adder

an adder starring a XIV th century middle English poem - the "Stanzaic" Morte Arthur, where a snake spoils the truce between Arthur and Mordred:

"But as they accorded sholde have been,
An adder glode forth upon the ground;
He stang a knight, that men might se[e]n
That he was seke [sick] and full unsound.
Out he brayed [drew] with sworde bright;
To kill the adder had he thought.
When Arthur party saw that sight,
Freely they togeder sought;
There was no thing withstand them might;
They wend that tresoun had been wrought;
That day died many a doughty knight,
And many a bold man was brought to nought."