Monoceros Unicorns: Puzzles Once You've Ruled Out God on Elementary

Summary: Puzzle-solving proves less piquant, despite its mysterious unicorns, than crime-solving in the Elementary episode Once You've Ruled Out God May 7, 2018.

Aberdeen Bestiary Folio 15r depiction of monoceros unicorn; University of Aberdeen Library Special Collections and Museums, manuscript 24: Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Unicorns appear as aspects of an outpatient's approach to ameliorating post-concussion syndrome (PCS) in the last minutes of the Elementary procedural drama series episode Once You've Ruled Out God May 7, 2018.

Director Guy Ferland and writers Robert Doherty, Kelly Wheeler and Robert Hewitt Wolfe brandish puzzle therapy in the sixth season's second episode, 122nd series episode overall. Sherlock Holmes (Jonny Lee Miller) comments, "Just look how productive I've been. I recognize that, like any potential adversary, PCS is best attacked from different angles." He divulges different daily strategies as "Yesterday, I helped foil an international ring of jewel thieves. And, today, I'm assembling Unicorn Utopia, ages eight and up."

Joan Watson (Lucy Liu) expects that "If you like Unicorn Utopia, you are gonna love Pretty Princess Party" despite Sherlock's emphatic "I prefer the jewel thieves."

Perhaps Sherlock favors unicorns (from Latin ūnicornis, from unus, "one" and cornu, "horn") before princesses from familiarity with the Ashmole Bestiary, Bodleian Library Ms. Ashmole 1511.

Time travel backwards to March 1990 gets another Sherlock (Edward Woodward, June 1, 1930-Nov. 16, 2009) to Cambridge, England, for a Yorkshire Television-filmed made-for-television Holmes mystery. The University of Cambridge's Sheldonian Theatre, for Gilbert Sheldon (June 19, 1598-Nov. 9, 1677), hosts scenes in Hands of a Murderer, or The Napoleon of Crime. The Christopher Wren (Oct. 30, 1632-March 8, 1723) designed theatre is on the grounds of the Bodleian Library, for Thomas Bodley (March 2, 1545-Jan. 28, 1613).

The Ashmole Bestiary joins 12-plus million items in Elias Ashmole's (May 23, 1617-May 18, 1692) namesake library as Ms. Ashmole 1511 and summary catalogue no. 7541.

The parchment codex, as an early 13th-century illuminated manuscript from Cambridgeshire or Lincolnshire, knits 100-plus allegorical descriptions together with a creation story and a moral treatise.

The moral treatise De avibus ("[Medieval Book] of Birds") by Hugh of Fouilloy (1100?-Sept. 7, 1174) looks at blackbirds, cocks, cranes, doves, eagles, geese and hawks. It mentions cedar and palm trees and herons, hoopoes, kites, night-herons, ostriches, owls, partridges, peacocks, pelicans, phoenixes, quails, ravens, swans, sparrows, storks, swallows, turtledoves and vultures. It nurtures trouble-shooting real-life models for the all-white caladrius whose averted and eye-to-eye gazes respectively affirm death and recovery from sickness and whose groin cures cataracts.

The caladrius perhaps occurs as real-life albino or white-morphed European grey herons or white plovers even as the Ashmole Bestiary obfuscates the origins of monoceros unicorns.

The Ashmole Bestiary and the similarly illuminated 12th-century Aberdeen Bestiary present monoceros (from Greek Μονόκερως, Monókerōs, "one-horned," from μόνος, mōnos, "one" and κέρας, kéras, "horn") unicorns.

The Ashmole Bestiary queues up a prancing animal with a deer-like head with black-blue eyes, red cheeks and nape and white ears, face, mane and neck. A 1.51-foot- (46-centimeter-) long, pointed, somewhat forward-curved, yellow horn runs from a red forehead even as the horse-like, white body reveals red-patched back, belly and flanks. Folio 21r of the Ashmole Bestiary shows a monoceros unicorn with white horse-like hooves, white legs with joints outlined in red and white, wild boar-like tail.

The Unicorn Utopia puzzle perhaps turns even Sherlock's thoughts toward monoceros unicorns as mythological creatures, as related precursors of Asian rhinoceroses or as unlike other unicorns.

