The yale is described as an antelope- or goat-like creature with the tusks of a boar and large horns. These horns possess the ability to swivel in any direction which makes them good for both offensive and defensive attacks.
The yale was first written about by Pliny the Elder in Book VIII of his Natural History. He describes the eale as a creature found in Aethiopia:
it is the size of the river-horse, has the tail of the elephant, and is of a black or tawny colour. It has also the jaws of the wild boar, and horns that are moveable, and more than a cubit in length, so that, in fighting, it can employ them alternately, and vary their position by presenting them directly or obliquely, according as necessity may dictate.[1]
Pliny reports sighting the yale while on the sub-Saharan African plains. The antelope and buffaloinhabit this region and loosely match his description, so may have given rise to his misunderstanding.
The yale subsequently featured in medieval bestiaries and heraldry.
Info provided by: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yale_(mythical_creature)
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