The Unicorn Found

The Ortus Sanitatis, a natural history encyclopedia, is a Latin translation of the German work Herbarius from 1485, including descriptions of species in the natural world, their medicinal uses, and modes of preparation. In addition to translating the text, the Ortus Sanitatis extends the original volume’s scope to feature animals of the land, sea, and air, mythological creatures, and stones, along with plants. Bridging the categories of land, sea, and mythological animals, the encyclopedia includes three variations of a single-horned beast – the “Monceron”, which was thought to exist in nature; the “Unicornus”, the mystical creature depicted with a taming maiden; and the “Rinocephalus”, the unicorn of the sea.