The Basilisk of Antwerp: Belgium’s Medieval Monster Beneath the Streets
Deep in the heart of Antwerp, a city celebrated for its artistic heritage and historic grandeur, lies a lesser-known tale that is as terrifying as it is fascinating. Beneath the cobbled streets and Renaissance façades lives a legend that once gripped the medieval imagination — the story of The Basilisk of Antwerp, a creature so feared it became the centre of whispered warnings, religious dread, and civic folklore for generations.
The basilisk is not exclusive to Antwerp. This mythical beast appears in various European traditions, often portrayed as a serpent or rooster-like monster capable of killing with a single glance. Yet it was in Antwerp that the legend took on a life of its own, cemented in local history through chronicles, church warnings, and ghost stories passed down through the centuries. This is not just a story of a monster, but of how belief shapes cities, how fear can live in stone walls, and how myth leaves marks deeper than time.
Medieval Antwerp and the Making of a Monster
To understand the legend of the basilisk, one must first understand Antwerp in the Middle Ages. By the 13th century, Antwerp was a bustling trade hub with access to the River Scheldt and connections across Europe. Its narrow alleyways, hidden wells, and dense population created the perfect environment for the birth of urban myths.
One such tale emerged from the crypts beneath the city. According to early accounts dating from the 14th century, a terrifying creature had taken up residence in the labyrinthine sewers and abandoned wells of Antwerp’s oldest quarters. It was said to have the body of a coiled serpent, the claws of a great bird, and the face of something unspeakable — a basilisk.
This was no mere reptile. Locals believed the creature could turn people to stone or strike them dead with a single glance. Livestock were found dead in the morning. Stonework crumbled in places untouched by man. Rumours abounded of those who had ventured too close to dark corners of the city and never returned.
While many today would scoff at such a tale, the fear it invoked in Antwerp’s residents was real. So much so that religious leaders issued warnings and exorcisms were performed near suspected lairs. The Church, ever vigilant about superstition’s threat to doctrine, found itself unable to suppress a legend that had rooted itself so deeply in the public psyche.
The Monster in the Well
Perhaps the most famous episode in the basilisk saga came from the area surrounding Keizerstraat, one of the oldest streets in the city. Here, the story goes, there was an ancient, stone-lined well — long dried up, but still feared. Locals refused to walk near it at night. Animals avoided it. Some even claimed to hear a hissing sound from its depths.
One day, a young man — sometimes named in local versions as Jan van Steen — disappeared near the well. His body was never found, but his shoes were discovered just outside the well’s rim as if he had been snatched mid-stride. That same week, two goats were found petrified in place, their bodies stiff and eyes wide with terror.
The event sparked panic. The city elders consulted both priests and natural philosophers. While some blamed miasmas or foul gases rising from the ground, others revived the old tales of the basilisk and insisted that the creature had returned — or perhaps had never left.
In response, a bizarre plan was enacted. A large mirror was lowered into the well in the hope that the creature would look at its reflection and perish. This, according to one version of the tale, seemed to work. The hissing stopped. No more disappearances were reported. The well was sealed with iron bars and a cross was placed above it. To this day, some allege that the remains of the well — or at least its stone ring — still exist beneath the Keizerstraat paving.
Symbolism and Survival: True Meaning of the Basilisk
While the literal belief in a monster lurking beneath Antwerp faded with time, the basilisk’s symbolism endured. In medieval lore, the basilisk was often interpreted as a creature of sin, vanity, or heresy — things that corrupt not only individuals but the very fabric of society. That it lived beneath Antwerp, hidden from plain sight yet capable of sudden devastation, made it a perfect allegory for the unseen dangers lurking within a growing city.
Some scholars suggest that the basilisk legend emerged as a way to explain disease and death during a period of less knowledge of sanitation and hygiene. Wells and underground spaces were often the source of illness, especially in cities where hygiene was poor. Rather than invisible bacteria, people imagined a deadly creature that made such places dangerous.
Others believe the basilisk of Antwerp was a social warning. Medieval cities were breeding grounds not just for rats and rot but also for dissent, crime, and moral decay. The basilisk became a convenient scapegoat — a beast blamed for misfortune, helping to enforce caution and piety in a population on the edge of survival.
Even in art and literature, the Basilisk of Antwerp made its mark. It was featured in local woodcuts, and referenced in sermons. While the creature may never have existed in the flesh, it existed fully in the imagination — and arguably still does.
Echoes in the Modern City
Today, Antwerp is a vibrant city known for its fashion, diamond trade, and cultural institutions. But the echoes of the basilisk remain. In quieter corners of the historic centre, near places like Vlaeykensgang Alley or the crypt beneath the Cathedral of Our Lady, one can almost feel the weight of myth lingering in the air.
A number of local ghost tours refer to the basilisk story, especially those that explore Antwerp’s underground, its medieval cellars, tunnels, and forgotten wells. In some versions, the basilisk never truly died, but simply sleeps, waiting for the right moment to return. Others claim the legend is purely metaphorical, a reflection of humanity’s enduring fear of the unknown.
Interestingly, the basilisk has seen a minor revival in Belgian pop culture. Indie horror authors have incorporated the beast into short stories, and some local breweries and cafés have even adopted the name or imagery in tribute to the tale. There is something enduringly seductive about the idea of a monster beneath our feet — invisible yet capable of great ruin — and Antwerp wears that darkness like a second skin beneath its polished exterior.
How to Visit the Home of the Basilisk
For those interested in experiencing the atmosphere of the basilisk’s legend first-hand, Antwerp is both accessible and rewarding. Located in northern Belgium, it is well connected by train to major cities such as Brussels, Ghent, and Bruges. Once in the city, begin your exploration in the historic centre, where the legend is most deeply rooted.
Wander down Keizerstraat, where the infamous well was said to exist, and imagine the fear it once inspired. Take a guided tour of the Cathedral of Our Lady, whose gothic crypts still whisper old stories. For a more theatrical experience, join one of Antwerp’s evening ghost walks, which often include retellings of the basilisk myth among other macabre tales of the city’s past.
To get a fuller picture of Antwerp’s folklore, consider visiting Museum Vleeshuis, where medieval life is recreated through artefacts and exhibits, or the Ruien underground tours, which allow you to descend into the historic canals and tunnels beneath the city — places not unlike the ones where the basilisk was said to dwell.
Whether you come in search of history, legend, or a thrill, Antwerp’s streets offer many layers of reality and myth intertwined. The basilisk may no longer stalk the night, but in this city where stories shape the soul of stone, its shadow never fully fades.