In 1733, the church in Renwick, Cumbria (England), was being rebuilt. As the foundation stones were being moved, out flew a horrible creature the inhabitants called a cockatrice. The monster resembled a rooster, save that it had was armed with the tail and venom of a poisonous viper. The cockatrice terrorized the area for years, finally being slain by a courageous villager named John Tallantine who had armed himself with a lance made of rowan wood. In gratitude for having freed the region from the fearsome beast, Tallantine and his descendants were made exempt from payment of tithes.

The Renwick Cockatrice, or its ghost, was reputed to have put in several appearances since that time, usually being seen flying about the church. In fact, it was reputed to have appeared only about 30 years ago.

1. The cockatrice has no real importance, and the legend of its appearance and death at the hands of John Tallantine is merely yet another outgrowth of the familiar dragonslayer myth.

2. Renwick's church was built upon a point where the Dreamlands overlap into our reality. When the villagers were rebuilding the church in 1733, they disturbed the warding stones placed over the gate, and the gates were cast open, allowing all sorts of Dreamlands creatures through. The cockatrice is actually the Dreamlands creature known as a basilisk. The reappearances of the creature after its death were actually several other basilisks coming through.

3. In ages past, the Renwick area was home to a cult of Hastur. The cockatrice was actually a Byakhee.