Basilisk
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the legendary creature. For the actual animal, see
Corytophanidae.
In
European bestiaries and
legends, a
basilisk (
English pronunciation: /ˈbæzɪlɪsk/[1], from the
Greek βασιλίσκος
basilískos, "little king"; Latin
Regulus) is a
legendary reptile reputed to be king of
serpents and said to have the power to cause
death with a single glance. According to the
Naturalis Historia of
Pliny the Elder, the basilisk of
Cyrene is a small snake, "being not more than twelve fingers in length",
[2] that is so
venomous that it leaves a wide trail of deadly venom in its wake, and its gaze is likewise lethal; its weakness is in the odour of the
weasel, which, according to Pliny, was thrown into the basilisk's hole, recognisable because all the surrounding shrubs and grass had been scorched by its presence.
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