Did MLP 'invent' the Alicorn?

[Rarity Paige Belle 1,853]

Before the late 80's the term Alicorn meant the horn of a unicorn, usually after it had been hunted. I can't find any characters before MLP described as an Alicorn. Do you know any?

[Thrashy 2,799]

MLP's probably the first to refer to a winged unicorn / horned pegasus by the term alicorn, but depictions of such creatures have indeed existed before the show.

[immblueversion 331]

I'm sure they didn't. The term was used by the fanbase before the show did, which they likely got from somewhere else.

Edited April 18, 2014 by immblueversion

[Serbon div 386]

Yes the term "alicorn" existed before, but they are the first ones to use them for that type of pony.

[Lightning Bliss 1,674]

I'm pretty sure I saw the name before the show came out, but I'm pretty sure the MLP fandom has made the phrase alicorn more famous.

[Rarity Paige Belle 1,853]

Yes the term "alicorn" existed before, but they are the first ones to use them for that type of pony.

The term Alicorn did exist before, but it actually means the horn of a dead unicorn.

[Dark Qiviut 22,185]

No. "Alicorn" has been used in mythology long before MLP, but the name was very obscure. (Its origin means the horn of a unicorn.) What the fandom did was put the species in the limelight through conversation and art; and DHX decided to canonize the title.

Edited April 18, 2014 by Dark Qiviut

[Shanks 10,811]

The way the term "alicorn" is used was invented by the fandom and later canonized in the show but winged unicorns have existed for thousands of years.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winged_unicorn

[#1FluttershyFan 206]

I kinda doubt mlp invented the Alicorn but they may have come up with that name. When I was little I had a book about unicorns and one type way flying unicorns which were basically alicorns but with a different name.

[Sapana 66]

No, no, no.

 

The word alicorn has been used to describe BOTH the horn of a unicorn (my very first teeny-bopper AIM screen name used the word alicorn, and that was 10+ years ago) AND winged unicorns (ali=wing, corn=horn ... wing-horn) for a long time.

 

Just go browse some art on Elfwood if you want proof (if that site is still even alive).

Edited April 18, 2014 by Sapana

[Rarity Paige Belle 1,853]

No, no, no.

 

The word alicorn has been used to describe BOTH the horn of a unicorn (my very first teeny-bopper AIM screen name used the word alicorn, and that was 10+ years ago) AND winged unicorns (ali=wing, corn=horn ... wing-horn) for a long time.

 

Just go browse some art on Elfwood if you want proof (if that site is still even alive).

Actually I did do some research and the term Alicorn to mean winged unicorns only began in the 80s, ie, when MLP first started. In fact I read in an interview that the writer of the book the last unicorn wanted to use a winged unicorn, but there was no universal name for one ( the book was written in '68)

[AnonBrony 1,467]

Actually the writers didn't come up with that term to call the Princesses. Fans called them that. The writers referred to them as "pegacorns" but when they saw everyone was already calling them Alicorns they liked that name better. The Princesses weren't identified as anything until Season 3 where they were referred to as Alicorns (Well Twilight was and the amulet) and by then the writers knew about us. 

[Sapana 66]

Actually I did do some research and the term Alicorn to mean winged unicorns only began in the 80s, ie, when MLP first started. In fact I read in an interview that the writer of the book the last unicorn wanted to use a winged unicorn, but there was no universal name for one ( the book was written in '68)

Ohhh, I thought you just meant FiM. Sorry!! I'm not familiar with the MLP franchise outside of FiM, so I didn't know there were alicorns in it before. I'm ignorant, I apologize.

 

And I didn't mean to imply that the term was in use for, like, centuries or anything. I just know that I was definitely acquainted with the term to mean winged unicorns (or horned pegasi) years before FiM started. 

 

And hmm, interesting. I'm a huge lover of The Last Unicorn book (it's very dear to my childhood) and I did not know that tidbit.

[King Sejong 858]

   The word "Alicorn" is a twentieth century addition, circa 1984 from the novel "Bearing an Hourglass" by Piers Anthony, an English fantasy novelist, to describe a winged unicorn, before that it was used in the 1540's to describe a unicorn horn, interestingly the British Airborne during world war II had a horned pegasus on their patch, with the Greek hero Bellerophone riding.    

Edited April 22, 2014 by Emperor Peter

[Adorkable 2,737]

As for the being "Alicorn", I think it's been around for quite some time. However, I've seen plenty refer to this as a Unicorn. As far as the term "Alicorn" goes, I honestly haven't heard anything until it was mentioned in FiM.

[Rarity Paige Belle 1,853]

Ohhh, I thought you just meant FiM. Sorry!! I'm not familiar with the MLP franchise outside of FiM, so I didn't know there were alicorns in it before. I'm ignorant, I apologize.

 

And I didn't mean to imply that the term was in use for, like, centuries or anything. I just know that I was definitely acquainted with the term to mean winged unicorns (or horned pegasi) years before FiM started.

 

And hmm, interesting. I'm a huge lover of The Last Unicorn book (it's very dear to my childhood) and I did not know that tidbit.

Although this is a bit off topic, if you like the book, try and get hold of the graphic novel. I don't normally say this about graphic novels, but it's an amazing read! It's published by IDW ( the same people who publish the MLP comics) and I actually read the graphic novel before the book!

Edited April 18, 2014 by Rarity Paige Belle

[Red Cedar 1,407]

Short answer: No they didn't.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winged_unicorn

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_winged_unicorns

 

The term "alicorn" however, originally referred to the substance the horn of a unicorn was made of, or a powdered form of it suggested to be a cure for many ailments. Hasbro apparently repurposed this term to mean a winged unicorn.

 

EDIT: Okay, Piers Anthony repurposed it first.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alicorn

Edited April 18, 2014 by Red Cedar

[Fhaolan 4,468]

@ beat me to it: Piers Anthony was the first person to use the term 'Alicorn' to refer to a Winged Unicorn (or a Horned Pegasus for that matter), in 1984.

 

The first winged unicorn in MLP was 1992, in the My Little Pony Tales episode 'Up, Up, and Away', and it was not referred to in any way as an 'Alicorn'. The character appeared once near the end of that episode, and was never referred to or seen again in the series.

 

The first time the term 'Alicorn' actually was used in MLP was in the season 3 episode 'Magic Duel' as far as I'm aware. Prior to that alicorns in MLP:FIM were always called just 'Princess'.

 

Now, it's possible the term was used for winged unicorns in the toy line. I don't know the toy line very well, and would have to call on someone like @@KarentheUnicorn to confirm or deny that.

[~*bacon princess*~ 278]

Originally, unicorns had wings. MLP just gave the unicorns horns; and renamed the original unicorn the ''alicorn''.