Catoblepas

The Katoblepas (Greek καταβλέπω = " who looks down " ) is a mythological animal that supposedly resides on the border with Ethiopia.

The animal was first described in writing by Pliny the Elder and later supplemented by Claudius Aelianus in his work History of Nature.

The Katoblepas has the appearance of a black buffalo with the head of a pig, which he can not maintain because of its long, thin neck, so that it constantly touches the ground.

As with the gaze of the Basilisk Katoblepas has a petrifying effect. Would not be so hard, his head, the neck is not as thin and flabby, the hair on the head would not be as long and dark, the Katoblepas could nimbly look around and petrify everyone on the spot with his death glare.

It is believed that it is in these mythological beast to confusion with a wildebeest.

Descriptions of ancient and medieval times

Pliny ( Naturalis historia, 8.77 ) describes the Katoblepas as a medium-sized creature, sluggish, always directed with a heavy head and his face to the ground. Since his view is deadly, the weight of his head was a fortunate circumstance.

By Claudius Aelianus comes a more accurate description: the creature was a medium-sized herbivore, approximately the size of a domestic cattle, with a heavy mane, narrow, bloodshot eyes, a scaly back and shaggy eyebrows. Again, the head is described as being so severe that the animal could only look down again. In his description, however, the view was not fatal, but his breathing toxic because it is nourished only by poisonous plants.

Reuse in the presence of

In a number of Rogue -like computer role-playing games, the mythical creatures Catoblepas heard ( nearly all of these open source games are in English ) to the bestiary. This applies ewa for Angband or for Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup.