The Basilisk

The Basilisk

For what JK Rowling might have you believe a Basilisk is, isn’t half as scary as the basilisk mentioned in ancient texts and folklore.

The creature has existed throughout history in various forms and amalgamations. The most widely accepted description of the beast is that it is formed from the union of a serpent and a rooster. The beast is - the body and tail of a snake with the head and of a rooster (although the tongue remained of a snake) and stood on eight chicken legs. The beast hatches from the egg of a rooster which is incubated by a reptile – a serpent or a toad. Another description says that it was a creature with the body of a lizard, bat-like wings, tail of a snake and the head and legs of a rooster.

This ferocious beast was mentioned in the ancient texts from Rome and Poland, although it’s mention in the Polish context seems to be more wide-spread. It is said that two little girls were playing in Warsaw and when they didn’t return home in the evening, the mother of one of the girls went searching throughout the town with the maid. The girls were found in the basement of a very old and abandoned building. But they were dead when found. The mother waited at the steps of the basement as the maid went down the stairs. Halfway through she felt something under her feet and stopped, for she was dead too. She was killed by the renowned basilisk stare.

The creature was called the King of Serpents and is believed to be one of the most poisonous creatures to have ever walked on Earth. It is believed that the monster was depiction of pure evil. The beast was so poisonous that a mere glare into its eyes would mean death. Even the blood that coursed through its veins was so poisonous that every breath it released used to fill the surrounding air with lethal toxins. The air around it was ever so very toxic that breathing a good amount of that air could mean death. It leaved a poisonous trail, as it roamed, that resulted in the decaying of all grass and plants in its trodden path; even the rocks would shatter. No man was ever successful in killing a basilisk because the blood would flow along the sword or spear and the bearer of the weapon would die on contact with the blood. It is said that weasels are immune to its stare.

But still, the basilisk is associated with power and today it is even considered as the guardian creature of the city of Basel, in Switzerland, by its people. The creature also adorns as the supporters in the Coat of Arms of the city.