Basilisks - from 16th century print. Early Basilisks were described as small snakes with a crest on the head like a crown (from the Greek "basilieus" meaning king, as in "king of snakes".) The basilisk was extremely poisonous and even its breath or glare could be fatal. In Heraldry, it is mostly the same as a Cockatrice, sometimes differentiated by an additional head (often a dragon) at the end of the tail. 固opFoto / Fortean