Jaculus

Hello and welcome back to "Creatures from HELLas"! The creature I am going to describe to you today is called the Jaculus. By the end of this article you can perhaps find out if this creature really is part of the Greek mythology or not.

The Jaculus is a small serpent or dragon. It has got wings (which are sometimes described as being feathered), so that it can fly. Actually the “flight” is more like a long leap up to 10 meters. It has some really strong hind legs for powerful jumps and it is sometimes shown with forelegs. Usually, Jaculi have small black eyes. Their fur is greyish and they have a white belly.

The word “jaculus” means “thrown” in Latin. It is called this way because of its peculiar method of attack. It hides in trees and waits for animals to pass underneath the tree it is sitting on. If the Jaculus sees a suitable target it coils itself up. Then the Jaculus surprises the animal by firing at the target like a spring. It jumps so fast that it does not even need to be poisonous. The Jaculus hits its victims with so much force, that they immediately die from the severe wounds. It is said that an attacking Jaculus looks like it is catapulted by an engine.

The power of the Jaculus’ attack is sometimes compared with a javelin, which made the Jaculus also known as the Javelin-snake. This creature can pierce flesh and clothing, just like a thrown javelin.

Now it’s your turn. With all that information, can you find out if the Jaculus is a creature from the Greek mythology? Or is its origin in a country far away from Greece? Could it just be a result of my imagination? If you have a guess, feel free to click on the solution button below.