BASILISK
[noun]
in European bestiaries and legends, a basilisk (from the Greek βασιλίσκος basilískos, “little king;” Latin Regulus) is a legendary reptile reputed to be the king of serpents and said to have the power to cause death with a single glance. The basilisk is called “king” because it is reputed to have on its head a mitre or crown-shaped crest, however it has been depicted as a normal snake with bulbous eyes, or a serpentine creature with a rooster’s head and wings. Stories of the basilisk tend to be interchangeable with the cockatrice.