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The Basilisk: A Viennese Legend |
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On the facade of an upper story of a house in the First District, a crudely carved and badly weathered stone depiction of a medieval monster looks out from its niche. The ground under the house is said to have housed this monster in long ago times. Known as the Basilisk, this monster is said to have been born from an egg laid by a rooster and brooded by a toad during the reign of Emperor Friedrich II in the 13th century. Workers digging a well on the premises inadvertently uncovered the basilisk, who released his venomous breath and poisoned the worker inside the shaft. Another worker was sent down to see what had happened and he perished too. Somehow or other, someone figured out that the monster must be the Basilisk. And this same someone also happened to know that the only way to stop a Basilisk from continuing to wreak mayhem was to lower another worker down the shaft with a mirror. It was thought in those days that if you could get a Basilisk to look at himself in a mirror, he would be turned into stone. Doubtlessly, there were few volunteers for such a task, but somehow or other, a volunteer was found and was lowered down into the well. The Basilisk looked into the mirror and, low and behold, was turned into stone. The workers then raised the Basilisk from the depths of the well and placed him into a niche on the facade of the house where he has sat more or less undisturbed ever since.
in the First District (next to the Heiligenkreuzerhof) |
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About The Author |
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