This chimerical creature was said to be produced from a cock's egg hatched
by a serpent; hence its name. It differs from the wyvern of heraldry only
in having a head like that of a dunghill cock. "This monster is of that
nature," says an old writer, "that its look or breath is said to be deadly
poison"; and this, in addition to the ordinary weapons of offence, would
constitute it rather a difficult creature to be interfered with.
[Illustration: Cockatrice.]
The cockatrice is frequently referred to in the Scriptures as the type of
something evil. "The weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice's
den" (Isaiah xi. 8), meaning that the most noxious animal shall not hurt
the most feeble of God's creatures.
And Jeremiah viii. 17: "For behold, I will send serpents, cockatrices,
among you which will not be charmed, and they shall bite you, saith the
Lord."
The cockatrice is a frequent emblem in heraldry, borne as a charge upon
the shield and also as a supporter. To the mailed draconic form of the
wyvern it had the hideous crested head with livid dangling wattles similar
to the dunghill cock, its round glittering eyes dealing death; its barbed
tongue and serpentine tail, with deadly sting, would no doubt render it a
fearful object to behold, and terrific to its enemies. It is always borne
in profile, the wings endorsed, or back to back, unless directed
otherwise. The tail is frequently _nowed_, _i.e._, knotted.
_Sable, a cockatrice or, combed and wattled gules._--_Bothe._
_Sable, a cockatrice, displayed argent, crested, membered and jelloped
gules._--_Baggine._
_Jelloped_, _jowlopped_, terms used to describe the comb or crest, and
gills or wattles, when of a different tincture from the body. _Beaked_ and
_membered_, in similar manner, have reference to the beak and legs.