Mythful Meanings

In the English language, many meanings come from myths. This blog considers many of those words.

Myths are stories people tell to explain the great mysteries of life, such as birth and death, why the sun rises and sets, and why the moon changes in a predictable pattern.

I decided to start over from the end of the alphabet and work toward the beginning. I have a stack of index cards with information typed on them, all in alphabetical order. When I started this blog, I started at A, because I didn't realize that all the entries would be pushed down.

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Basilisk

In ancient Rome and Greece, a basilisk was a fabulous monster, akin to a creature called a cockatrice. It was supposedly hatched from a rooster's egg, and sometimes it had scales. Its stare was lethal, and it carried a deadly venom. It could be killed by showing it its reflection in a mirror.

English word: The word basilisk refers mainly to the mythical creature in a metaphoric sense. Also, it refers to several tropical lizards allied to the iguanas.
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