth adorn the entrance to the Korninkaku Palace. In Denmark multiple teeth comprise the frame of the Danish throne. The royal scepter in England is made from the rare tusk.