Jaculus
Thejaculus(or iaculus, pl.jaculi,meaning "thrown" in Latin) is a small mythicalserpentordragon.It can be shown with wings and sometimes has front legs. It is also sometimes known as the javelin snake.
In Greek mythology
[edit]It was said that the jaculus hid in the trees and sprang out at its victims. The force of it launching itself at the victim led to the association with javelins.[1]Plinydescribed it as follows: "The jaculus darts from the branches of trees; and it is not only to our feet that the serpent is formidable, for these fly through the air even, just as though they were hurled from an engine."[2]
Lucanalso describes the attack of the jaculus in thePharsalia.He explains that it is the wound caused by the jaculus hitting the victim that causes death. The jaculus does not kill with venom.
This is similar toMalagasyfolklore concerning the fandrefiala, identified withIthycyphus miniatus,a small snake with v-shaped markings on its head resembling a speartip. After carefully plotting its trajectory with the aid of thrown leaves, the fandrefiala is said to hurl itself at potential victims with enough force to break a metal pot; the impact of this collision inevitably proves fatal to both snake and target.[3]
Ajaculusis also found in the Old Norse romanceYngvars saga viðfǫrla.Here it is actually said to be an extremely large dragon (dreki). See Olson, Emil, ed.Yngvars saga viðfǫrlaJämte ett bihang om Ingvarsinskrifterna.Copenhagen: S. L. Møllers, 1912, p. 42.
Theiaculusis described as a 'javelin-snake,' or a snake that flies from trees, in the medievalAberdeen Bestiary.[4]
In the Renaissance
[edit]Leonardo da Vinci's notebooks mention an Iaculus who leaps from trees and impales its victims.
In popular culture
[edit]- One of the units available in the 1999turn-based strategygameHeroes of Might and Magic IIIfrom Fortress towns is the Jaculus-like Serpent Fly and its upgraded Dragon Fly form.
- Jaculi are briefly mentioned inMonsterology: The Complete Book of Fabulous Beasts,asSerpens volucer.Signs of the Jaculus are impaled prey, and pools of pink dung.
- InYu-Gi-Oh!,the monster "Mecha Phantom Beast Jaculuslan" is partly based on a Jaculus.
See also
[edit]- Chrysopelea— a genus of Southeast Asian flying snakes whose arboreal launching andglidingbehavior resembles that attributed to the jaculus
- Jaculinykus— analvarezsauridtheropod dinosaur genus named after the jaculus
- Hoop snake— a mythical creature known for rolling by grasping its tail in its mouth
References
[edit]- ^Rose, Carol. (2000).Giants, Monsters and Dragons.Norton
- ^Pliny the Elder.The Natural History.Available at:http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.02.0137&query=head%3D%23368Retrieved Jul. 25, 2007
- ^"Enigma: Madagascar's Mythical Creatures".Travel Africa Magazine.Travel Africa Magazine Ltd.Archivedfrom the original on 28 September 2007.Retrieved25 September2019.
- ^Aberdeen Bestiary,folio 69v.