Well, last night was Halloween, that time of the year when I buy candy and then fervently pray that no one comes to my door asking for it, so I can eat it all myself. Of course, some kids had to ruin the fun last night and came trick or treating, and not being a total grouch (and also not wanting my house egged) I gave them some. As I looked at a few costumes of devils, dragons, and other monsters, a thought crossed my mind.
Why did we decide that horns are so scary?
Many popular depictions of the devil depict him as having horns. Same with many monsters, demons, and dragons - all horned. Horns, it seems, are quite scary. But think about this for a second. What animals actually have horns? Cows. Sheep. Goats. Antelope. Bison. Animals we eat, in many cases our domestic animals. You know who doesn't have horns? Big cats, bears, crocodiles, sharks, etc. There are a few snakes with projections over their eyes that are kind of horn-like, but don't quite fit the bill.
Now, having been at the charging end of wild ungulate horns before, I do have some respect for them as implements for the infliction of pain. In some species only the male has horns, or has much larger horns. In others, the horns are virtually the same in males and females. They came is all sorts of diabolical shapes, from the heavy, hoop-like horns of an ibex, capable of sending you flying across a room, to the short, sharp, dirk-like horns of the duikers, ideal for getting stabbed in the gut in close quarters. Of course, left to their own devices, all of these animals would happily be off grazing or browsing and not bothering you at all. Animals with horns use them to protect themselves from predators, fight off rivals, and secure mates. No animal with horns uses them to kill prey.
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