Sherlock Holmes (Jonny Lee Miller) de-stresses after solving a jewelry theft by assembling a Unicorn Utopia jigsaw puzzle in Elementary tv series' Once You've Ruled Out God (season 6, episode 2): CBS Elementary episode 6.02 promotional photo, via SpoilerTV May 2, 2018

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

Aberdeen Bestiary Folio 15r depiction of monoceros unicorn; University of Aberdeen Library Special Collections and Museums, manuscript 24: Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:F15r-aberdeen-best-detail.jpg;
via University of Aberdeen -- The Aberdeen Bestiary @ https://www.abdn.ac.uk/bestiary/ms24/f15r

Sherlock Holmes (Jonny Lee Miller) de-stresses after solving a jewelry theft by assembling a Unicorn Utopia jigsaw puzzle in Elementary tv series' Once You've Ruled Out God (season 6, episode 2): CBS Elementary episode 6.02 promotional photo, via SpoilerTV May 2, 2018, @ https://www.spoilertv.com/2018/04/elementary-episode-602-once-youve-ruled.html

For further information:

Clark, Willene B. (ed.). The Medieval Book of Birds: Hugh of Fouilloy's Aviarium. Medieval and Renaissance Texts and Studies, vol. 80. Binghamton NY: Center for Medieval and Early Renaissance Studies, State University of New York at Binghamton.
Available via Internet Archive @ https://archive.org/details/medievalbookofbi00hughuoft/

Doyle, Sir Arthur Conan. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. London, England: George Newnes Ltd., 1892.

Lindahl, Carl. "Unicorn." The World Book Encyclopedia U-V, Volume 20: 26. Chicago IL: World Book, Inc.

