Measuring just over 2 metres this spectacular spiralling tusk once belonged to a male Narwhal, a type of whale that lives in the Artic waters of the far North. Although Poole Museum is unsure how they acquired the tusk, they do know Narwhals must have been a shocking and mystical sight for Poole fisherman and sailors working in Newfoundland.
It’s no surprise that the Narwhal has been called the ‘Unicorn of the Sea’ and its spiralling tusk became the model for the Unicorn’s horn throughout art and literature. Ground up into a powder or turned into elaborate tableware, Narwhal tusks were sold throughout Medieval Europe by Scandinavian traders as ‘Alicorn’, which was in high demand for its mystical medicinal properties.
Alicorn was said to be an effective cure for a wide range of ailments and was particularly associated with detecting poison, a major concern for the rich and powerful! A poisoned liquid was meant to bubble if it came into contact with Alicorn so cups made of the miracle material were much desired. Elizabeth I was meant to have offered a huge reward to anyone who could find her a Unicorn’s horn after hearing Mary Queen of Scots had such a vessel.
Most buyers, however, would not have known that the Alicorn they coveted came from Narwhals, they would have been picturing the more traditional horse with a horn and dealers made no effort to correct them. Eventually in the 1600s a sceptical Danish scholar called Ole Worm was able to prove that the vast majority of Alicorn was actually coming from the Narwhal by collecting and examining their skeletons.
In the end scientists would discover that the tusk or horn is actually a giant tooth! It isn’t used for chewing the squid and fish that Narwhals eat, instead it is packed with sensitive nerve endings that experts believe help them sense things changing in the environment like water temperature or the presence of nearby prey.
For the Poole sailors and fishers who made the long trip to the artic waters off Newfoundland in the 1700s seeking work and new life, seeing one of these strange creatures must have emphasised just how far from home they were!
Males great bustards perform spectacular courtship displays, gathering at a ‘lek’ or small display ground to try to impress the females.
The great bustard has a dignified slow walk but tends to run when disturbed, rather than fly.
The hen-bird on display at The Salisbury Museum was one of the last great bustards to be eaten in the town!