basilisk
A fabled reptile with a horn-like growth on its head. Has the head of a cock and body of a reptile and is hatched from a cock’s egg laid on a dunghill. Serpents are said to flee from it, and its glance kills a man. To slay it, one must look into a crystal vessel, which reflects the venom of the reptile. A symbol of the devil. The crystal vessel represents the power of the Gospel over Satan and hell. The basilisk is also called a cockatrice. (Webber, 1938) Photo from Royal Oak, Michigan, 2025.