Basilisk (from the Greek "basilieus" meaning king, as in
"king of snakes".)
- Name: known as a basilisk, basilcok or cockatrice
- Description:
- The basilisk or cockatrice comes out of a stolen cock's egg hatched by
a snake, toad or a serpent. Its about the size of a cat, and has some resemblence to both a
rooster and a snake, but its far more terrifying tha any other known
reptile. Its appearance is so dreadful, that if it could see itself in a
mirror it would burst apart with horror and fear.
- The basilsk
serpent is not more than 12 inches long, with a white marking on the head
like a sort of diadem. It routs all snakes with its hiss, and does not move
its body forward in manifold coils like the other snakes but advancing with
its middle raised high. Its often described having 8 legs.
- Weapsons:
(basilisk's weapons are its eyes and razor-sharp teeth)-
Eyes: Its glare can cause plants to wither, trees to die, birds to fall
from the sky and stones to crack.
-
Venom: It kills bushes not only by its touch but also by its breath,
scorches up grass and bursts rocks. Its effect on other animals is disastrous. It
is belived that once a basilisk was killed with a spear by a man on
horseback, and the infection rose though the spear, killing not only the
rider, but the horse as well.
- Enemies:
- Roosters: A rooster's crow can kill a basilisk
-
Weasels: Weasels are immune from basilisk stares and they know that rue
leaves will cure basilisk wounds, so they have no fear of the monster,
attacking the creature without mercy.
- Rue: (Ruta
graveolens) or 'herb of grace' is the only plant able to withstand the
searing stare of a basilisk, and is of course extremely useful in
witchcraft.
Cock's eggs:
Its said that when a cock grows old, he lays a certain egg
without any shell, instead its protected with a very thick layer of skin, which
is able to withstand the force of any easy blow or fall. They say however that
this egg is only layd in the summer time (between early July and early
september).Its not very different from a hens egg, sometimes yellowish muddy
color. And if a snake or a toad hatches the egg, it will bring forth a
cockatrice.
Taken from "Encyclopedia of THINGS THAT NEVER WERE" by
Michael Page and Robert Ingpen
and from another web-site [link]