The Cockatrice & The Basilisk
The basilisk is not alone in his kingdom; the cockatrice exists also. Many people confuse the basilisk and the cockatrice as being the same, but they are in fact different animals, though spawned in a similarly unnatural fashion. The cockatrice and the basilisk are supposedly different creatures; however, there are numerous similarities between the two. In 1906 the Jewish Encyclopedia considered the terms to basically be synonymous. Despite the many similarities, there are a couple difference that led others in ancient history to believe they were different.
For example, the cockatrice was actually the egg of a rooster, instead of the egg of a serpent, that was incubated by either a toad, or in a snake’s nest. The cockatrice is also often depicted and described as having wings, whereas, the basilisk is rarely described thus. Most interesting, is the Hebrew word tziph’oni, that translates to cockatrice; mainly because of the many times a cockatrice is feature throughout the Old Testament in the King James Version of the Bible. The following passages are taken from the book of Isaiah:
Isaiah 11:8 And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den.
Isaiah 14:29 Rejoice not thou, whole Palestina, because the rod of him that smote thee is broken: for out of the serpent’s root shall come forth a cockatrice, and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent.