Basilisk - Basel, Switzerland
Posted by: 
fi67
N 47° 33.318 E 007° 35.724
32T E 394326 N 5267831
The heraldic animal of Basel at the head of Wettstein bridge.
Waymark Code: WMBJEP
Location: Basel Stadt, Switzerland
Date Posted: 05/26/2011
Views: 15
The basilisk was probably only chosen to be the heraldic animal of Basel because of the name; there are some legends that try to find a connection, but they came later.
"In European bestiaries and legends, a basilisk is a legendary reptile reputed to be king of serpents and said to have the power to cause death with a single glance." (Wikipedia)
In English this animal would be probably called a Cockatrice, but German does not distinguish between them (even in English its not always completely distinguished) and the name is important in this case.
The statue was one of a group of four that were located at the head of the old bridge from 1879. After an extension of the bridge in 1936 they were removed, two copies were sold to other towns and two transferred to a park in the north of town. After a new bridge was built, one of these two came back to its original location in 1995.
Time Period: Ancient
Approximate Date of Epic Period: Mythical (Ancient Greek Myths)
Epic Type: Mythical
Exhibit Type: Figure, Statue, 3D Art
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