The Basilisco chilote is a creature from Chilota mythology originating from the

Chiloé Archipelago The Chiloé Archipelago ( es, Archipiélago de Chiloé, , ) is a group of islands lying off the coast of Chile, in the Los Lagos Region. It is separated from mainland Chile by the Chacao Channel in the north, the Sea of Chiloé in the east and t ...

, in southern

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the eas ...

. The Basilisco chilote is described as having the crest of a

rooster The chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') is a domesticated junglefowl species, with attributes of wild species such as the grey and the Ceylon junglefowl that are originally from Southeastern Asia. Rooster or cock is a term for an adult m ...

and the body of a

serpent Serpent or The Serpent may refer to: * Snake, a carnivorous reptile of the suborder Serpentes Mythology and religion * Sea serpent, a monstrous ocean creature * Serpent (symbolism), the snake in religious rites and mythological contexts * Serp ...

. It is hatched from an egg that is incubated by a rooster and lives in a hole which it digs under a house. It feeds on the

phlegm Phlegm (; , ''phlégma'', "inflammation", " humour caused by heat") is mucus produced by the respiratory system, excluding that produced by the nasal passages. It often refers to respiratory mucus expelled by coughing, otherwise known as sput ...

and

saliva Saliva (commonly referred to as spit) is an extracellular fluid produced and secreted by salivary glands in the mouth. In humans, saliva is around 99% water, plus electrolytes, mucus, white blood cells, epithelial cells (from which DNA can ...

of the people who live in the house, causing the inhabitants to dehydrate and eventually die. To kill Basilisco chilote, you must burn the egg as soon as it is laid and kill the chicken that laid it, to prevent further eggs from being laid. Once hatched the only way to destroy it is by burning down the house where it lives. This myth is based upon myths of the Colo Colo and the

basilisk In European bestiaries and legends, a basilisk ( or ) is a legendary reptile reputed to be a serpent king, who causes death to those who look into its eyes. According to the '' Naturalis Historia'' of Pliny the Elder, the basilisk of Cyre ...

, but borrows more from the tradition of the

cockatrice A cockatrice is a mythical beast, essentially a two-legged dragon, wyvern, or serpent-like creature with a rooster's head. Described by Laurence Breiner as "an ornament in the drama and poetry of the Elizabethans", it was featured prominently i ...

, which itself draws from the basilisk.

References

* Martinez Vilches, Oscar, ''Chiloe Misterioso'' (in Spanish). Pub. Ediciones de la Voz de Chiloe (circa 1998) * Mancilla Pérez, Juan (2006), Magia y brujería en Chiloé. Secretos de Mitología. Medicina Popular.. 74 p.. (from the Spanish version of Wikipedia. Chilote legendary creatures Legendary serpents Mythological hybrids {{SouthAm-myth-stub

See also

References