The Formidable Cockatrice


The formidable and ferocious cockatrice of D&D fame isn't just a finger-licking good tabletop RPG nemesis. In fact, the fabled cockatrice is found not only in the imaginations of dungeon masters but also within the pages of the Bible, in at least two verses and one translation. The beloved, though anti-Catholic, and infamously Trumpish, King James Version (KJV) uses this interpretation, where other translations describe the creature as an adder or viper, or as a basilisk in the Douay-Rheims Version (DRV).

Before people had access to modern-day chiropractors, the English Royal Family used to draw and quarter their Catholic subjects for such "crimes" as possessing a Catholic Bible, such as the Douay-Rheims Version. This translation, although outlawed, influenced the translators of the KJV. Today, in all seriousness, most Christians, including Catholics, have a fondness for the Elizabethan English of the KJV, but many have migrated to the Douay-Rheims Version (DRV). The current version of the DRV was modified in the 1880s by the American Bishop Richard Challoner for modern English reading, since both the DRV and the KJV were originally translated into Old English, which used the letters of the alphabet slightly differently. If you ever have a chance to gaze at a 1611 KJV, you'll see what I mean.

To understand what a Cockatrice is I'll explain what a Basilisk is although if you're reading this blog you likely have read or watched Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. A Basilisk is a large serpent either a snake, lizard, or dragon that petrifies anyone it looks at like the Gorgon Medusa. The creature is of Greek origin and described as a chimera involving parts of a serpent, rooster, and lion. A cockatrice is one and the same thing although most depictions illustrate the Basilisk as being a gigantic snake or dragon whereas the Cockatrice is more like a Kentucky Fried Wyvern of varying sizes.

The Cockatrice is found in the KJV Bible in Isaiah 14:29 and Isaiah 59:5.

Isaiah 14:29
King James Version
29 Rejoice not thou, whole Palestina, because the rod of him that smote thee is broken: for out of the serpent's root shall come forth a cockatrice, and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent.

Isaiah 59:5
King James Version
5 They hatch cockatrice' eggs, and weave the spider's web: he that eateth of their eggs dieth, and that which is crushed breaketh out into a viper.

Other references to the Basilisk can be found in the DRV Isaiah 14:29 and Psalm 90:13.

Overall references to serpents such as an adder or basilisk can be found in the following verses Psalm 58:3-5, Psalm 91:13, Proverbs 23:31-32, Isaiah 14:29, Isaiah 59:5.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Angels & Demons

Image
The main body of written theology on angels and demons besides the canonical scriptures are the writings of Pseudo Dionysius the Areopagite who categorize angels into 9 choirs. Angels are believed to be pure spirit beings; it is held that they do not have physical bodies and communicate and bilocate through thought. This interpretation is taken from Ephesians 6:12 . While there are many descriptions of angels in the Bible most theologians teach that because angels do not have bodies the descriptions given in the Bible are describing their nature. Because it is believed angels do not have physical bodies they are considered incapable of reproduction with human beings or other creatures. This however can be an area of disagreement since some of the Patristic Fathers believed the Nephililim were the offspring of Fallen Angels and that the Demons are the disembodied spirits of Giants who were wiped out in the flood. The earliest Church Father Justin Martyr 100-165 AD wrote about this in th...
Read more

Virgin Most Powerful

Image
To understand Mary's unique role as the Mother of Christians and her ability as the most powerful intercessor in Heaven, as a created being—recognizing that Jesus is the intercessor between man and God, being both God and man, while Mary is solely human—we must recap what the Bible says about the intercession of saints. In Mark 9:4  Jesus Himself, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, converses with both a deceased saint, Moses, and a living saint, Elijah. Elijah was assumed into heaven like Enoch and, according to tradition, later the Virgin Mary. Mark 12:26-27  clarifies that those in Heaven are not truly dead; rather, they are merely awaiting their resurrection. Moses, for example, appeared with Elijah and our Lord during His Transfiguration. Matthew 22:30  reveals that in Heaven, not only will there be no physical unions or needs, but humans will also possess angelic abilities, as further demonstrated in other scriptures. Hebrews 12:1  states that the Church Tri...
Read more

Was The Garden of Eden Temporally Displaced?

Image
The origin of mankind, at least the very specifics are a mystery to believers and those of the secular world. Much of our history has been lost to time and there is much debate since Darwin's theory of evolution. For Catholics there is no dogmatic teaching on the exact details of how God created the universe and the world; the faithful can freely choose to believe in evolution or creationism. Sadly there is much debate and anger on this subject. People from various christian traditions have lost their faith when scandalized by science because of a fundamental belief or upbringing in a literal biblical interpretation of scripture. On the other side of the same coin are those who do not lose their faith but reject science entirely.  Historically both Jewish and Christian fathers of faith have taught that the biblical canon is made up of different types of books ranging from literal to allegorical or prophetic. Some of these ancient teachers taught that the days of creatio...
Read more