To the people of medieval Basel, the basilisk—unholy result of a toad incubating a cockerel’s egg—was a very real creature. Its glance could turn men to stone. It was invulnerable to weapons, and only its own gaze, reflected back at it in a mirror, could slay it. According to our tour guide, in the 13th century, a cock accused of laying an egg was put to death.
The medieval Baselites apparently enjoyed the play on words with the name of their town. Images of basilisks abound.
The water in this fountain, by the way, is perfectly drinkable. Some of these fountains date back to the 13th century, although the original basins were wood.
