Which creature, according to Pliny, had a glance that meant certain death?
"Basilisk In European bestiaries and legends, a basilisk ( or , from the Greek βασιλίσκος ""basilískos"", ""little king""; Latin ""regulus"") is a legendary reptile reputed to be a serpent king who can cause death with a single glance. According to the ""Naturalis Historia"" of Pliny the Elder, the basilisk of Cyrene is a small snake, ""being not more than twelve fingers in length"", that is so venomous, it leaves a wide trail of deadly venom in its wake, and its gaze is likewise lethal. Its weakness is the odor of the weasel, which, according to Pliny, was thrown into the"
"Likho Likho, liho (Russian: Лихо, , ) is an embodiment of evil fate and misfortune in Slavic mythology, a creature with one eye, often depicted as an old, skinny woman in black (Лихо одноглазое, One-eyed Likho) or as an evil male goblin of forests. Rather than being included in the major canon of the Slavic belief system, the Likho is traditionally found in fairy tales. There are several basic versions of tales how a person meets with Likho, with different morals of the tale. Within the framework of superstitions, Likho was supposed to come and eat a person. In particular,"
"Achlis The achlis was one of a number of strange creatures listed in Roman mythology by Pliny the Elder in the 1st century BCE. He described it as saying it looked somewhat like an elk, though it bore some very strange characteristics. It was said its upper lip was so large that it had to graze backwards to avoid its lip falling over its mouth. A great problem because its back legs had no joints, forcing it to sleep standing up or leaning against a tree. This allowed hunters a relatively easy way to catch them. They chopped halfway through"
"Catoblepas The catoblepas (pl. catoblepones; from the Greek καταβλέπω, (katablépō) ""to look downwards"") is a legendary creature from Ethiopia, first described by Pliny the Elder and later by Claudius Aelianus. It is said to have the body of a cape buffalo. Its head is always pointing downwards due to its head being heavy. Its stare or breath could either turn people into stone, or kill them. The catoblepas is often thought to be based on real-life encounters with wildebeest, such that some dictionaries say that the word is synonymous with ""gnu"". Also known as an African version of a Gorgon."
"Animal, that will not suffer itself to be touch'd by a Man”. Percy Bysshe Shelley in his ""Ode to Naples"" alludes to the basilisk: Shelley also referred to the basilisk in his poem ""Queen Mab:"" Basilisk In European bestiaries and legends, a basilisk ( or , from the Greek βασιλίσκος ""basilískos"", ""little king""; Latin ""regulus"") is a legendary reptile reputed to be a serpent king who can cause death with a single glance. According to the ""Naturalis Historia"" of Pliny the Elder, the basilisk of Cyrene is a small snake, ""being not more than twelve fingers in length"", that is"
"Strix (mythology) The strix (plural striges or strixes), in the mythology of classical antiquity, was a bird of ill omen, the product of metamorphosis, that fed on human flesh and blood. It also referred to witches and related malevolent folkloric beings. The ""strix"" is described as a large-headed bird with transfixed eyes, rapacious beak, greyish white wings, and hooked claws in Ovid's ""Fasti"". This is the only thorough description of the strix in Classical literature. Elsewhere, it is described as being dark-colored. The ""strīx"" () was a nocturnally crying creature which positioned its feet upwards and head below, according to"
"the tree where the creature slept and when the achlis put any weight against it he fell onto the ground. Because of its back legs it could not get to its feet fast enough to get away. Achlis The achlis was one of a number of strange creatures listed in Roman mythology by Pliny the Elder in the 1st century BCE. He described it as saying it looked somewhat like an elk, though it bore some very strange characteristics. It was said its upper lip was so large that it had to graze backwards to avoid its lip falling over"
"like being watched, and it was believed that if a dullahan knew someone was watching them, they would lash that person's eyes with their whip, which was made from a spine; or they would toss a basin of blood on the person, which was a sign that the person was next to die. Also in Ireland there is a female spirit known as Banshee (Gaelic: ""ban sibh"" pron. banshee, ""white spirit/fairy""), who heralds the death of a person, usually by shrieking or keening. The banshee is often described in Gaelic lore as wearing red or green, usually with long, disheveled"
