1000 Mythological Characters Briefly Described
1000 Mythological Characters Briefly Described
1000 Mythological Characters Briefly Described
CHARACTERS BRIEFLY
DESCRIBED
1895
1000 Mythological Characters Briefly Described by Edward S. Ellis.
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Contents
Introduction
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
1
Introduction
There are many expressions which, though simple in themselves, must forever remain
beyond the grasp of human comprehension. Eternity, that which has neither end nor
beginning, baffles the most profound human thought. It is impossible to think of a point
beyond which there is absolutely nothing, or to imagine the passing of a million years
without bringing us one day or one minute nearer to their close. Suppose that one could
fix upon the terminal point, we would still fancy something beyond that, and then some
period still more remote would present itself, and so on ad infinitum.
The same insurmountable difficulty confronts us when we seek to imagine a First Cause.
God was the beginning, and yet it seems to our finite minds, that something must have
brought Him into existence, and we conclude that back again of that creating Power
must have been another originating cause, and perhaps still another, and so on without
limitation.
And yet we know that there must have been a period when everything was void, or, in
other words, when there was nothing. In the awful grandeur of that loneliness,
desolation, and chaos, God we know, however, existed and called the universe into
being. All that we, in our present finite condition, can ever comprehend of that
stupendous birth is contained in the opening of the first chapter of Genesis.
That is the story of the creation as told by God Himself to His chosen people, the
Hebrews, they alone being selected from the nations then existing upon the earth to
receive the wonderful revelation.
Every people, no matter how degraded and sunken in barbarism, has some perception,
some explanation of, and a more or less well-grounded belief in, a First Cause. Far back
among the mists of antiquity, at the remotest beginnings of the shadowy centuries, sits
enthroned a Being, who in His infinite might and power brought mankind, the universe,
and all animate and inanimate things into existence, and who rewards those of His
children who do His will, and punishes those who disobey His commands. That will, as
interpreted by believers, is as various in its application to the conduct of man as are the
standards of right and wrong among the civilized and even among the barbarous
nations of to-day. What is virtue with one is vice with the other, as beauty and ugliness
of form or feature, being relative terms, are opposites with many different peoples.
Since the Greeks and Romans were not among those who received the divine story of
creation, they were forced to devise a theory to explain their own existence and account
for the origin of all things. The foundation of this theory lay in the marvelous
phenomena of nature around them. The growth of the mighty tree from the tiny seed,
the bursting bud and blossom, the changing hues and the fragrance of flowers, the
alternation of day and night, the flash of the rock-rending lightning, the rage of the
tempest, the flow of the rivers; the towering mountains, the lovely valleys; dew, rain, the
clouds, and the ever-shifting panorama on every hand; the majestic sweep of the blazing
worlds through space—all these pointed unerringly to a First Cause, which originally
launched them into being, and maintains the constant order of things and the
miraculous procession of the planets and the orderly succession of the seasons in
obedience to laws that know no change.
2
To the Greeks and Romans, there was a time more remote than history gives us any
account of, when there was neither land nor water, and when the earth and all things
within and upon it were “without form and void.” Over that misty, nebulous mixing and
mingling brooded the god Chaos, who shared his throne with Nox, the goddess of night.
From this union the innumerable myths gradually sprang up and developed, which in
their own imaginative though often grotesque way explained the various phases of
creation. These finally became crystallized into a literature, or mythology, which has
since been the inspiration alike of romancers and poets.
The most learned of mythologists differ in their analysis of the multitude of myths that
have descended to us. Their varying analyses, however, may be separated into two
distinct classes or divisions, each of which has its own adherents and supporters.
The first school is that of the philologists, and the second that of the anthropologists, or
comparative mythologists.
Philology relates to the study of language, especially when treated in a philosophical
manner. This school maintains that the myths had their origin in a “disease of the
language, as the pearl is a result of a disease of the oyster.” The key, therefore, to all
mythologies, they say, is found in language. The names originally applied to the gods
generally referred to the phenomena of the clouds, winds, rain, sunshine, etc. Latin,
Greek, and Sanskrit, the great languages of antiquity, they demonstrate, had their
foundation in a single source which is still older. As further proof of their position, they
point to the similarity in the most ordinary words in the various languages of the same
family, and show that they have undergone few or very trifling changes.
The greatest authority among the philologists claims that during the “first period” there
was a tribe in Central Asia, whose language consisted of one-syllable words, which
contained the germs of the Turanian, Aryan, and Semitic tongues. This age is termed the
Rhematic period, and was succeeded by the Nomadic or Agglutinative age, during which
the language gradually “received, once for all, that peculiar impress of their formative
system which we still find in all the dialects and national idioms comprised under the
name of Aryan or Semitic,” which includes over three thousand dialects.
