Is Pegasus a Unicorn_ - A Flying Pegasus

Is Pegasus a Unicorn?


We all have some kind of idea of the definition of a unicorn. It’s a magical horse with a single horn on its forehead, right?

But then, there are borderline cases that we can’t be sure of whether they are unicorns. One of these borderline cases is Pegasus. Is Pegasus a unicorn or not?

Today, we are going to find out all about the Pegasus myth. We will also discuss the difference between Pegasus, a unicorn, and a winged unicorn.

What Is Pegasus?

In Greek mythology, Pegasus is a mythical winged divine horse and an offspring of Poseidon, one of the gods in Greek mythology. So, in Greek mythology, Pegasus is a single creature, not a mythical species like a unicorn.

However, in modern times Pegasus is often mentioned as if it was a mythical animal species, not just a single creature called Pegasus.

According to Greek mythology, Pegasus was an orphan, and he was raised by muses and the goddess Athena. He created springs of inspiration just by striking his mythical hooves to the ground.

Pegasus was a faithful servant of Zeus. In fact, he was so faithful, that Zeus transformed him into a constellation as a token of gratitude.

Is Pegasus a Unicorn?

A definition of a unicorn is an animal with a single horn. Pegasus doesn’t have a horn, so it is not a unicorn. It is a mythical winged horse.

Then, aren’t unicorns in essence magical horses with a horn? That is true, unicorns have magical powers. But so do pegasi!

What Kind of Magical Powers Do the Pegasi Have?

The Pegasi can travel between the mortal and the immortal world.

The Pegasi also magically inspire poets. Whenever a poet goes near Pegasus, it strikes its hooves to the ground. The poet gets so inspired by this, that magical poetry is born. Speaking of poets, here are a few unicorn poems to inspire you.

What if Pegasus Could Have Both Wings and a Horn?

So, Pegasus has wings but it doesn’t have a horn. The unicorn has a magical horn, but it doesn’t have wings. What if you could have both wings and a horn?

Well, you can, actually. That is what happens when a Pegasus and a unicorn have a baby. A winged unicorn, or pegacorn, is born. These lucky little ones are born with both wings and a horn.

Oh yes, a Pegasus and a unicorn can have a baby together. It is not so much because they are both magical creatures, they are just similar enough to be able to mate. It is the same as horses and zebras, I think. They are not magical creatures, but they are still able to mate with each other.

a winged unicorn mounting on water
A winged unicorn, or pegacorn, is an offspring of a unicorn and a pegasus.

Pegasus Is Not a Unicorn, It Is a Divine Winged Horse

In conclusion, this is what you should know about Pegasus:

  • Pegasus is a mythical winged horse in Greek mythology
  • Pegasus was an offspring of Poseidon and a faithful servant to Zeus
  • According to Greek mythology, Pegasus inspired poets and was able to travel between the mortal and immortal world
  • Pegasus doesn’t have a horn, so it is not a unicorn
  • In Greek mythology, Pegasus was a single creature
  • These days the Pegasi are often talked about as a mythical animal species, not only as a single animal
  • A winged unicorn is an offspring of a Pegasus and a unicorn

What is your opinion, is Pegasus a unicorn? Why, or why not? Is there anything else you know about the mythical Pegasus? Please share your thoughts in the comment section below!

I also recommend you our Pegasus quiz.

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14 Comments

  1. Had a strange dream last night about Pegasus. He was in the sky, in the cosmos, surrounded by unicorns, pegacorns, and pegasuses. He was translucent milky, glowing. He was giant and telling all of his mission to educate all who would listen to try and save the world. It felt so real. Then all of them noticed me. I was too nervous to move, so I become immobile. Gigantic Pegasus spoke to me ” you light workers and healers need to spread the word, you need to bring your love and healing out. “. I was a little intimidated and said “how?” He laughed and said “you have to stop hiding and begin sending out your healing.” I said “Okay….but I don’t know how much of a difference I could make…. I don’t know computers or how to do social media… “. My unicorn was next to me, Pegasus stared intently and said “Remember anything is possible if you try.” I woke up. 🦄❤️🙏

    1. Wow, what a dream you had! You know, I think Pegasus was right. Even if you don’t know computers or social media, you can always learn. Do whatever you need to do to spread out your message!

