Deby Fredericks's Blog, page 106

Basilisk Lizards

Before I leave the topic of basilisks, I have to mention a group of real-life basilisks from Central America. Basilisk lizards are smallish members of the Iguana family, measuring around 2-1/2 feet in length and with some 70% of that being the tail. Each has a crest on its head, and a sail-like fin running down the back.

There are three species. The Common Basilisk lives along the Pacific Ocean side of the isthmus and is mostly brown with black or white markings for camouflage. The Green Basilisk lives along the Gulf of Mexico and, as the name implies, it has green scales with camouflage markings. Red-Headed Basilisks stick to the southernmost part of the range. Their scales are green on the sides, reddish-brown on the upper surfaces.

These denizens of Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Colombia and Southern Mexico live mostly in tropical rain forests, especially near rivers and streams. They mostly live in the treetops, eating fruit, leaves, insects and small mammals. At the same time, lots of other animals would like to prey on them, so the basilisks have a great defense mechanism. If they can’t deceive enemies by hiding among the leaves, they simply drop to the water — and start running!

Yes, these are the famous Jesus Christ Lizards. With specially adapted toes, and enough momentum, they can travel as far as 15 feet over the top of the water. They sink as soon as they slow down, but that’s okay. Basilisks are very good swimmers. If the predator is especially determined, the basilisk can dive to the bottom and hang out for as long as an hour. Of course, there’s a different set of predators down there, so treetops are still their favorite places to be.

Starting in the 1980s, all three species of Basilisk were taken for the pet trade. Fortunately, they breed easily in captivity. A pet population has been established in the United States and the wild lizards are no longer hunted as much. In some parts of Florida, these lizards have established an invasive population after pets escaped or were released.

Now isn’t that just like a dragon? Wherever they go, they take over!

Identifying Criteria

Throughout Marie Brennan’s Lady Trent books, there are frequent mentions of an important book. A Natural History of Dragons, by Sir Richard Edgeworth, is a fictitious tome read by Isabella Camherst while a child. As the only scientific study of dragons in its time, it propelled Our Heroine into her early fascination with dragons.

A signal feature of this book is its list of Identifying Criteria, which are meant to separate dragons from other sorts of beasts or birds. Isabella frequently refers to the Identifying Criteria in her memoirs, but alas — I can’t find an actual list of what those criteria are.

Still, the very idea of Identifying Criteria is so interesting that I’ve attempted to tease them out. Most of my list is based on Brennan’s books, and part is based on universal dragon lore. Although this isn’t Edgeworth’s own list of defining characteristics, I hope I’ve come pretty close.

6) Extraordinary breath. This is frequently mentioned in the books. Every true dragon has some sort of breath weapon, from flame to noxious fumes to jets of water.

5) Rapid decomposition. Brennan doesn’t explain why, but every type of dragon crumbles into ash upon death. A major plot running through the series begins when a scientist discovers a method to preserve dragon bones. As a naturalist, Isabella wants to study these bones. Others just want to make weapons with them.

4) Flight. Functional wings are key, along with other anatomical features such as a flexible tail, crest or frill on the head and neck, and four limbs. (Land-dwelling dragons have paws, while water-dwellers have flippers.) In an early chapter, Isabella encounters a wolf-drake, which is considered less than a true dragon because its wings are too small to carry it aloft.

3) Great size. Another early dragon encounter is with sparklings, which are no more than a few inches long. Because they are so small, sparklings have traditionally been classified as insects rather than dragons.

2) Reptilian. Scaly skin is implied to be a dragon characteristic, even in amphibious varieties.

1) ??? Here’s where I get stuck. Dragons have several more common descriptors. They are predatory, for instance, and often seem to have human or nearly-human intelligence. However, both of these could also apply to any number of other creatures. Lions and tigers and bears (oh my!) are all predators. Whales and wolves seem to have a high order of intelligence. None of these would be confused with a dragon.

At this point, I’ll open it up to you, my friends in blog-land. What do you think the final Identifying Criteria for a dragon could be?

Voyage of the Basilisk, by Marie Brennan

Voyage of the Basilisk is the third in Marie Brennan’s Lady Trent series, in which the main character, Isabella Camherst, is a venturesome lady scientist who travels the world to study dragons. The tone and manners of a Victorian/Steampunk adventure remains consistent with previous novels. There’s a new layer of alternate history, since the ship, Basilisk, has a clear parallel to the Beagle, upon which Charles Darwin traveled and gained his famous understanding of evolution.

