The Basilisk – The Legendary Serpent King
22nd February 2023
Categorized Under: Myths and Legends from Around the World
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THE BASILISK – THE LEGENDARY SERPENT KING
People say that there is a king in the world. This king is a ruthless killer and is known as the Basilisk.
The Basilisk is one of the medieval European creatures’ most fearsome and deadly mythological monsters, and it is often depicted as a fearsome serpent or dragon with the ability to kill with a single glance. According to the legend, the basilisk was born from an egg laid by a rooster and incubated by a toad or serpent.
It is almost impossible to have a good description since you cannot look it in the eye and survive the encounter. It is the king of snakes since it has a crown-like crest on its head. Its body is different depending on its origin. Some versions present it as a snake of enormous proportions, and others as a small snake with a crest. In other cultures, it is a snake-tailed rooster; in others, it is a gigantic lizard. Each of the representations has its peculiarities, but generally, they all agree with the following characteristics:
The Basilisk can break rocks just by looking at them with its terrible yellow eyes, and its breath is so putrid that when it drinks water from a river, it gets poisoned, killing whoever drinks it and even touches it. It turns anyone who dares to look at him in the eye to stone, but if someone looks at it indirectly or through some surface where it can reflect, it gets paralyzed and loses consciousness. It gives off dangerous poisonous gases through sweat and from any wound it suffers in the body. In addition, it does not have to bite anyone who approaches it, since just by touching it or breathing its breath, everyone dies poisoned, and worst of all, without having an antidote at hand against its poison because there is none. Its movement is not like that of other reptiles that crawl on the ground, but rather it moves upright, burning the bushes and trees it finds with its breath. For this reason, the Basilisk lives in a desert because it destroys everything. It is a solitary reptile because the other snakes and animals are terrified when hearing its whistle, and they run away from it since they know it has a voracious appetite.
If you need to travel to a place where you can find a Basilisk, then take a rooster and a weasel with you since they are their eternal enemies. The rooster’s crow will instantly kill it and turn it into ashes, which retain their magical properties and which you can then use to turn silver into gold and become rich overnight. On the other hand, the weasel is immune to its gaze, can survive its poison, and its scent will kill it instantly. However, don’t try to kill it with a sword because when you stick it into its body, its blood will run through it, and you will die if you touch it. So, if you want to live longer, you should avoid meeting this monster, but if you do, don’t worry, as there is a weapon that can save you, and that weapon is a mirror. If the Basilisk sees its gaze reflected, it will turn to stone. Of course, you should also avoid looking at the creature since the same thing will happen to you.
One of the best-known sightings of the Basilisk occurred in Warsaw in 1587. People said that the creature lived in the basement of an abandoned castle and, at night, it wandered through the city, turning to stone all those who looked at it. It destroyed the buildings, stole the cattle, and even the money, accumulating a great fortune. People had accepted their fate until a tailor came to town. He had planned to stay there for only a few days, but his plan failed when he was wrongly arrested, accused of a crime, and sentenced to death. Fortunately, that didn’t happen. One day, a blacksmith whose five-year-old daughter and a friend were turned to stone by the Basilisk while going into the basement to look for the treasure suggested to the city council that if the tailor could kill the beast, they should forgive him. The council members agreed since they were sure he would fail in his attempt and die soon. The next day, they dressed him in armor covered in mirrors. He quietly entered the basement and searched for the creature for over an hour until he found it hiding behind a wall. The beast leaped to attack the intruder, but when it saw its reflection in the armor, it turned to stone, and the tailor became a hero.
Today there are still traces of the mythical Basilisk around the city, most of them on murals. There is also a statue outside a restaurant in the legendary location of the monster’s lair.
The legend of the Basilisk was later incorporated into Christian mythology, where it was seen as a symbol of the devil and sin. Also, it was said that this monster could only be defeated by a rooster, which was seen as a symbol of Christ and of the victory of good over evil.
Over time, the Basilisk has become popular in folklore and literature, appearing in works by authors such as J.K. Rowling and J.R.R. Tolkien. Despite the many different interpretations of the basilisk, it continues to capture the imagination of people around the world, and remains as a symbol of danger, malevolent power, destruction, and death. So be careful when you dare to venture into its territory.
AUTHOR: EUROPEAN FOLKLORE
** The Basilisk appeared in the second Harry Potter movie, which is titled “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.”
In the movie, the Basilisk is a giant serpent with piercing green eyes, sharp fangs, and massive size, able to reach up to 50 feet in length. Its gaze is deadly, and anyone who looks directly into its eyes will be instantly killed. Additionally, it can move quickly and silently, making it a formidable opponent for Harry and his friends. However, they are ultimately able to defeat the Basilisk by using various tactics, including the sword of Gryffindor, Fawkes the Phoenix, and Harry’s ability to speak Parseltongue.
This monster is controlled by the heir of Salazar Slytherin, one of the founders of Hogwarts, who wishes to purge the school of all non-pureblood wizards and witches. Also, it is responsible for petrifying students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Moreover, this powerful dark creature is associated with the power of the Dark Lord, Voldemort, and is one of the obstacles that Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger must overcome to save Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry from destruction.
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