  2. I just love this light hearted treatment of the difference between Pegasus and unicorns.  Its always been a pet peeve of mine when a Pegacorn is depicted as you will find such a creature no where in actual mythology.  Having said that, the illustrations on your page are absolutely gorgeous and I’ve learned to love the Pegacorn, however unrealistic.  After all, there isn’t a unicorn constellation is there?  I must say, Pegasus must have been a very prolific breeder with the number of Pegacorns we see in movies, TV, pictures and children’s toys!  GO PEGASUS!!!  LOL

  3. Your article is not a common one I get to read or encounter everyday. I got curious about Pegasus and unicorn, as my daughter love unicorns. She’s collecting unicorns!. 

    So yeah, your article entertained me, it’s nice to read such articles about mythology. Never imagined of a pegacorn in the first place. Thanks for sharing this, it’s a good one to read.

  4. Thanks for your interesting article on ‘Is Pegasus a Unicorn’.  I believe that Pegasus is not a unicorn as pegasus had wings and unicorns do not have wings but a horn. I do believe however that they are all belong in a family of mythical creatures such as Medusa, Cyclopes etc.  Would love to hear what you think on my thoughts.  Thanks

    1. Hi Darren,

      Yes, I agree with you. Pegasus is not a unicorn, because it doesn’t have a horn. A unicorn must have a single horn, because that´s what unicorn means in Latin, ‘one horn’. However, winged unicorns do have wings, but they are still unicorns because they also have one horn, which Pegasus has not.

      “Normal” unicorns don´t have wings, though. Having one horn is what defines a unicorn, in my opinion, so even winged unicorns are unicorns, although less common ones than “regular” unicorns.

      Pegasus is not a unicorn, but it is still a mythical creature and a magical winged horse.

  5. Hi, your post is unique and educating actually to me I don’t have any idea about unicorn, Pegasus and a winged unicorn.

    i am just learning about them from your post, I will still make more research about them.

    from your post I learnt that winged unicorn is the offspring to unicorn and pegasus. I really enjoyed your post and I will be sharing your post on my social media because it is a good topic to discuss so that we can learn from each other.

    1. Hi,

      Thank you for your comment! Sharing my posts on social media is always appreciated. Happy to hear you learned something here and enjoyed my post.

  6. Ha! It was nice to read something different today. In fact, this put a smile on my face. It’s not every day that you get to ponder about magical creatures.

    Do I think Pegasus is a unicorn? Yes. Hummmm…on a second thought, no. Are unicorns not unique because they have a horn? I think so. Are they winged horses? No, to the best of my memory. So, Pegasus is probably not a unicorn.

    1. Hi Princila,

      Yes, I agree with you. Unicorns are defined by having one horn. Pegasus doesn’t have a horn, so it´s not a unicorn, but a mythical winged horse. Winged unicorns, on the other hand, are unicorns by definition, because they have one horn, even though they also have wings like Pegasus.

  7. Unicorns have been here so long. When I was young, this kind of things used to be highly gender-related stuff but not anymore in 2019. Well, as a father of 12 years old son and as having unicorn knowledge near of zero, I may see this from another view as the most dedicated unicorn fans and/or experts. However, I see this site and its title and content pretty fun but at the same time, as highly informative stuff. And its theme and style fits perfectly to unicorn stuff, I would say. So, let’s take a look at the life of unicorns, I have still lots to learn!:)

    1. Hi Jesse,

      Thank you for your comment! I think unicorns are still often connected to femininity and girls, but there´s no reason why boys or men couldn’t be into unicorns as well. When it comes to unicorn merchandise, there is a lot of pink unicorn stuff, but also more unisex stuff. 

      Unicorns have been around for hundreds or thousands of years even, but recently a big unicorn trend has come up. There´s even unicorn ice cream sold in regular supermarkets!