Basilisk

Origin and tradition

Classical and medieval European bestiaries describe the Basilisk as a little king of serpents able to kill with sight or breath.

Illustration in this atlas

A rooster-headed serpent with a crowned crest. The plate follows a medieval hybrid image; the small crowned serpent in classical descriptions and the related cockatrice are distinct historical treatments.

References and further reading

1. en.wikipedia.org — Basilisk

These references offer further reading. Accounts and depictions vary; the atlas illustration is interpretive artwork, rather than historical or scientific evidence.