In Greek and European bestiaries and legends, a basilisk (from the Greek basiliskos, a little king, in Latin Regulus) is a legendary reptile reputed to be king of serpents and said to have the power of causing death by a single glance. According to the Naturalis Historia of Pliny the Elder, the basilisk is a small snake that is so venomous that it leaves a wide trail of deadly venom in its wake, and its gaze is likewise lethal.
There are three descriptions to the image of the basilisk: a huge lizard, a giant snake or a three-foot high cockerel with a snake's tail and teeth, all of which are shared with the cockatrice. It is called "king" because it is reputed to have on its head a mitre- or crown-shaped crest. Stories of the basilisk place it in the same general family as the cockatrice. The basilisk is fabulously alleged to be hatched by a cockerel from the egg of a serpent (the reverse of the cockatrice, which was hatched from a hen's egg incubated by a serpent's nest). In Medieval Europe, the description of the creature began taking on features from cockerels. Geoffrey Chaucer featured a basilicok (as he called it) in his Canterbury Tales. According to some legends, basilisks can be killed by hearing the crow of a rooster or gazing at itself through a mirror.
Stories gradually added to the basilisk's deadly capabilities, such as describing it as a larger beast, capable of breathing fire and killing with the sound of its voice. Some writers even claimed that it could kill not only by touch, but also by touching something that is touching the victim, like a sword held in their hand. Also, some stories claim their breath is highly toxic and will cause death, usually, immediately. The Basilisk is also the guardian creature of the Swiss city Basel.
Basis of the myth
Some have speculated that reports of cobras may have given birth to the stories of the basilisk. The king cobra has a crownlike symbol on its head and is often killed by mongooses. Many species can kill from a distance by spitting venom. The Egyptian cobra lives in the desert and was used as a symbol of royalty.
There is in fact a small lizard called the Common Basilisk (Basiliscus basiliscus), though it shares none of the attributes of the mythological creature.
Usage in market-directed culture and video games
Basilisks have been reimagined and employed in modern fantasy fiction for books, movies, and role-playing games, such as Dungeons & Dragons. A large, snake-like basilisk was featured in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, yet in the movie the basilisk was portrayed as a much larger creature than the true mythological character. A large toad-like creature that can petrify its enemies is found in the game Secret of Mana, and a large lizard that could also petrify anyone with a gaze is found in Neverwinter Nights and Dragon Rider.
For basilisks in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, see Basilisk (Dungeons & Dragons).