Katoblepas
The Katoblepas ( Greek καταβλέπω = “who looks down” ) is a mythological animal that is said to be on the border with Ethiopia .
The animal was first described in writing by Pliny the Elder and was 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 it cannot hold upright because of its long, thin neck, so that it constantly touches the ground.
As with the basilisk , the gaze of the Katoblepas has a petrifying effect. If his head weren't so heavy, his neck so thin and slack, if the hair on his head weren't so long and dark, the Katoblepas could swiftly look around and petrify everyone on the spot with his fatal gaze.
It is believed that this mythological animal was mistaken for a wildebeest .
Descriptions from ancient times and the Middle Ages
Pliny ( Naturalis historia , 8.77) describes the Katoblepas as a medium-sized creature, lazy, with a heavy head and its face always turned towards the ground. Since his gaze is fatal, the weight of his head is a fortunate factor.
Of Claudius Aelianus a more detailed description comes from: the creature was a medium-sized herbivores , about the size of a house cattle , with a violent mane, narrow, bloodshot eyes, a scaly back and shaggy eyebrows. Here, too, the head is described as so heavy that the animal could only look down. In his description the look was not fatal, but his breath was poisonous, as it only feeds on poisonous plants.
reception
The mythical creature Catoblepas is part of the bestiary in several rogue-like computer role-playing games . This applies to Angband , Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup or The Witcher and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt . In addition, the protagonists of the Percy Jackson series encounter herds of Katoblepas.
