Indrik

 

The indrik is a gigantic unicorn from Slavic mythology. The Indrik has ancient roots going back to Slavic paganism and predates Christianity bringing legends of western European unicorns to Russia. Its inspiration may lie with the Khara from Persia, a similarly huge unicorn.

The indrik was massive, being larger than all other beasts. It was also said to be the 'father' of beasts, being both their originator and an example for them to strive towards. The indrik was associated with strength and might. It was also associated with purity and protection from evil, even before associations with western European unicorns. The indrik was the opponent of serpents, both small and monstrous.

The indrik had the head of a bull, the body of a horse and the hooves of a deer. There was a large single horn in the middle of its forehead the color of amber. Although two horned depictions exist as well, usually with the horns one in front of each other, like a rhinoceros.

The indrik is best known from the Book of Doves, a collection of Slavic spiritual folk poems. Although it appears in many other fairy tails aiding heroes in the search for treasure, or acting as their mount in battle.

The indrik was associated with the earth and with water, especially ground sources of water. It lived on the holy mountain (it's not clear if this mountain was a mythical or real place, and there's multiple mountains it could be), and would travel down to drink water from the White Sea (or sometimes either the Caspian or Aral Sea). The indrik was capable of moving underground as easily as above it. It would pierce the earth with its horn and carve out caverns as it moved. Whenever the indric surfaced again it would leave a spring of purified water at its exit point. Its movement through the ground was the cause of earthquakes. The indrik also carved out grooves in the landscape, which would later become lake beds and the courses of rivers.