A cockatrice, also known as the basilisk is a legendary creature from medieval bestiaries and folklore, often described as a fearsome and deadly hybrid of a rooster and a serpent or dragon. It typically has the head, wings, and legs of a giant cock (rooster), and the scaly tail or body of a snake or dragon. In some depictions, it walks upright on two bird-like legs, with a crest and beak like a rooster’s, while its body tapers into a coiling, serpentine tail.
By Cyclone62/Mythologysleuth
According to legend, the cockatrice is born from an egg laid by a rooster and incubated by a toad or serpent, a reversal of natural order that reinforces its unholy nature. It was believed to possess deadly powers—most famously, the ability to kill with a single glance, touch, or breath, much like the similar creature known as the basilisk. In some stories, the mere sight of its reflection was enough to destroy it, mirroring the myth of the Medusa.
The cockatrice became a symbol of chaos and unnatural corruption in medieval lore and was frequently invoked as a metaphor for something fatally dangerous, yet deceptively mundane in appearance. It was considered nearly invincible, with only a few known weaknesses—most notably the crow of a rooster or the scent of a weasel, both of which could repel or kill it.
Though now largely relegated to mythology, the cockatrice endures in fantasy literature, games, and popular culture, where it is often depicted as a monster to be slain or tamed, embodying themes of unnatural birth and lethal beauty.