The Basilisk
The name 'basilisk' comes from the Greek basileus, which means king, as it was believed to be the king of serpents. It does not feature much in mythological tales, instead achieving myth status through time as well as the phoenix and unicorn. It was believed that a variation of the basilisk (known as a 'cockatrice' or 'cockatrix') came from an egg of a 7 year old cockerel, hatched by a toad or snake on a dung heap during the period that Sirious (sound familiar?) is visible in the night sky. There are no true accounts of what the basilisk/cockatrice looks like, as it's venom is said to go beyond touch- that even just looking at it can kill you, although it was believed that it was a cross between a cockerel and a snake with a crown of white on its head, and it slithered upright rather than horizontal. It is also said to kill plants and shrubs just by passing near them, hence it's desert habitat. It is now believed that the basilisk is a simple exaggeration of the Egyptian cobra, which has a venomous spit, a white marking on it's head and can slither upright, although sightings have been reported as far as Warsaw.
The Lau or Lukwata
A regional monster, may be two seperate creatures or one and the same. Little is known about them, other than that they are 100 foot long serpents that live in the region of the Nile, it has fiery eyes, and eats men and large animals, which it attacks with tentacles from its muzzle. It also makes a loud booming roar during the night. Many men and cattle are said to be claimed by the 'Lau', and Sir CLement Hill claimed to have seen it near Mount Homa, describing it's long neck and small head which seem reminiscent to the Loch Ness monster and other famous 'sea-monsters'.
My personal belief with sightings of this nature is that the stories are simple exaggerations of ordinary creatures, such as the Egyptian Cobras. However, it is not my place to get you to follow my beliefs, the aim of this site is for you to think for yourself and for you to make up your own ideas. Who knows, perhaps your belief may turn conventional science on it's head.