"a variety of fabulous and frightening grotesques or monsters. These included the chimera, a mythical hybrid creature which usually had the body of a lion and the head of a goat, and the Strix or stryge, a creature resembling an owl or bat, which was said to eat human flesh. The ""strix"" appeared in classical Roman literature; it was described by the Roman poet Ovid, who was widely read in the Middle Ages, as a large-headed bird with transfixed eyes, rapacious beak, and greyish white wings. They were part of the visual message for the illiterate worshipers, symbols of the"
"In some medieval texts, the gaze of a beautiful woman is compared to the sight of a basilisk—a legendary reptile said to have the power to cause death with a single glance. These images continued to be circulated and elaborated upon in the literature and iconography of the Renaissance and Baroque periods. Boccaccio for example, in his ""Il Filostrato"", mixes the tradition of Cupid's arrow with the Provençal emphasis on the eyes as the birthplace of love: ""Nor did he (Troilus) who was so wise shortly before... perceive that Love with his darts dwelt within the rays of those lovely"
"made this discovery by hatching a chicken egg under a toad. A male basilisk has a scarlet plume on its head. A basilisk kills both with its powerful venom and its huge yellow eyes, which are immediately lethal to any creature who looks at them directly. To anyone who looks at it indirectly, such as through a camera or in a reflection, it creates a profound state of petrification similar to a Medusa stare. Ghosts who look at it directly will become petrified, since they could not die a second time. A phoenix tear is the only known cure for"
"poor, flimsy. In Belarusian language, ""ліхі"" means bad, evil (like in prayer), odd (side of clothing). In Ukrainian language it is type of bad luck or incident. Likho Likho, liho (Russian: Лихо, , ) is an embodiment of evil fate and misfortune in Slavic mythology, a creature with one eye, often depicted as an old, skinny woman in black (Лихо одноглазое, One-eyed Likho) or as an evil male goblin of forests. Rather than being included in the major canon of the Slavic belief system, the Likho is traditionally found in fairy tales. There are several basic versions of tales how"
"piled high with corpses and a stop at a cabin means instant death for those inside. In Ireland there was a creature known as a dullahan, whose head would be tucked under his or her arm (dullahans were not one, but an entire species), and the head was said to have large eyes and a smile that could reach the head's ears. The dullahan would ride a black horse or a carriage pulled by black horses, and stop at the house of someone about to die, and call their name, and immediately the person would die. The dullahan did not"
"by the name of Pesta, meaning ""plague hag"". She wore a black hood. She would go into a town carrying either a rake or a broom. If she brought the rake, some people would survive the plague; if she brought the broom, however, everyone would die. Later, Scandinavians adopted the classic Grim Reaper with a scythe and black robe. Lithuanians named Death ""Giltinė"", deriving from the word ""gelti"" (""to sting""). Giltinė was viewed as an old, ugly woman with a long blue nose and a deadly poisonous tongue. The legend tells that Giltinė was young, pretty and communicative until she"
"screams were heard. When he was found, he mentioned only the dog. Several days later he died. The gwyllgi (; compound noun of either gwyllt ""wild"" or gwyll ""twilight"" + ci ""dog""[1]) is a mythical dog from Wales that appears as a frightful apparition of a mastiff with baleful breath and blazing red eyes. It is referred to as ""The Dog of Darkness"" or ""The Black Hound of Destiny"", the apparition's favourite haunt being lonely roads at night. The yeth hound, also called the yell hound is a Black dog found in Devon folklore. According to Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase"
"with the cults of Demeter and her daughter Kore (Persephone), and by extension, a symbol of death. Jebb comments that it is ""the flower of imminent death"" with its fragrance being narcotic, emphasised by its pale white colour. Just as Persephone reaching for the flower heralded her doom, the youth Narcissus gazing at his own reflection portended his own death. Plutarch refers to this in his ""Symposiacs"" as numbing the nerves causing a heaviness in the limbs. He refers to Sophocles' ""crown of the great Goddesses"", which is the source of the English phrase ""Chaplet of the infernal Gods"" incorrectly"
