The basilisk is a mythical animal that forms part of Greek mythology, so the importance of this creature lies not only in the many attributes it is believed to possess, in addition to the unusual circumstances attributed to it, but also in the fact that its existence has spread throughout cultures around the world.
What is a basilisk?
It is not known exactly when this mythological character first appeared, but what is known is that since ancient times, the Basilisk was called “the little king” or “the king of snakes” by the inhabitants, which is why it was famous among all people as an evil and terrible animal that was undoubtedly the worst of all crawling creatures.
What does this fantastic animal look like?
Over time, its appearance changed to that of a dragon with a rooster’s head and a golden crest shaped like a crown.
On the other hand, it is described in other legends as a winged snake, whose appearance inspires terror in those who see it and dare to face it. Consequently, its gaze has the power to petrify people, just like Medusa.
However, in the fables told in Greek mythology, he is portrayed as a small or large snake, depending on the story, which possessed a deadly poison that could kill anyone who looked at him with a single glance, which is why he was considered a powerful being who ruled over snakes.
On the other hand, its appearance varies greatly, so according to:
- Pliny the Elder: The basilisk was native to Cyrene and was over 20 inches long. It had a white mark on its head like a diadem and, in addition to its characteristic gaze, its breath destroyed all the flowers around it and was so strong that it could crack stones.
- Pierre de Beauvais (1206): He states that this mythical animal is born from a deformed egg laid by a rooster when it turns 7 years old, also incubated by a toad for 9 years, and therefore has characteristics similar to these creatures, a rooster’s head, a snake’s tail, and a toad’s body.
- However, the most widely accepted explanation of its birth is that it hatches from an egg laid by a rooster and incubated by a snake, which is why it has the appearance of a rooster with a snake’s tongue and crest.
- Although in the Middle Ages, it was described as a rooster with four legs, yellow feathers, large spiny wings, and a snake’s tail, it is not known exactly whether its head is that of a snake or a rooster, as this varies according to different accounts.
Types of Basilisks
According to stories that have been told over time, it has been concluded that there are four different types of basilisks:
- Common Basilisk: This is the mythical animal known to all in stories, with the appearance of a snake and a rooster, feared by its eternal rival, the weasel.
- Sauro Basilisk: These are different from the traditional ones because they are believed to have measured around two meters in length and were notable for their supposed lower intelligence. They had eight legs but were still very slow in their movements, although they had the ability to petrify with their gaze.
- Greater Sauro Basilisk: These are more cunning and intelligent and larger in size than the previous ones. They were responsible for guarding and defending their treasures, and their breath was their weapon, as they could use it to destroy their attackers.
- Pirolisco: This is a mixture of the well-known basilisk but with greater ferocity, and its breath burned anyone it wanted. It was immune to charms and spells as well as fire, and unlike the traditional basilisk, it feared the phoenix.
How do you kill a basilisk?
This mythical creature lives in a desert that it created by destroying the rocks and burning the grass around it, as its abilities include breathing fire, drying up plants, and poisoning water.
It is therefore a very powerful animal, so if a person has to face it and emerge victorious, they must know not only its gifts but also how to defeat it.
Therefore, its great power, as many know, is to turn anyone who looks at it into stone, but this was also one of its weaknesses, because if it saw its reflection in a mirror, it would kill itself.
Other methods of killing it include the sound of a rooster crowing, which would terrify it and cause it to die.
Likewise, his strongest rival is the weasel, as its foul smell overpowers the Basilisk and kills it, even if it costs the weasel its life.
In fact, one of the best-known legends about how a Basilisk died is that one day a knight, tired of the plague that was ravaging his country, put on armor made of mirrors and went out in search of them. When he found them, he killed them all, and was therefore named the Knight of Mirrors.
How is this mythological animal presented in other cultures?
Originally from Europe, this character has spread to different parts of the world, where it has kept the same name in the folklore of South America, among which the following stand out:
- It appears in Chilote mythology, which believed in the existence of an animal that was half rooster and half snake that drank saliva and could only be killed by burning it.
- The gauchos believed that the basilisk wasa giant worm with a single eye that could kill anyone it looked at, but it could also die if its “face” was shown to it in a mirror or other reflective surface.
- Currently known as Colombia, the former New Kingdom of Granada was home to a mythical creature similar to the basilisk called buío or güío, which resembled a large snake.
- In Colombia, this creature has sinister features similar to those mentioned above and is almost never seen, but it is heard by the locals. However, it is called “pollo malo” (bad chicken) or “pollo del diablo” (devil’s chicken), which later became a legend in the region, as its cry announces the arrival of death, and anyone who has brief contact with it will suffer great misfortune.
- El Salvador is another place where this mythical creature is talked about. In ancient times, it was said that when chickens are about to die, they lay a last small egg, and if it is eaten by a toad or a snake, they will incubate it until the basilisk is born. According to traditional legend, if a person manages to see it before the animal sees them, they will die, but if the mythical creature sees them first, the person will die.
- In the historical anthology of Paraguay, this creature is a short snake with horns on its head, no more than a meter long and as thick as a tree trunk. It lives in the swamps and marshes of the region and, like other versions of the myth, is a feared animal that kills with its gaze.
The participation of basilisks in art
A) Basilisks in sculpture
This branch of art used basilisks as an element displayed on church capitals. They were usually carved in ivory, and this form of expression was also used to symbolize the myths that surrounded the countries where basilisks existed. For example, in Vienna, a figure of this animal can be seen on a street facade.
B) Basilisks in literature
This mythical Greek creature appears in the second book by Argentine author Roberto Fontanarrosa, who includes it as a character in the comic strips of Inodoro Pereyra. In this book, the protagonist faces a basilisk and kills it during the fight by holding a mirror up to its forehead so that it sees its own reflection.
On the other hand, it appears both in the book and in the film Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling, in which the protagonist also fights one.
Furthermore, it is described in Rick Riordan’s The Son of Neptune, a book that is part of the Heroes of Olympus series, but in this version, Frank, a demigod, has to face three of them to save his friends in chapters XXII to XXIV.
Finally, the existence of the basilisk appears in the manga Saint Seiya, where it is one of the 108 specters that form part of Hades’ army.
