Basilisk, Rochester Bestiary, c.1230

The basilisk is a legendary reptile originating from the crossbreeding of a cockerel ad snake: it is known as βασιλίσκος (vasilískos) in Greek and rēgŭlus in Latin. It is also regarded as the king of serpents—so deadly that its mere presence causes other creatures to flee. This snake kills with its noxious smell and can even kill a person just by looking at them. No bird flying near the basilisk escapes its deadly gaze; even those at a distance are burned and devoured. However, the basilisk has a natural enemy: the weasel. Humans release weasels into the basilisk's hiding places, forcing it to flee, only to be relentlessly pursued and killed. This mythical creature, about half a foot long with distinctive white streaks, symbolises the Devil, the king of all demons, embodying the idea that every evil has its remedy. This symbolism is echoed in the verse, “You will trample on the asp and the basilisk.”

Basiliscus grece; latine interpretatur regulus. eo quod
sit rex serpentium; adeo ut eum videntes fugiant.
Quia olfactu suo; eas necat. Et insimul si hominem
aspiciat; interimit. Siquidem ab eius aspectu nul-
la avis volans illesa transit. Sed quamvis procul sit; ore com-
busta devoratur. A mustelis tamen vincitur. quas illis
homines inferunt cavernis; in quibus delitescunt.
Itaque ea visa fugit. quem illa persequens; occidit. Nichil
enim ille parens rerum sine remedio constituit. Est
autem longitudine semipedalis. albis maculis linea-
tus. Nomine basilisci diabolus significatur. qui est rex omnium
demonum. Unde illud. Super aspidem et basiliscum. et cetera.

the basilisk[1] is called βασιλίσκος/vasilískos in Greek; in Latin, it is called rēgŭlus[2], for it is the king of snakes, so much so that when people see it, they flee. This snake kills people with its smell. If it looks at people, it kills them. Indeed, no bird flying past the basilisk escapes unscathed from its sight. Even if the bird is far away, it burns and is devoured by the basilisk’s mouth. However, the basilisk is defeated by weasels, which humans bring into the caves where the basilisk hides. Thus, when it sees the weasel, it flees but the weasel pursues and kills it. The creator of all things established nothing without a remedy. It is about half-foot in length and streaked with white spots. The basilisk is a symbol of the Devil, who is the king of all demons. Hence, the verse “You will trample on the asp and the basilisk”.[3]

Reguli autem sicut scorpiones arentia queque sec-
tantur. Et postquam ad aquas venerint; lim-
phaticos faciunt. Sibilus idem est qui et regulus.
Sibilo enim occidit; antequam mordeat vel exurat;

However, basilisks, like scorpions, seek out dry places. When they go near the water, they become frenzied. The basilisk is a hissing creature, for it kills you with its hiss before biting or burning you.

Further Reading

David Badke, The Bestiary Blog: Animals in the Middle Ages, Basilisk, November 6 2023, https://bestiary.ca/beasts/beast265.htm

Josh Goldenberg (BA 2012) and Matt Shanahan (BA 2014, Logeion, November 2022, https://logeion.uchicago.edu/

Castiglioni, L. and Mariotti, S. (1996). Vocabolario della Lingua Latina: Latino-Italiano Italiano-Latino. Terza Edizione. Loescher Torino

Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., Wikipedia: The Elephant, 28 November 2023, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elephant

Matthews, J. and Matthews C., (2010), The Element Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures, HarperCollins UK, London

Curley, M. J., Physiologus: A Medieval Book of Nature Lore (University of Chicago edition 2009)

Endnotes

[1] The word basilisk comes from the Greek word βασιλεύς/basileús meaning king.

[2] The word rēgŭlus has various meanings in Latin: it usually denotes a monarch, a king of a small state, a young prince, a queen bee, a wren and in this text, the basilisk.

[3] In the Latin Vulgatae, Psalm 91:13: "Super aspidem et basiliscum ambulabis; et conculcabis leonem et draconem."