MUIRHEAD`S MYSTERIES: King Richard III and the basilisk

Continuing my very very very occasional series on `British monarchs and strange animals`(in the sense that this is only the 2nd blog in 7 years on this theme!),I came across a British Heritage leaflet a while ago titled `Middleham Castle Sculpture What Does the Sculpture Represent?`

Apparently at Middleham Castle in Wensleydale in North Yorkshire there is a sculpture representing a basilisk on the back of King Richard who reigned from 1483-1485. Richard died at the battle of Bosworth in 1485. The link here shows an excellent panorama of the castle.Richard was sent to the castle as a small boy.The figures are allegorical,the white boar being heraldic. The tail of the basilisk or cockatrice curls over Richard`s right shoulder. The white boar is at Richard`s feet whilst the basilisk`s tail meets a demon`s head. Richard III is not the same Richard as Richard I ( Richard the Lionheart.)

http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/middleham-castle/?utm_source=Google%20Business&utm_campaign=Local%20Listings&utm_medium=Google%20Business%20Profiles&utm_content=middleham%20castle