Lesser Known Urban Legends (Part 2)

Lesser Known Urban Legend #2: The Majestic Midwest Unihorn

The dense forests and vast plains of the American Midwest are said to hide many secrets, but there is perhaps no secret better hidden than the truth about the elusive “Unihorn”. Commonly referred to as the Majestic Midwest Unihorn, this mysterious creature of mystery is said to roam the wilds of the Midwest, avoiding cities and anyplace touched by man. Although not found in any wilderness guides, school textbooks, or even on the lips of animal experts, countless Midwesterners claim to have sensed, smelled, and even seen the creature.

While some claim to have experienced the Unihorn firsthand, there are several different versions of the legend in circulation. Although accounts and beliefs vary, there is one detail every Unihorn retelling has in common; a large, singular horn extruding from the creature’s forehead. During our investigation of the Majestic Midwest Unihorn, we found no discrepancy or variations of the horn’s existence and found even those who believe different retellings share a strong bond reinforced by this horn related common ground. The Unihorn story has taken many different forms over generations, but there are two main theories worth exploring.

The first of these “main” Unihorn legends originated in a small Minnesota town and is the most widely believed description of the creature. The “Minnesota Legend” describes the Majestic Midwest Unihorn as a chestnut brown, slightly above average squirrel with a sizable horn protruding from it’s small rodent-like head. However, even within this theory, there is some debate on just HOW long the alleged Unihorn’s horn is. Horn estimates range anywhere from 3 inches up to 12 inches in length. The man credited with popularizing this description, Albert T. Gumdabrant, is quoted as saying the horn was, “shorter than my forearm but longer than my pinky finger” which offers very little insight how long the supposed horn could have been.

Gumdabrant’s recollection tells of him seeing the Majestic Midwest Unihorn early one morning while he was out hunting. Although not specified in Grumdabrant’s account, it is theorized that the sighting occurred sometime between 1901 and 1903. Gumdabrant recalls the Unihorn sitting on a tree about ten feet away from where he was hunting, completely unaware of his presence. He went on to say that, besides the horn, the Unihorn looked exactly like a squirrel except slightly larger, but not so large it would draw attention. While his description of the horn leaves some to be desired, Gumdabrant was adamant that there was, in fact, a horn on the Unihorn’s head.

The legend says, after seeing the creature, Gumdabrant aimed his shotgun at the Unihorn and shot in a panic. Supposedly the blast missed the Unihorn but hit the tip of the beast’s horn and broke off a small piece. Gumdabrant was said to have carried the piece of Unihorn horn around his neck for good luck until the day he died, at which time it was discovered that his beloved “lucky piece of horn” was simply a dried out kernel of corn. However, during his life Gumdabrant’s story spread far and wide confirming other supposed sightings of the beast, convincing optimistic and hopeful believers that such a creature could be living among us.

While Mr. Gumdabrant’s description of the Majestic Midwest Unihorn is considered the most accurate and “official” description, there are several small sub-sects of people who claim to have also seen the Unihorn, but say Gumdabrant’s description is inaccurate. The second most widely accepted description of the Unihorn was given by Mrs. Jane Mentos of rural Illinois, where the Majestic Midwest Unihorn is sometimes referred to as “The Majestic Illinois Unihorn”.

While Mrs. Mentos’ account was placed sometime between 1905 and 1910, it is believed she had no knowledge of Mr. Gumdabrant’s description at the time. She was, however, told of his account later on. While Mentos disagreed with Gumdabrant’s description, she was adamant that her description wasn’t necessarily definitive and entertained the possibility of two mono-horned creatures in the Midwest. Gumdabrant, however, was passionately against the idea stating that his account was the only one with any credibility while discrediting Mentos story calling her, and I quote “a woman most likely afflicted with period madness.”

According to Mentos, she encountered the Unihorn on a hot July day while she was tending to her garden. Mentos goes on to say that she heard something moving just out of sight in the forest, which she thought nothing of. A diary belonging to Mentos described what happened next as “something certainly divine”. Just after the rustling in the trees, Mentos claims a cold air blew, which she described as being “like winter”. Jane Mentos’ diary describes what happened next thusly:

I had never felt anything like it. Sure, I’d felt a cold wind before, but nothing like the wind that blew today. Its like my insides were replaced with ice for a moment. I couldn’t tell if the force was heavenly or sinister, but it was definitely not of this world. The trees began moving and creaking again, but this time more ferociously. My mind raced for a moment. The wind had stopped, but that small cluster of trees shook like there was a tornado in the middle. Then I saw a man’s shadow, or at least what I thought it was a man’s. It quickly became clear that it was no person in the trees. I thought it to be at least 2 feet higher than a man, but up close it could have been even larger.

The shadow continued towards me. I could hear trees and branches bending and snapping against its immense stature. I had a feeling it was going to come into the clearing, but I was too afraid to move. A colossal beast emerged from the woods slowly but aware of its influence. It was as large as the shadow seemed, but being able to see its details was no comfort. It was like a man, two legs, two hands, fingers, a face, but it was covered in long, shaggy hair. The hair was brown but seemed almost red in the sunlight. Small parts of its face and chest were exposed skin, but the beast was more hair than monster.

I stood there frozen. Terrified. I was certain this was beast was going to kill me. However, I was so distracted by the beast, I couldn’t understand what I was actually seeing. The beast was standing perfectly still with its left hand out flat like a platform. And on its hand was the most amazing thing I have ever seen! In the creature’s hand was what seemed to be a large mouse, but not so large it would draw attention. Coming out of the mouse’s head was some sort horn? Horn is the only word that comes to mind. A singular horn coming out of a large, but not too large, mouse’s head. What a magnificent sight! The horn itself was larger than a sewing needle, yet smaller than a pencil.

I stared on in amazement for what felt like forever, yet it still wasn’t long enough. After some time, I cannot say how long, the beast holding this wonderful creature nodded to me, as if to say hello and goodbye, then slowly walked back into the woods, taking my new horned friend with it. I stood in shock for a moment before returning to my work. I tilled, but my mind was elsewhere. It was with that one-horned, mouse-like creature.

While there are several other descriptions of the Majestic Midwest Unihorn ranging anywhere from a snake with a horn to a man dressed up as a snake with a horn, Gumdabrant’s and Mentos’ accounts of the Unihorn are the most widely accepted. Although only ever spotted in the Midwest of the United States, there are some who claim that Unihorns lived all around the world at some point. Some believers and self-appointed “experts” on the Unihorn claim that the Midwest beast is associated with the more well-known legend of the Unicorn. They believe that numerous unicorn sightings were actually nothing more than normal horses wearing Unihorns on their heads as hats, thus making the horse look like it had the singular horn instead. There is no evidence or European writings to suggest Unihorns living on the continent at any point in time, but some of the more dedicated believers consider it fact.

Although vast and without specific borders, the Midwest holds many mysteries among its forests and fields. It is impossible to accurately explore the land in its entirety, allowing us to fill the gaps with imagination and assumption. Now the question remains; does the Majestic Midwest Unihorn exist? Is such a creature even possible? Who’s to say. At what point do countless sightings stop being “reliable” and start being “mass hysteria”? That is up to YOU to decide. Urban or not, these legends deserve to be told.

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