• OVERVIEW
    A monster feared for centuries throughout Europe and North Africa. Like many ancient marvels, it was a bizarre hybrid: a crested snake that hatched from an egg laid by a rooster and incubated by a toad. The basilisk of legend was rare but decidedly deadly; it was widely believed to wither landscapes with its breath and kill with a glare.

    ETYMOLOGY
    The word originates from the Greek form basilískos which means "little king", "little prince", "chieftain", or "young ruler", from two components, βᾰσῐλεύς (basileús, “king”) and -ῐ́σκος (-ískos, diminutive). It was also considered to be synonymous with the cockatrice.

    THE MYTH OF THE BASILISK
    The myth says that the basilisk came from an egg laid by a seven-year-old rooster when Sirius (Greek god of the dog star) was high in the sky. The egg was perfectly round and covered by a thick membrane. Unloved by it's mother, it was abandoned and that might have been its end there if not for a toad which took pity on it and sat on it for nine years to hatch it.

    Once it hatched, its terror was quickly known. Not only was it's appearance hideous, but its breath was so foul that the toad who had nurtured it all those years fell over, choaking on the stench till its insides hardened and it turned to stone. From there, children were often warned to not venture off the roads into the much and mire of the woods, for that was where the basilisks roamed and stalked its prey.

    Within some ten years, all the villages in the region had been abandoned and the lands rotting. It was said that the basilisk's stench lingered in the air and merchants would often forgo travelling through the area to avoid the ravenous beast.

    Eventually, the basilisk opted to slither to new lands as there was no prey left to stalk. It was here that it fell into the trap of a hunter that a king that wished to harness the wretched basilisk's power. It was a great achievement for any army that approached was quickly slaughtered by the foul beast who would slowly turn to stone while it feasted on the parts that were still flesh.

    Many years later, Alexander the Great was marching his armies and conquering all the known world when he came across the beast. Alexander had sent out 1,000 soldiers who all died mysteriously at the same time. No doubt about it, Alexander (who was wise himself and had many great advisors), knew what they were facing: the basilisk.

    To combat this terrible beast, they used it's power against it and procured a mirror which had been polished with a magic oil which repelled all – not just sight. The greedy basalisk, hungry for more flesh, took the bait and chased a scout who led them to where the soldiers lay in wait with the polished mirrors. Thinking his prey cornered, the basilisk screeched in rage as it's flesh slowly hardened.