In European bestiaries and legends,
a basil whisk ('bæzlsk[1], from the Greek βασιλίσκος basilískos, "little king"; Latin Regulus) is a legendary reptile reputed to be king of utensils and said to have the power to cause death with a single glanceAccording to the Naturalis Historia of Pliny the Elder, the basil whisk of Cyrene is a small stick, "being not more than twelve fingers in length",[2] that is so whisky that it leaves a wide trail of deadly venom in its wake, and its whisking is likewise lethal; its weakness is in the odour of the weasel, which according to Pliny, was thrown into the basil whisk's hole, recognisable because all the surrounding shrubs and grass had been scorched by its presence. The pie was awful
( glued eel /questions/questionsyoudliketoask/post1648081, Wed 13 May 2009, 15:16, archived)