"similar marine animals. It has ell-long hair hanging from its neck, sharp black scales and flaming red eyes. It attacks vessels, grabs and swallows people, as it lifts itself up like a column from the water."" An apparent eye-witness account is found in Aristotle's ""Historia Animalium"". Strabo makes reference to an eye witness account of a dead sea creature sighted by Poseidonius on the coast of the northern Levant. He reports the following: ""As for the plains, the first, beginning at the sea, is called Macras, or Macra-Plain. Here, as reported by Poseidonius, was seen the fallen dragon, the corpse"
"Etruscan word to die, “lein”. Following this connection, it makes sense for a deity, likely linked to death, to be present in a scene that appears to take place in the underworld, as suggested by the presence of Cerberus. While we may establish the connection between the setting of this mirror’s scene with the etymology of Leinth’s name, we cannot conjecture what Leinth’s role within the scene may be. She appears to be distracted by something just out of view, and whatever she is witnessing must be important enough for her to gesture towards the mystery. Beyond this interpretation, we"
"also by touching something that is touching the victim, like a sword held in the hand. Also, some stories claim its breath is highly toxic and will cause death, usually immediately. The basilisk is also the guardian creature and traditional symbol of the Swiss city Basel. Leonardo da Vinci included a basilisk in his Bestiary, saying it is so utterly cruel that when it cannot kill animals by its baleful gaze, it turns upon herbs and plants, and fixing its gaze on them withers them up. In his notebooks, he describes the basilisk, in an account clearly dependent directly or"
"Pliny tells us how, on one occasion, even Rome itself underwent a lustration, because one of them strayed into the Capitol. He represents it also as a funereal bird, a monster of the night, the very abomination of human kind. Virgil describes its death-howl from the top of the temple by night, a circumstance introduced as a precursor of Dido's death. Ovid, too, constantly speaks of this bird's presence as an evil omen; and indeed the same notions respecting it may be found among the writings of most of the ancient poets."" A list of ""omens drear"" in John Keats'"
"appears as an old, ash grey, shaggy hen with a short neck. By becoming visible, the Erdhenne foretells death within a year, usually that of the person it shows itself to. However, according to another legend, should it cluck and flutter its wings nine times, the head of the house would fall deadly ill. Johann Andreas Schmeller ridiculed the myths of the Erdhenne in his ""Bayerisches Wörterbuch"", claiming that reports about it were created by misinterpreting moonlight shining through crown glass windows. According to his writings, this created a bright halo with something dark in the center, which was made"
"to herald someone's imminent death. In this they resemble Banshees. Strzyga Strzyga (rarely also in masculine form as strzyg or strzygoń), Stryha () is a demon from Slavic mythology. According to Aleksander Brückner, the word is derived from Strix, Latin for owl and probably the origin of the term Strigoi, a troubled soul of the dead rising from the grave in Romanian mythology. It is unclear how the word strzyga was adapted by the Polish people. A strzyga () is a female demon somewhat similar to vampire in Slavic (and especially Polish) folklore. People who were born with two hearts"
"John Trevisa as ""cockatrice"" (1397). A basilisk, however, is usually depicted without wings. It is thought that a cock egg would hatch out as a cockatrice, and this could be prevented by tossing the egg over the family house, landing on the other side of the house, without allowing the egg to hit the house. It has the reputed ability to kill people by either looking at them—""the death-darting eye of Cockatrice""—touching them, or sometimes breathing on them. It was repeated in the late-medieval bestiaries that the weasel is the only animal that is immune to the glance of a"
"was a Catoblepta, which so long lies dead as the moon (whereto it hath so natural a sympathy) wants her light. The word signified, that the moon wanted not the light, but the poor beast wanted the moon's light. The Catoblepas was listed in the ""Book of Imaginary Beings"" (1957) by Jorge Luis Borges. It is described as a black buffalo with a hog's head that is always looking down. Catoblepas The catoblepas (pl. catoblepones; from the Greek καταβλέπω, (katablépō) ""to look downwards"") is a legendary creature from Ethiopia, first described by Pliny the Elder and later by Claudius Aelianus."
