What is the basilisk regarded as?
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king of the serpents
The basilisk is the „king of serpents“; its name means „little king.“
💡 Did you know? It was depicted sometimes as a crowned snake, sometimes as a cockerel with a serpent's tail.
All questions with answers
What makes the basilisk so deadly?
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his gaze and breath kill
The mere gaze or venomous breath of the basilisk could kill a person.
💡 Did you know? Even plants withered and rocks cracked where it passed.
How could the basilisk be defeated?
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with a mirror
The basilisk died if it caught sight of its own deadly reflection.
💡 Did you know? The crow of a cockerel too was said to be fatal to it.
Where does the basilisk live on in modern culture?
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in fantasy and literature
In „Harry Potter,“ for instance, a giant basilisk lurks in the Chamber of Secrets.
💡 Did you know? Even a real genus of lizard, the „basilisk,“ is named after the mythical creature.
How does the basilisk hatch, by legend?
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from a cockerel's egg
The basilisk hatches from an egg laid by a cockerel and brooded by a toad.
💡 Did you know? This unnatural birth made it a symbol of the unholy.
Which animal was seen as the basilisk's enemy?
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the weasel
It was believed that only the weasel was immune to the basilisk's venom and could kill it.
💡 Did you know? So even the most terrible monster needed a natural adversary.
Which sound was deadly to the basilisk?
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a cock's crow
Travellers therefore carried roosters with them for safety.
💡 Did you know? His own reflection in a mirror also meant his death.
Which Roman scholar described the basilisk?
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Pliny the Elder
In his Natural History, with a crown-like marking on its head.
💡 Did you know? “Basiliskos” is Greek for “little king”.
In which novel series does a basilisk lurk in the Chamber of Secrets?
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Harry Potter
In the second volume its gaze petrifies Hogwarts students.
💡 Did you know? Rowling took the mirror trick and the cock's crow from the old legend.
Which real Central American lizard that can run across water is named after the mythical creature?
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the plumed basilisk
A Central American lizard with a helmet-like crest.
💡 Did you know? It runs across water: nicknamed the “Jesus Christ lizard”.
Which Swiss city keeps basilisks as heraldic supporters?
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Basel
Basilisks flank the city's arms and fountains.
💡 Did you know? The similarity of names is coincidence: but fitted too well.
What did the basilisk wreak around its lair?
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everything withered
Grass burned, stones cracked, springs turned poisonous.
💡 Did you know? Thus people explained blighted, lifeless places.
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