The same authority follows the Agglutinative period with one “represented everywhere
by the same characteristic features, called the Mythological, or Mythopoeic age.”
As the name implies, this last-mentioned period saw the evolution and development of
mythic lore. As do the American Indians of to-day, so primitive man, in his crude way,
explained the operation of physical laws by giving to inanimate objects like passions
and sentiments with himself. When the tempest rages, and the crashing lightning
splinters the mountain oak, the Indian says that the Great Spirit is angry. When nature
becomes serene and calm, the Great Spirit is pleased. The malign forces around him,
which work ill to the warrior, are, they say, the direct doings of an evil spirit. Even the
heavenly bodies are personified, and “poetry has so far kept alive in our minds the old
animative theory of nature, that it is no great effort in us to fancy the waterspout a huge
giant or sea-monster, and to depict, in what we call appropriate metaphor, its march
across the field of ocean.”
Since the names of the Greek heroes and gods show a general correspondence with the
Sanskrit appellations of physical things, it is comparatively easy to understand many
of the first fancies and reflections of the earliest men who ever lived. It is the argument
of the philologists that these fancies and reflections settled into definite shape in that
3
far-away period when most of the nations, now spread to the remotest corners of the
earth, dwelt together and used a common language. Following the gradual scattering of
this single, unified people, the language became sensitive to the change, many words not
only losing their original meaning, but, in some instances, acquiring an opposite
significance. Other words, again, in the course of time were utterly lost. “As long as such
personified beings as the Heaven or the Sun are consciously talked of in mythic
language, the meaning of their legends is open to no question, and the action ascribed to
them will, as a rule, be natural and appropriate.” The time came, however, when these
names were considered simply as applying to heroes or deities, and amid the jumble
and confusion of the succeeding ages it became well-nigh impossible to trace the myths
back to their original source and meaning. Such is a brief outline of the myth
interpretations, as made by the philologists.
Anthropology may be defined as the study of man, considered in his entire nature. In
explaining mythology, the anthropologists say that “it is man, it is human thought and
human language combined, which naturally and necessarily produced the strange
conglomerate of ancient fable.” Instead, therefore, of seeking the source of myths in
language, the second class find it in the “condition of thought through which all races
have passed.”
The argument of the anthropologists is that while all nations have come from one
parent-stock, as is claimed also by the philologists, yet the various peoples, in their
primitive or savage state, have passed through a like low intellectual condition and
growth. The folk-lore of all countries shows that the savages consider themselves of the
same nature as beasts, and regard “even plants, inanimate objects, and the most
abstract phenomena as persons with human parts and passions.” Every religion
antedating Christianity has inculcated the worship of idols, which usually take the form
of beasts, and it will be noted in the study of myths that the gods often assume the forms
of birds and animals. If it were in our power mentally to become savages for a time, so
as to look upon nature and our surroundings as do the Blackfeet Indians, or the
Patagonians, or the South Africans, it would be a long step toward making clear this
particular phase of the question.
From what has been stated, however, the young student will gain an idea of the meaning
of the word “myth,” which may be termed a story whose origin can never be known
with certainty. To most people it has the same significance as a fable, legendary tale, or
fanciful falsehood. A collection of myths belonging to a particular age or people is “a
mythology,” and the branch of inquiry which classifies and interprets them bears the
same name.
E. S. E.
November 1st, 1895.
4
A
Abas (A′bas), a son of Meganira, was turned into a newt, or water-lizard, for deriding
the ceremonies of the Sacrifice.
Absyrtus (Absy′rtus). After Jason had slain the dragon which guarded the golden fleece,
he fled with Medea, the beautiful young sorceress, and daughter of Aeetes, who pursued
with great energy, for Medea had taken with her the most precious treasure of the king,
his only son and heir, Absyrtus. To delay the pursuit, Medea slew her little brother, cut
the body in pieces, and dropped them over the side of the vessel. Thus the cruel
daughter effected her escape.
Achelous (Achelo′us) was a river god, and the rival of Hercules in his love for Deianira.
To decide who should have the bride, Hercules and Achelous had recourse to a
wrestling bout, the fame of which extends through all the intervening centuries. In this
fierce struggle, Achelous changed himself into the form of a bull and rushed upon his
antagonist with lowered horns, intending to hurl him aside. Hercules eluded the onset,
and seizing one of the huge horns, held it so firmly that it was broken off by the furious
efforts of Achelous to free himself. He was defeated, and finally turned himself into a
river, which has since been known by his name.