I have to say I’m growing less fond of Isabella, who keeps doing outrageous things and then expresses dismay that Society views her as disreputable. For instance, she has a close friendship with a black scientist who shares part of the journey with her. She also enters a sham marriage with a Hawai’ian native woman because of their social prejudices against women who wear trousers. Throughout, Isabella makes a big point about how she respects native cultures and doesn’t want to break their taboos, yet she can never restrain her enthusiasm enough to actually not break them.

Ultimately, I was left discontent. Perhaps it’s that Brennan’s dragons, although still interesting, aren’t as much the focus of the story this time. People who really get into Steampunk stories will probably enjoy this one, too.

Basilisk, Part 2

The basilisk legend was passed down into Medieval times, by which point it was described not as a snake but as a wingless dragon. Its venom no longer soaked the ground behind it, but could be breathed out as a vapor or even transmitted by the power of its malevolent glare.

During this time, however, the basilisk became confused with a similar beast, the cockatrice, which also could kill with a stare. This was another dragonlike monster, with a rooster’s head, chest, wings and feet but the long scaly tail of a serpent. According to the stories, basilisks hatched out of toad or snake eggs that had been brooded by a rooster. Cockatrices were born from an egg laid by a rooster and brooded by a toad or snake. In some tales, the star Sirius had to be rising or the moon had to be full when the cockatrice hatched. Still, it’s easy to see how they could be mixed up. (Wink, nudge.)

Basilisks were larger, about the size of a cow, while cockatrices were only a little bigger than ordinary chickens. Initially, they both were said to kill with a look. Later tales substituted paralysis, which made hunting easier for the monster in question. Accounts also vary whether the killing force was inevitable, or if the human could escape as long as he didn’t meet the monster’s gaze. This is somewhat reminiscent of another lethal legend, Medusa, who was so ugly that all who saw her were turned to stone.

While the basilisk had a weasel as its greatest enemy, the cockatrice could be killed by the crowing of a rooster. Travelers who passed through lands where cockatrices were rumored to dwell would take roosters with them as they went. The only other thing that could kill a basilisk or cockatrice was a mirror — its own baleful reflection would do it in! Again, this hearkens back to Medusa, who was defeated by seeing herself in a mirror.

Believe it or not, as Europe moved into the Renaissance, there was a market for basilisk parts! Alchemists believed that powdered basilisk blood could turn copper into gold. The ashes were said to convert silver into gold. Who knows what substances were passed off as basilisk blood in such a lucrative market?

Basilisks have continued to be well known and frequently mentioned in legends and stories. They’re mentioned in the Bible, in The Canterbury Tales, in Shakespeare’s plays and in poems by Browning, Shelley and Swift. A basilisk is the main threat in the second Harry Potter book. Surely this deadly monster will remain a magical threat for many centuries to come.

Basilisk

I’m in the midst of reading Marie Brennan’s Voyage of the Basilisk, the third in her Steampunk/Victorian fantasy about an intrepid woman scientist who studies dragons. Basilisk is the name of the ship she’s riding on, but it’s also one of the seminal creatures in any fantasy bestiary. Though technically not a dragon, the basilisk is certainly a lethal legendary reptile.

Basilisk legends date back at least to the Roman Empire. It’s mentioned by the naturalist, Pliny the Elder, as a denizen of Cyrene (part of modern-day Libya). Pliny said it was not large, but so poisonous that anything on the ground where it passed would die. It had two identifying features: a crown-shaped white mark on its head, which led to the nickname King of Serpents, and it moved around with its head raised, not flat on the ground its entire length. A basilisk’s lair could be spotted because all of the vegetation around it would be wilted and withered. Even this deadly serpent had an enemy, however. Weasels were immune to its venom and were dropped into basilisk burrows to hunt them.

Modern scholars suggest that these basilisk tales could be an embroidered account of king cobras, which raise their heads and flatten their hoods when threatened. Cobras are hunted by mongooses, which could sound weasel-like to Mediterranean travelers. This may have created the connection to weasels as the basilisk’s arch-enemy.

Imugi

In the mythology of Korea, dragons occupy a place similar to that in Chinese and Japanese lore. They are powerful nature spirits, associated with bodies of water and rain storms. However, the Koreans have a unique hierarchy of their own.

Korean dragons start life as Imugi (ee-moo-gi), gigantic python-like serpents who dwell in deep, cold waters or in caves. They are benevolent creatures, and it’s good luck to spot one. Yet these “lesser dragons” aspire to become greater dragons, or Yong.

After it has lived for 1,000 years, an imugi begins to watch the skies. On certain occasions, a divine object called “yeouiju” may fall from the heavens. Yeouiju is similar to a falling star in that it’s believed to grant wishes. If the imugi catches the talisman, its wish will be granted, and it will become a yong.

