medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
The earliest Greek reference listed by the TLG project seems to be a certain
medical writer named Erasistratus, 3rd century BCE, preserved only in fragments
cited by later authors. Pliny does not mention him in the long list of sources
Pliny claims to have used for book 8 of the Natural History Encyclopedia (see
"book 1"). One of these later citations attributes it to a work by Erasistratus
called "On Powerful and Deadly Things," and the information given on the
"Basiliskos" is that "when it bites/stings, a hidden [?] wound is generated" --
or something like that. Not something to mess around with!
Bob
> medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
>
> My candidate for the origin of the term and mythology. Plny's Natural History.
>
> The basilisk serpent also has the same power. It is a native of the province of
> Cyrenaica, not more than 12 inches long, and adorned with a bright white
> marking on the head like a sort of diadem. It routs all snakes with its hiss,
> and does not move its body forward in manifold coils like the other snakes but
> advancing with its middle raised high. It kills bushes not only by its touch
> but also by its breath, scorches up grass and bursts rocks. Its effect on other
> animals is disastrous: it is believed that once one was killed with a spear by a
> man on horseback and the infection rising through the spear rising not only the
> rider but also the horse. Yet to a creature so marvelous as this — indeed kings
> have often wished to see a specimen when safely dead — the venom of weasels is
> fatal: so fixed is the decree of nature that nothing shall be without its
> match. (8. xxxiii)
>
> See more: http://webhome.idirect.com/~donlong/monsters/Html/Basilisk.htm It
> seems pretty well documented and I could not find an earlier citation. Pliny's
> description of the viper sounds a lot like the one in the video at
> http://www.whozoo.org/Intro2000/sabrinor/SDNdeserthornedviper.htm
>
> --V. K. Inman
>
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--
Robert A. Kraft, Religious Studies, University of Pennsylvania
227 Logan Hall (Philadelphia PA 19104-6304); tel. 215 898-5827
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http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/rs/rak/kraft.html
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