Basilisk
The infamous Basilisk is known quite well in mythology by now. This is said to be a reptile claimed to be the “Serpent King” that can cause death with just a single glance. At one point, the Basilisk of Cyrene was said to be so deadly that it left a wide trail of deadly venom in its wake and its gaze was just as lethal, in spite of its small stature. Pliny the Elder’s description differs from how others chose to describe it over the years. Pliny claimed it was essentially a giant snake with a reptilian tail, plumage, and sometimes scaly wings. Others claimed it had the legs of a rooster. Interestingly, it is claimed the weakness of the basilisk is the odor of a weasel.
These mysterious animals or mythical beasts were often seen a lot throughout the world known at the time. Many now believe that people who spotted a basilisk were seeing a King Cobra. Not only is it a snake with a reptilian tale, but its flaps resemble scaly wings. This cobra is also quite large and is well known for its rise before striking. In places like India, the cobra had a hypnotic connection where it could be put under a spell by musical sounds and had a stare that could be hypnotizing on its own. That said, the King Cobra’s weasel weakness likely relates to the cobra’s known enemy in the wild, the mongoose.