Yong dragons are far greater, both in power and intellect. They can summon storms and fly among the clouds. They also begin to understand human emotions such as compassion, devotion, and gratitude. Yet, with humanlike pride, they cannot resist showing off their achievement, and will always carry their Yeouiju either in their mouths or gripped by one paw.

Dragons Don’t Do Gratitude

Hommana hommana, I peer into my crystal ball

And learn the most mysterious thing of all:

What are dragons grateful for?

Ikartya of the Emerald Scales — Gratitude, what’s that?

Ysislaw, Emperor of Sillets — My hoard.

Fruq the Furious — My flames, which destroy my enemies.

Tetheus of Shoredance Island — Delicious sheep.

Gnawrath, Most Malign — That my family is far, far away.

Cazarluun the Wraith — That I killed Sir Whatsizname before he killed me.

Carnisha of Mount Cragmaw — That humans are so easily deceived.

P.S. — Ysislaw, Cazarluun, Tetheus and Carnisha are all characters from my stories! Ysislaw is from my second novel, Too Many Princes. Carnisha is in my story that appeared in The Dragon’s Hoard anthology last spring. Tetheus and Cazarluun are in short stories that are thus far unpublished. However, there statements here don’t necessarily represent their roles in the stories.

California Bones, by Greg Van Eekhout

I was hesitant to read this book. You see, osteomancers are a kind of mage who gain magic by eating parts of magical and extinct creatures, particularly the bones. At the higher levels, they also feed on each other. With this premise, I was concerned that it might be too grisly. Fortunately, the author gave just enough detail to make me shiver without disgusting me. (For comparison, I’ve never been able to finish any of the Anita Blake books.)

The setting is an alternate Earth where the above-mentioned magi have seized power and declared independence from the United States. Southern California is its own country, hemmed in by magical rivals. As a native Angelino, I enjoyed how Van Eekhout used the geography of Los Angeles and wove in all sorts of detail, such as Hollywood history and the La Brea Tar Pits. I enjoyed how familiar city and road names are connected to characters. I also enjoyed how he veered into strange but fascinating alterations like having canals everywhere instead of freeways.

As a novelist, I give him top marks for thinking deeply and carefully before putting pen to paper. There’s an unflinching quality here, similar to George R. R. Martin and C. J. Cherryh, as this author didn’t shy away from the darker aspects of his setting. I appreciate the leavening of humor to balance that darkness. I also appreciate how each character was fully thought out. Even the minor walk-ons showed quirky aspects that raised them above the stereotypical guard or passer-by.

My only complaint is the absence of dragons. Of course, dragons are real in this world. Their parts are used in the most powerful spells and constructs. Although the main character has one or two experiences where he “sees” in the form of a flying dragon, the beasts themselves are not present in this book. However, it looks like that will be rectified in the next two books.

Again, be aware there is persistent mention of cannibalism in this book. You’ll need to decide for yourself if that content is too much for you.

Korean Dragons

A commenter recently asked if I could publish more information about dragon lore from Korea. And as I was in the midst of research, what should come through but a post from Princess of Dragons! Although her post covered Asian Dragons in general, she did have a portion on Korean dragons.

With her kind permission, I’m reblogging the relevant section. Click here if you’d like to read her entire post.

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Korean Lung (or Yong)

Less friendly than either the Chinese or the Japanese Lungs, Korean Lungs share the love of hot water of the Japanese, and will nest in hot springs or volcanic waters. They have also been known, if they find an appropriate pool, to heat it up themselves. This also helps with hatching their eggs, since a constant temperature of just boiling water is needed to incubate them properly.

They are very narrow, but longer than the Chinese Lung, reaching up to 50 feet in length at their largest. They have four claws on each foot, and a similar head shape to the Chinese, but no spines along their back and fewer tendrils on the face. Colours for these dragons are yellows and golds in a range of shades, with white manes.

Mainly their diet consists of small mammals, such as deer found in the country. They use their long bodies to strangle and constrict the prey, before swallowing it whole, much like a snake would. It is unknown whether they can disjoint their jaws. They also seem to have a strange dance-like pattern or coiling movement that they can use on prey, which has a hypnotic effects, making it easy for them then wrap their bodies around the prey.

Just For Fun 35

Here’s a cute meme that’s been going around:

“Look to your left. The first thing you see is what you would hoard as a dragon.”

I saw… a tropical plant. Some of you probably know that I like gardening, so this is actually totally realistic.

What about the rest of you, blogging friends? I’d love if you could share what your hoard item would be.