The Unicorn Is Killed and Brought to the Castle, ca. 1495–1505
South Netherlandish
Wool warp, wool, silk, silver, and gilt wefts; 12 ft. 1 in. x 12 ft. 9 in. (368 x 389 cm)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Gift of John D. Rockefeller Jr., 1937 (37.80.5)

At the end of the hunt, the master of the hunt dispatched the quarry with a hunting sword. This single-edged weapon not only helped huntsmen cut through underbrush, but it also offered a last line of defense if a bear or a wolf unexpectedly lunged from the dense forests of northern Europe. It also was used to administer the coup de grace (piercing the throat of the wounded animal), which was the privilege of the lord of the hunt at the end of the chase or of the lucky marksman whose weapon had felled the prey.

With the death of the animal, the "Great Halai" (from the French, "Hey, there he lies") sounded, as it had at the beginning of the hunt. In this ritual the assembled hunting party bared their heads and blew their hunting horns in unison. The slain quarry was then "undone," with portions of it given to the lymerer who had first discovered the animal and then to other hunters, according to recognized rules. The hounds also received choice morsels as their reward. On their return from a hunt, the hounds were given fresh hay to sleep on and choice bits of food; their feet were greased. Sometimes the dogs were taken to the seashore to be bathed and sometimes they even were taken on pilgrimages if they were thought to be going mad.

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