Marriner, Derdriu. 5 May 2018. “Sumatran Tigers and Elementary's An Infinite Capacity for Taking Pains.” Earth and Space News. Saturday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2018/05/sumatran-tigers-and-elementarys.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 18 November 2016. “Green Tree Python Natural History Illustrations and Elementary.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2016/11/green-tree-python-natural-history.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 11 November 2016. “Eastern Poison Ivy Botanical Illustrations and Elementary's Henny Penny.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2016/11/eastern-poison-ivy-botanical.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 4 November 2016. “Galápagos Marine Iguana Natural History Illustrations and Elementary.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2016/11/galapagos-marine-iguana-natural-history.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 21 October 2016. "China's Imperial Jade Heirloom Seal Worth Several Cities on Elementary." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2016/10/chinas-imperial-jade-heirloom-seal.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 13 May 2016. “Mopane Worm Natural History Illustrations and Elementary's Invisible Hand.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2016/05/mopane-worm-natural-history.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 6 May 2016. “Johannes Vermeer Painting The Astronomer: Elementary's Invisible Hand.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2016/05/johannes-vermeer-painting-astronomer.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 4 March 2016. “Shih Tzu Dog Breed and Elementary's Up to Heaven and Down to Hell.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2016/03/shih-tzu-dog-breed-and-elementarys-up.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 19 February 2016. “Mushroom Botanical Illustrations and Elementary's A Study in Charlotte.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2016/02/mushroom-botanical-illustrations-and.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 22 November 2015. "Black-Capped Central American Squirrel Monkeys and Elementary Series." Earth and Space News. Sunday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2015/11/black-capped-central-american-squirrel.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 15 November 2015. “Tienchi-Flower Tea and Elementary's Evidence of Things Not Seen.” Earth and Space News. Sunday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2015/11/tienchi-flower-tea-and-elementarys.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 17 April 2015. “Pablo Picasso Painting Woman Reading on Elementary's A Stitch in Time.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2018/03/pablo-picasso-painting-woman-reading-on.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 14 February 2015. “Extinct Quagga Plains Zebra on Elementary's The Female of the Species.” Earth and Space News. Saturday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2015/02/extinct-quagga-plains-zebra-on.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 23 January 2015. “Elementary's Yellow Clivia and Yellow Clivia Botanical Illustrations.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2015/01/elementarys-yellow-clivia-and-yellow.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 12 December 2014. “Elementary's Nutmeg Concoction and Nutmeg Botanical Illustrations.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2014/12/elementarys-nutmeg-concoction-and.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 7 November 2014. “Elementary's Bird in Blue-Throated Macaw Natural History Illustrations.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2014/11/elementarys-bird-in-blue-throated-macaw.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 31 October 2014. “Bearded Dragon Natural History Illustrations: Not Elementary's Nemesis.” Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2014/10/bearded-dragon-natural-history.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 2 May 2014. “Ficus Benjamina Botanical Illustrations and Elementary's Stunted Tree.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2014/05/ficus-benjamina-botanical-illustrations.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 7 February 2014. “Dimetrodon Natural History Illustrations and Elementary's Dimetrodon.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2014/02/dimetrodon-natural-history.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 31 January 2014. “Nanotyrannus Natural History Illustrations and Elementary's Dead Clade Walking.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2014/01/nanotyrannus-natural-history.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 13 December 2013. “Fruit in Osage Orange Botanical Illustrations and Elementary Series.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2013/12/fruit-in-osage-orange-botanical.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 22 November 2013. “George Stubbs Painting The Godolphin Arabian and Elementary's Nutmeg.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2013/11/george-stubbs-painting-godolphin.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 15 November 2013. “John Wootton Painting The Darley Arabian and Elementary's Studhorse.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2013/11/john-wootton-painting-darley-arabian.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 8 November 2013. “John Wootton Painting The Byerley Turk and Elementary's Thoroughbreds.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2013/11/john-wootton-painting-byerley-turk-and.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 30 August 2013. “Turner Fighting Temeraire Painting in Elementary Series Episode The Woman.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2013/08/turner-fighting-temeraire-painting-in.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 7 June 2013. “Paul Gauguin Painting Tahitian Women on the Beach in Elementary's The Woman.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2013/06/paul-gauguin-painting-tahitian-women-on.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 31 May 2013. “Rubens Painting The Incredulity of St Thomas in Elementary's The Woman.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2013/05/rubens-painting-incredulity-of-st.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 24 May 2013. “Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec Painting Rousse in Elementary Episode The Woman.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2013/05/henri-de-toulouse-lautrec-painting.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 17 May 2013. “The Bruegel Painted Parable in the Elementary Series Episode The Woman.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-bruegel-painted-parable-in.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 22 February 2013. “Osmia Avosetta Natural History Illustrations for Elementary's Bee.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2013/02/osmia-avosetta-natural-history.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 1 February 2013. “Russian Tortoise Natural History Illustrations and Elementary's Clyde Jan. 31, 2013.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2013/02/russian-tortoise-natural-history.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 25 January 2013. “Costliest, World-Most Expensive Chopard Watch: 201 Carats at $25 Million.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2013/01/costliest-world-most-expensive-chopard.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 18 January 2013. “Chopard Watch Worth $25 Million on Elementary Episode The Leviathan.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2013/01/chopard-watch-worth-25-million-on.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 11 January 2013. “Claude Monet Painting Nympheas 1918 in Elementary Series' Leviathan.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2013/01/claude-monet-painting-nympheas-1918-in.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 4 January 2013. “Paul Cézanne Still Life Painting Fruit in Elementary Series' Leviathan.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2013/01/paul-cezanne-still-life-painting-fruit.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 28 December 2012. “Paul Signac Painting Women at the Well in Elementary Series' Leviathan.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2012/12/paul-signac-painting-women-at-well-in.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 21 December 2012. “The Van Gogh Pietà Painting in Elementary Series Episode The Leviathan.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-van-gogh-pieta-painting-in.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 14 December 2012. “Edward Hopper Painting Western Motel in Elementary Series' Leviathan.” Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2012/12/edward-hopper-painting-western-motel-in.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 29 September 2012. "Are Lesser Clovers Sherlock's Lucky Shamrocks on Elementary's Pilot?" Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2012/09/are-lesser-clovers-sherlocks-lucky.html

"Once You've Ruled Out God." Elementary: The Fifth Season. Los Angeles CA: Paramount Pictures May 7, 2017.

"Remember When - TV Crew Film at the Bodleian for Sherlock Holmes Drama." Oxford Mail > News > 14th May.
Available @ https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/16223944.remember-when-tv-crew-film-at-the-bodleian-for-sherlock-holmes-drama/