Coats of Arms by House of Names
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Symbolism > cockatrice

cockatrice

The cockatrice is a fabulous king of serpents, with the head and legs of a cock, the wings of a dragon, and a scaly body, also like a dragon, that flows into a long barbed tail. It can also be called a basilisk, of which legends say was produced from an egg laid by a nine-year-old cock, and hatched by a toad on a dunghill. Its breath and sight were so poisonous that they would kill all who came within range. Thus, the cockatrice is a potent symbol of terror. The heraldic basilisk is supposed to have a tail that terminates in the head of a dragon, though if such an example exists, it is very uncommon.

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