Narwhal Tusk

The Arctic Unicorn

From: Poole Museum

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.

Narwhal tusk - Poole Museum

Unicorn of the Sea

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. Typically the tusk would be ground up into a powder or turned into elaborate tableware. Narwhal tusks were sold throughout Medieval Europe by Scandinavian traders as ‘Alicorn’. At the time Alicorn was in high demand for its mystical medicinal properties. 

At one point the Sea Unicorn and the Narwhal were considered separate creatures - Sea Unicorn and Narwhal / Histoire Generale des Drogues (1694) Pierre Pomet
At one point the Sea Unicorn and the Narwhal were considered separate creatures - Sea Unicorn and Narwhal / Histoire Generale des Drogues (1694) Pierre Pomet

The mystical history of Alicorn

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. For that very reason 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 would not have known that the Alicorn they coveted came from Narwhals. They would have been picturing the more traditional horse with a horn. 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.

Tusk or tooth?

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. Experts believe help them sense things changing in the environment like water temperature or the presence of nearby prey. 

Poole sailors and fishers made the long trip to the Arctic waters off Newfoundland in the 1700s seeking work and a new life. Encountering one of these strange creatures must have emphasized just how far from home they were!

A strange cross between a porpoise and a whale topped off with a giant tooth! - Narwhal engraving / The Naturalists Library Mammalia Vol VII. (1843) Robert Hamilton
A strange cross between a porpoise and a whale topped off with a giant tooth! - Narwhal engraving / The Naturalists Library Mammalia Vol VII. (1843) Robert Hamilton

Curators Insights

The Narwhal tusk is beloved by the learning team at Poole Museum who have used it as inspiration for a new workshop. The workshop is based on the fears and foes that sailors faced at sea. In their words ‘it’s like something straight from a mythical fairytale that happens to be real!’

 

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