# Unicorn Pursuivant **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 5, 2019, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unicorn-pursuivant/835092 "2019-06-05T20:25:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2019, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unicorn-pursuivant/835092/1 "2019-06-05T20:25:02Z")
I don’t read the Wall Street Journal a lot. I find the articles boring and I don’t agree with most of their politics. But the daily front page human interest story is, in fact, often of interest to this human, and occasionally I’ll come across a gem. Like today’s article on Scotland and unicorns, which introduced me to the best job title in the world. Unicorn Pursuivant. Yes, that is a real thing that a real human being calls himself. (The current Unicorn is named [Liam Devlin](https://www.courtofthelordlyon.scot/unicorn.htm)). It’s “an ancient post that helps determine which families should be allowed to call themselves clans.” Imagine. Someone asks you what you do for a living. You whip out your business card, and there it is, in black and white (or according to your preference, pink sparkles).\* Unicorn Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary\*. Your companion reads the, wrinkles their brow, reads it again. Stares at you in amazement, and perhaps not a little bit of confusion. Thank you, WSJ, for this priceless knowledge. You’ve made my day. Unicorn Pursuivant. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2019, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unicorn-pursuivant/835092/2 "2019-06-05T21:27:12Z")
He is an officer in “the Court of Lord Lyon”. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2019, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unicorn-pursuivant/835092/3 "2019-06-06T13:11:29Z")
What do his friends call him for short? ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2019, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unicorn-pursuivant/835092/4 "2019-06-06T15:34:06Z")
That’s a pretty cool job title, but I’d still rather be the [Planetary Protection Officer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lisa_Pratt). ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2019, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unicorn-pursuivant/835092/5 "2019-06-06T15:58:48Z")
> [@markn\_1](#): > > That’s a pretty cool job title, but I’d still rather be the [Planetary Protection Officer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lisa_Pratt). Okay, you win. ---
**Author:** ![Atomic\_Alex](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atomic_alex/32/175_2.png) [@Atomic\_Alex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Alex)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2019, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unicorn-pursuivant/835092/6 "2019-06-06T19:55:25Z")
A colleague used to be in the British Army and he told me this story, a friend of his remained in service after he left and eventually had to decide if he wanted a ‘desk job’ or one that was more active, he had a lot of trouble choosing but eventually went with the desk job for the title only. ‘Master of War’. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2019, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unicorn-pursuivant/835092/7 "2019-06-06T20:02:55Z")
It would possibly be an overwhelming surplus of cool if Sergeant Max Fightmaster was also Master of War. ---
**Author:** ![Atomic\_Alex](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atomic_alex/32/175_2.png) [@Atomic\_Alex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Alex)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2019, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unicorn-pursuivant/835092/8 "2019-06-08T00:18:42Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > It would possibly be an overwhelming surplus of cool if Sergeant Max Fightmaster was also Master of War. Sounds about right 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2019, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unicorn-pursuivant/835092/9 "2019-06-21T20:02:19Z")
President Harry Truman once said on a campaign swing through Pennsylvania that he thought this was the best governmental title in the country: [http://www.pacourts.us/courts/superior-court/prothonotarys-addresses](http://www.pacourts.us/courts/superior-court/prothonotarys-addresses)