The Basilisk.
A serpent king who can cause death with a single look, a slithering snek who’s very
breath is poisonous.
A mythical beastie who guarded the Chamber of Secrets.
What IF they weren’t so mythical?
I guess enemies of the heir had better beware!
Hello and welcome back to Life’s Biggest Questions, the channel that loves a good mythical
question as much as we love to talk about real life…because imagination is one of
Life’s Biggest Assets – I am your host Rebecca Felgate and today I am asking What
if the Basilisk Was Real?
Before we slither in to this video, I want to ask you what animal scares you the most?
Let a gal know in the comments section down below.
Also, while you are down there why don’t you hit that thumbs up button and click on
that notification bell so you are the first to hear a big answer.
For those of you who know me, especially from my own Harry Potter Youtube channel, you’ll
know I love me a good mythical question, especial when it involves a fantastic beast.
Okay, Basilisks.
Many of you may have heard of the basilisk from Harry Potter… but long before JK Rowling
wrote of the muggleborn killing snek, it existed in European folklore…and reports of it kind
of vary.
In Greek, Basilisk translates as little king, and ancient legend had it that the reptile
was hatched by a cockerel from the egg of a serpent or a toad.
This little king was always a killer, but had a slightly more whimsical, half birdlike
look about it.
Somehow over time, the Basilisk became decidedly more snakey…and kind of like a mystical
cobra.
Okay, so if the basilisk was real, first thing is first, we would have another killer animal
on the loose.
Regular snakes can kill a human with their venom, but basilisk venom is super potent,
but also super powerful…but we will get back to that.
Perhaps more worrying than the basilisks venom is its eyes.
One look from the serpent can kill not just animals, but humans too.
If we knew where basilisks lived, would we stay away for fear of coming eye to eye with
one, or would humans hunt them, looking through phone cameras or mirrors…it is probably
better to be petrified than dead, right?
If a human indirectly looks at a Basilisk, they wont die, but they will be knocked unconscious.
In JK Rowling’s Wizarding world, a person who has been petrified by a basilisk is with
a draught made of mandrake roots…someone call Mrs Sprout.
The only problem is that anyone who hears the cry of Mandrake is also susceptible to
an untimely death.
What is with all these animals attacking us through our essential senses!
While I would steer clear of Basilisk territory, I am sure some humans would seek them out
in order to harvest the magical properties of their venom.
Like we mentioned earlier, it is very potent.
In the wrong hands it could be used to make a deadly poison, a weapon of mass destruction,
but in good hands it can be harnessed to destroy dark magic…so…if the basilisk was real,
a) would this mean that magic as a whole is real, and if so, b) would the balance between
dark and light magic be determined as to who controls the basilisk.
Would us humans even know about them anyway?
How would we go about finding them?
Well, for muggles and wizards a like the answer is spiders.
Spiders are very scared of Basilisks….because they have 360 degree vision there is no escaping
one if it is near you, so if they would sense one nearby, they would run in the opposite
direction…we basically need to be follow the spiders….
And If you don’t like that option, hey…they is always gouging out your eyes as a possibility!
Some further bad news RE the Basilisk, but if they are real, they might very well be
being used as a weapon.
Not only could their venom be harnessed, but they themselves can be manipulated into become
personal killing machines.
In Harry Potter, wizards who spoke Parceltongue could talk to and often control snakes.
The basilisk isn’t just any snake, only the darkest of wizards, related to Slytherin
founder, Salazar Slytherin, could control the beast.
None the less, if such a wizard existed, they could set the basilisk on people…their own
personal slippery assassin.
Let’s focus on the more positive side of the basilisk existing…if the basilisk was
real, then other magical creatures must exist too!
- We have already talked about the Mandrake which can cured petrification, but there is
another magical creature that can produce an antidote to the venom of a basilisk…the
phoenix!
The only problem is, Phoenix TEARS are the cure…and I don’t know about you, but I
have never met a sad phoenix.
It wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to think nasty old humans would set up phoenix
depression farms where they milked the magical birds for the tears by upsetting them all
day.
What a heartbreaking thought.
Would there be such things as free range Phoenix tears?
Could the birds volunteer their services.
BUT WAIT…there is a key weakness the Basilisk has that isn’t mentioned in the Harry Potter
Books!
According to ancient European lore, a basilisk can’t stand the odor of a Weasel!
No need eye gouging of the snake and human variety…
get your weasel out!
If the Basilisk were real, perhaps we would all keep safe by having pet weasels.
I always knew that was the answer.
Before we wrap up this video – I just want to point out that basilisks are real in some
way….meet the common basilisk…a species of lizard native to southern and central America.
These babies can run on water.
Watch them.
I’m not a religious gal, but isn’t this a bit like the legend of Jesus….
All hail the basilisk.
So…that is what would be going down if our mate the basilisk were real.
I am a Slytherin, so hopefully he would spare me!
What would you guys do if there was a basilisk on the loose.
Let me know in the comments section down below.
Also be sure to like this video and leave a thumbs up!
I am your host Rebecca Felgate, I’ll catch you in the next video but until then stay
curious, stay alert, watch for running spiders and never ever stop questioning.