The basilisk is a legendary monster that can kill with a glance and leave a trail of deadly poison. It was a staple of European bestiaries and can be described as a snake, lizard or cockatrice. The basilisk’s expiration has become exaggerated, but it is only vulnerable to roosters and the sight of itself in a mirror. There is also an actual animal known as a basilisk, which is a lizard with crown-like crests.
A basilisk is a legendary monster that can kill with a glance. It is also said to leave a trail of deadly poison in its wake. The basilisk was a staple of European bestiaries of the Ancient Era and the Middle Ages, in which it is often referred to as the king of snakes. According to legend, the monster was born from a snake egg hatched by a hen.
While the basilisk is always reptilian, its shape differs depending on the source. Descriptions of the basilisk fall into three main categories, but there is a great variety of variations within each. The basilisk can be described as a snake, a lizard or a cockatrice, another legendary creature that is half snake and half rooster.
In any form, the basilisk is predictably monstrous. Although an early source of the legend, Pliny’s Natural History of AD 79, describes the basilisk as a small, albeit intensely venomous, snake, in later versions the monster is almost always gigantic. Some descriptions of the basilisk give it many legs, others just a snake’s tail. In many versions, the monster has a crest in the shape of a crown, which is explained as the reason for the basilisk’s nickname, the “king of snakes”.
The basilisk’s expiration has become quite exaggerated in some reports. He was said to be able to kill with his breath, with the sound of his voice, by breathing fire, by poisoning the air around him, by touching a living thing, and even by touching something that a living thing was also touching. According to legend, the basilisk is only vulnerable to roosters and the sight of itself in a mirror. In medieval times, the basilisk came to be associated with alchemy. It was said to be essential to some methods of turning copper or silver into gold.
In addition to the deadly basilisk of legend, there is an actual animal known as a basilisk. Lizards of the genus Basiliscus are named after the mythical monster because of their crown-like crests, although they are neither giant nor venomous. Basilisks are native to Central America and surrounding areas and were recently introduced to Florida.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
