That priceless unicorn horn is just a giant whale tooth!

The secret dental drama of the narwhal

Chapter 1

The tooth, the whole tooth, and nothing but the tooth

Chapter 2

The great unicorn swindle

Chapter 3

Extreme survival in the frozen deep

YOUR GOAL

Master of The secret dental drama of the narwhal

Ch 2 · The great unicorn swindle

artiteacher The Great Unicorn Swindle

That priceless unicorn horn is just a giant whale tooth!

We build our greatest symbols of power on shared illusions.

Thrones built on a magical lie

artiteacher At Rosenborg Castle, Denmark, royalty used tusk ivory for thrones and cups to neutralize poison and cure melancholia

A royal castle for a single tooth

artiteacher A clean 3D render of a royal castle built for a single narwhal tooth.

Fun Fact

The Danish throne: Denmark's coronation throne at Rosenborg Castle is built entirely of narwhal tusks disguised as unicorn horns.

Glossary

tusk (noun)
A long, pointed tooth that projects outside the mouth of certain mammals, such as elephants or walruses. In the sixteenth century, Queen Elizabeth I purchased one for the price of a castle.

Gossip

Would you trade a castle for a mythical unicorn horn?

Quiz

What does the scientific name Monodon monoceros mean in Greek?

Quiz

In Inuit legend, how was the narwhal's spiral tusk created?

Quiz

Why did medieval European royals believe drinking from tusk cups was safe?

Quiz

Where can you find a royal coronation throne built out of narwhal tusks?

Quiz

Who sold narwhal tusks to medieval Europeans as mythical unicorn horns?

Quiz

Which English monarch bought a narwhal tusk for the price of an entire castle?

Quiz

Which Austrian ruler reportedly paid off a massive national debt with two tusks?

Quiz

What does the 'nar' in the word narwhal mean in Old Norse?