Harry Potter fans unearth the unsettling origins of the basilisk

The origins of the serpent-like creature and one of the most unsettling beasts of the Harry Potter universe have been unearthed.

The Harry Potter franchise is stacked full of enchanting secrets perhaps none more so than the ominously named, Chamber of Secrets. Oh, and the Chamber of Secrets just so happens to be where you’d find the slithery basilisk.

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We were first introduced to the basilisk in the second novel (or movie depending on your introduction), Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, where Harry, Hermione and Ron came close to death if it wasn't for the heroics of Albus Dumbledore’s phoenix Fawkes.

The sinister basilisk’s name comes from the Greek word “basilísκος” which translates to "little king”. Yet, there’s nothing little about this giant serpent.

The basilisk can petrify or even instantly kill those that are unfortunate enough to stare into its eyes, perhaps inspired by the mythical Greek creature and once priestess of the Goddess Athena, none other than Medusa.

But where does the basilisk come from exactly? Well, as reported by Game Rant, they have the all-important answers and it may come as no surprise, but its origins can be traced back to Ancient Greece.

According to the textbook Newt Scamander of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the basilisk can not only be traced back to Ancient Greece, but it was originally bred by the dark wizard, Herpo the Foul.

“The first recorded basilisk was bred by Herpo the Foul [...] who discovered after much experimentation that a chicken egg hatched beneath a toad would produce a gigantic serpent possessed of extraordinarily dangerous powers,” reads a passage from Newt's textbook.

However, breeding the basilisk proved to be a fatal mistake by those who chose this path because it is notoriously uncontrollable and will most likely kill its “masters” on sight.

Despite the best efforts of the Ministry of Magic to impose a strict ban on breeding the basilisk, Salazar Slytherin, a co-founder of the Slytherin House, was able to harvest the eggs of the serpent and would hide the creature beneath Hogwarts Castle in the Chamber of Secrets.

So there you have it. If you ever wondered where the basilisk came from and why it ended up in the Chamber of Secrets, now you know.