Creatures of the Stony Stare
The Gorgons are familiar magickal creatures from Greek myth who had the ability to turn humans to stone by their stare. The idea behind the “evil eye” probably originated with these mythical creatures who could kill or turn to stone anyone who fell under their gaze. We still subconsciously recall the powers of the Gorgons, the Basilisk, and Cockatrice when we speak of people having “a stony stare,” “a heart of stone,” or “a stone face.”
These creatures of the stony stare symbolize unhealthy solidification in human life. When you allow yourself to be locked into a routine, whether it be in habits, daily living, spiritual ideas, or the general way you look at things, you are allowing aspects of these creatures to dominate your life.
Basilisk and Cockatrice
The Basilisk and Cockatrice became known as the same creature by the Middle Ages. Earlier, however, they were two separate, but vaguely similar, fabulous beasts. A silver sculpture from about 1600 shows a Basilisk with a lizard-like head, webbed and clawed front feet, two wings, and a serpent-like tail. A picture of a Cockatrice from about the same time portrays the creature with a cock’s body, two wings, a spiked head, and a serpent’s tail.
The Basilisk was a reptile, while the Cockatrice was a combination of rooster and snake with wings. Both creatures were said to have the ability to turn to stone anything they saw. Their breath was considered to be venomous, as was the touch of their bodies and blood. This poison was said to travel through any weapon used to kill the Basilisk or Cockatrice, thus killing the person holding the weapon.
However, Aristotle believed that if the Basilisk saw its reflection in a mirror it would turn to stone. The person holding the mirror, of course, had to avoid looking at the creature.79 Another legendary method of killing either of these creatures was to carry a weasel or mongoose with you. These animals would supposedly attack and kill the Basilisk or Cockatrice on sight and were immune to the deadly stare.
If wounded, the animal could heal itself by eating rue (Ruta graveolensor“herbofgrace”), the only plant able to withstand the fatal stare or breath of the Basilisk or Cockatrice.
The Basilisk was the older of the two creatures. It lived in warmer climates, and was usually found in deserts. It was yellow in color with glittering toad-like eyes, pointed wings, and a tail curled up over its back like the stinger of a scorpion. It was not a large creature; the ancients described it as being less than two feet long. Its head had three bony or horny protuberances which resembled a crown. Some writers even said it had a three-pointed tail.80 A few ancient writers believed that the Basilisk originated from the serpents that writhed on Medusa’s head.81
Basilisk comes from a Greek word (basiliskos) meaning “little king,” or King of Small Serpents. In Latin it was called regulus, which has the same meaning. Pliny wrote that the Basilisk was the king of the smaller reptiles; its hissing was said to drive away snakes. He said that this creature could split rocks, walked in a fairly upright position, and propelled its body over the ground with legs, not by crawling as snakes do. Ancient writers said it could split rocks with its breath and lived in wastelands where it kept and guarded treasure. Presumably, this wasteland was created by its deadly breath.
The Basilisk appears to have been known primarily to Europeans, although there is some mention of them in the East. At one time there was a similar creature which was said to live in Iceland. This creature was known as a Skoffin; its appearance and behavior was similar to that of the Basilisk. The only thing that could kill a Skoffin was the stare of another Skoffin.
Today, the name Basilisk has been given to a harmless member of the iguana family.
The Cockatrice appears to be an entirely different creature from the Basilisk. The word Cockatrice comes from the Greek ikhneumon (track); this word gave birth to the medieval Latin calca-trix (tracker, hunter) and the Old French cocatris (Cockatrice). Medieval writers got carried away when describing the origin of the Cockatrice. The Cockatrice was said to have been hatched from the yolkless egg of a male nine-year-old chicken during the days of the Dog Star. Legend says that the cock laid the egg in a dung heap where it was hatched by a toad or snake.
There is evidence that bodies of old roosters sometimes contain a small egg-shaped globe, which is the result of putrefaction. This may be the basis for the strange legend of the birth of the Cockatrice.
The Cockatrice appears to have been accepted more by the Western Christian populations than by Pagans. The records of its appearance were all recorded by Christians, such as the tale of the Cockatrice which supposedly appeared in Rome during the time of Pope Leo X; the creaturewas blamed for a virulent plague. In 1202 C.E. a Cockatrice was said to have been dragged out of a well in Vienna. In 1598 another, in the cellar of an abandoned house in Warsaw, was blamed for the death of two little girls; it was supposedly killed by a man wearing a suit of mirrors sewn onto leather.
Psychological Attributes: A person with a venomous and hard-hearted attitude toward anyone who disagrees with him or her or of whom he or she is jealous. One who is constantly wishing bad things to happen to people he or she doesn’t like.
Magickal Attributes: Discovering the treasure within yourself; developing talents; uncovering hidden spiritual secrets.
Gorgons
The Gorgons, especially Medusa, are well-known from Greek mythology. There was disagreement on the number of Gorgons, though the usual number was listed as three. There was also disagreement as to whether the Gorgons were creatures of the Underworld, the Earth, or the Air.
The most commonly known of this trio, daughters of an ancient sea god, was Medusa (Cunning One or Queen), who could turn people to stone by her stare or glance. Only Medusa had ever been totally human. At one time she had been a beautiful priestess of Athene who profaned the temple by copulating with Poseidon in it. As punishment, Athene changed Medusa into a hideous and deadly monster. Her body became covered with scales like a snake; her hair turned into writhing serpents; her teeth became fangs; and her gaze turned humans to stone. She was slain by Perseus; he gave Medusa’s head to Athene, who mounted it on her shield. This head (Gorgoneum) had a protruding tongue, snake hair, and huge fangs. The other two sisters, Stheno (MightyOne) and Euryale (Wandering One or Far-springer), always appeared in their hideous, non-human forms. They also had claws of brass, wings, and protruding tongues from which dripped poisonous saliva. The Gorgons were related to the Graiae, three old women who had the ability to see into the future but were dangerous to humans. Not only could the Gorgons turn any human to stone by their stare, their snake-hair could inflict a venomous bite.
Psychological Attributes: One who has to live through conditions beyond the endurance of the conscious mind, yet manages to survive and revive his or herlife.
Magickal Attributes: Revenge, retribution, protection. Setting up a reflective protection to return dark magick.