"of God — with sword, famine, pestilence and wild beasts. The deadly pale and livid appearance displays a hue symptomatic of approaching empire dissolution. According to Edward Bishop Elliott, an era in Roman history commencing within about 15 years after the death of Severus Alexander (in 235 AD<ref name=""Encyclopædia Britannica/Alexander Severus""></ref>) strongly marks every point of this terrible emblem. Edward Gibbon speaks of a period from the celebration of the great secular games by the Emperor Philip to the death of Gallienus (in 268 AD<ref name=""Encyclopædia Britannica/Gallienus""></ref>) as the 20 years of shame and misfortune, of confusion and calamity, as"
"risen just before the autumnal rainy season. John H. Rogers observed that Hydra signified Ningishzida, the god of the underworld in the Babylonian compendium MUL.APIN. He proposed that Corvus and Crater (along with Hydra) were death symbols and marked the gate to the underworld. These two constellations, along with the eagle Aquila and the fish Piscis Austrinus, were introduced to the Greeks around 500 BCE; they marked the winter and summer solstices respectively. Furthermore, Hydra had been a landmark as it had straddled the celestial equator in antiquity. Corvus and Crater also featured in the iconography of Mithraism, which is"
"in the tale of Medusa's death at Perseus' hands. Euryale (Gorgon) Euryale (; ""far-roaming""), in Greek mythology, was the second eldest of the Gorgons, the three sisters that have the hair of living, venomous snakes. Euryale and her sisters were daughters of primordial sea god and goddess Phorcys and Ceto, who personified the dangers of the sea. According to Hyginus, the parents of the Gorgons were Gorgon and Ceto. Euryale and her sister Stheno were immortal, whereas Medusa was mortal. In some versions of mythology, Euryale also had the ability to turn anyone to stone with her gaze. In many"
"from the loins to feet underneath. Achlys Achlys ( ""mist"" or ""darkness"") is an ancient Greek goddess, symbol mist of death; in Greek mythology, according to some ancient cosmogonies, is the eternal Night before Chaos. If Achlys was a daughter of Nyx (Night) then she may have been numbered amongst the Keres. According to Hesiod, Achlys was the personification of misery and sadness, and as such she was represented on the shield of Heracles: pale, emaciated, and weeping, with chattering teeth, swollen knees, long nails on her fingers, bloody cheeks, and her shoulders thickly covered with dust. She may also"
"Sphinx A sphinx ( , Boeotian: , plural sphinxes or sphinges) is a mythical creature with the head of a human and the body of a lion. In Greek tradition, it has the head of a human, the haunches of a lion, and sometimes the wings of a bird. It is mythicised as treacherous and merciless. Those who cannot answer its riddle suffer a fate typical in such mythological stories, as they are killed and eaten by this ravenous monster. This deadly version of a sphinx appears in the myth and drama of Oedipus. Unlike the Greek sphinx, which was"
"a lion, a goat, and a dragon, the last one attached to its tail. The chimera romped about Lycia, spreading havoc, until slain by the hero Bellerophon on his winged steed, the Pegasus. In the Middle Ages, however, the chimera took a new meaning, representing the perverse forces of the Devil as in Dante’s Inferno and, later, hypocrisy and fraud, as in the Iconologia of Cesare Ripa.¹ In France, une chimère had the additional idiomatic meaning of an illusion or delusion; all these various connotations no doubt influenced Moreau, who began no less than half a dozen paintings with variations"
"a sunshade, the mouthless Astomi, who lived on scents – were not strictly new. They had been mentioned by the Greek historian Herodotus in the 5th century BC, but Pliny made them better known. ""As full of variety as nature itself"", stated Pliny's nephew, Pliny the Younger, and this verdict largely explains the appeal of the ""Natural History"" since Pliny's death in the eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79. Pliny had gone to investigate the strange cloud – ""shaped like an umbrella pine"", according to his nephew – rising from the mountain. The ""Natural History"" was one of the first"
"darkness. The use of the raven—the ""devil bird""—also suggests this. This devil image is emphasized by the narrator's belief that the raven is ""from the Night's Plutonian shore"", or a messenger from the afterlife, referring to Pluto, the Roman god of the underworld (also known as Dis Pater in Roman mythology). A direct allusion to Satan also appears: ""Whether Tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore..."" Poe chose a raven as the central symbol in the story because he wanted a ""non-reasoning"" creature capable of speech. He decided on a raven, which he considered ""equally capable of speech"""
"might be found over the open sea. Its limbs are said to wiggle permanently, as if there was a straight gust of wind, even if it was a windless day. This behaviour gave the being the Japanese name ""Kunekune"", meaning ""to twist"", ""to wiggle"" or ""to meander"". The Kunekune allegedly can only be seen from a distance. In the countryside, it looks snow white. In a city, it looks pitch black. If someone tries to look at it up close, he will go insane. If someone touches it, or simply comes too close, the Kunekune will kill its victim. If"