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Salamander | |
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The Salamander, which was somewhat based on the real salamander unlike other legendary creatures which share the name of factual ones, varies in powers but is always associated with fire. Salamanders were described as lizards (although scientifically amphibians) covered in starlike spots, earning them the name Stellio. They are always associated with the element and immune to it, although the reason why can differ quite a bit.  Olden descriptions, including Pliny's, described them as incredibly cold creatures, yet intrinsically tied to fire through their immunity and command over it. A Salamander could extinguish the flames through contact or by either vomiting a milky liquid or exuding the stuff from their skin -- often, from their namesake spots. Pliny wrote that they could only be found in rainy weather and disappear during fair.Alternatively, they could simply be incombustible. They were said to produce a "wool" which could be woven into clothing cleansed through burning. Garments made of this wool were said to be among the miraculous items in Prestor John's possession. This fabric was in all likelihood asbestos. Salamanders could also be creatures entirely of fire. They were born of the stuff, lived within it, and even took sustenance from it. Descriptions went so far as to say they had no digestive organs. Some accounts claim that a Salamander would be created through unusual and ridiculous means, such as stroking a furnace for seven days and nights. Paracelsus denoted the Salamander as the Elemental of Fire. Medieval heraldry often depicted the Salamander vomiting fire. The Salamander was also attributed with a potent poison. Its extinguishing excretion, should it touch human skin, would cause all hair to fall out. Should a Salamander wrap itself around a tree, its fruit would wither and fall. Should this fruit fall into a pond, it would be tainted for years. These poisonous aspects have led to the Salamander being confused with the Basilisk. Folklorish accounts of the Salamander are attributed to the factual salamander hibernating within damp logs. When these logs (which would not easily burn) were ignited, the unfortunate inhabitants would scurry out amid the weak flames. The name "Salamander" roughly translates from Greek into "Fire Lizard."
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