Acheron (Ach′eron) (see “The Youth’s Classical Dictionary”). The current of the river
Acheron, across which all souls had to pass to hear their decree from Pluto, was so swift
that the boldest swimmer dare not attempt to breast it; and, since there was no bridge,
the spirits were obliged to rely upon the aid of Charon, an aged boatman, who plied the
only boat that was available. He would allow no soul to enter this leaky craft until he
had received the obolus, or fare, which the ancients carefully placed under the tongue of
the dead, that they might not be delayed in their passage to Pluto. Those who had not
their fare were forced to wait one hundred years, when Charon reluctantly ferried them
over without charge.
“Infernal rivers that disgorge
Into the burning lake their baleful streams...
Sad Acheron, of sorrow black and deep.”
Milton.
Achilles (Achil′les) was the most valiant of the Greek heroes in the Trojan War. He was
the son of Peleus, King of Thessaly. His mother, Thetis, plunged him, when an infant,
into the Stygian pool, which made him invulnerable wherever the waters had washed
him; but the heel by which he was held was not wetted, and that part remained
vulnerable. He was shot with an arrow in the heel by Paris, at the siege of Troy, and died
of his wound.
Acidalia (Acida′lia), a name given to Venus, from a fountain in Boeotia.
Acis (A′cis). A Sicilian shepherd, loved by the nymph Galatea. One of the Cyclops who
was jealous of him crushed him by hurling a rock on him. Galatea turned his blood into a
river—the Acis at the foot of Mount Etna.
5
Actaeon (Actae′on) was the son of Aristaeus, a famous huntsman. He intruded himself
on Diana while she was bathing, and was changed by her into a deer, in which form he
was hunted by his own dogs and torn in pieces.
Ades (A′des), see Hades.
Adonis (Ado′nis), the beautiful attendant of Venus, who held her train. He was killed by
a boar, and turned by Venus into an anemone.
“Even as the sun with purple-colored face
Had ta’en his last leave of the weeping morn.
Rose-cheeked Adonis hied him to the chase;
Hunting he loved, but love he laughed to scorn.”
Shakespeare.
Adrastaea (Adrastae′a), another name of Nemesis, one of the goddesses of justice.
Adscriptitii Dii (Adscripti′tii Dii) were the gods of the second grade.
Adversity, see Echidna.
Aeacus (Ae′acus), one of the judges of hell, with Minos and Rhadamanthus. See Eacus.
Aecastor (Aecas′tor), an oath used only by women, referring to the Temple of Castor.
Aedepol (Aed′epol), an oath used by both men and women, referring to the Temple of
Pollux.
Aeetes (Aee′tes), a king of Colchis, and father of Medea.
Aegeon (Aege′on), a giant with fifty heads and one hundred hands, who was
imprisoned by Jupiter under Mount Etna. See Briareus.
Aegis (Ae′gis), the shield of Jupiter, so called because it was made of goat-skin.
“Where was thine Aegis Pallas that appall’d?”
Byron.
“Tremendous, Gorgon frowned upon its field,
And circling terrors filled the expressive shield.”
“Full on the crest the Gorgon’s head they place,
With eyes that roll in death, and with distorted face.”
Pope.
Aegle (Ae′gle). The fairest of the Naiads.
Aello (Ael′lo), the name of one of the Harpies.
Aeneas (Aene′as) was the son of Anchises and Venus. He was one of the few great
captains who escaped the destruction of Troy. He behaved with great valor during the
siege, encountering Diomed, and even Achilles himself. When the Grecians had set the
city on fire Aeneas took his aged father, Anchises, on his shoulders, while his son,
Ascanius, and his wife Creusa, clung to his garments. He saved them all from the flames.
After wandering about during several years, encountering numerous difficulties, he at
6
length arrived in Italy, where he was hospitably received by Latinus, king of the Latins.
After the death of Latinus Aeneas became king.
“His back, or rather burthen, showed
As if it stooped with its load;
For as Aeneas bore his sire
Upon his shoulders through the fire,
Our knight did bear no less a pack
Of his own buttocks on his back.”
Butler.
Aeolus (Aeo′lus) was the god of the winds. Jupiter was his reputed father, and his
mother is said to have been a daughter of Hippotus. Aeolus is represented as having the
power of holding the winds confined in a cavern, and occasionally giving them liberty to
blow over the world. So much command was he supposed to have over them that when
Ulysses visited him on his return from Troy he gave him, tied up in a bag, all the winds
that could prevent his voyage from being prosperous. The companions of Ulysses,
fancying that the bag contained treasure, cut it open just as they came in sight of Ithaca,
the port they were making for, and the contrary winds rushing out drove back the ship
many leagues. The residence of Aeolus was at Strongyle, now called Strombolo.
“Aeolus from his airy throne
With power imperial curbs the struggling winds,
And sounding tempests in dark prisons binds.”
Dryden.
Aesculapius (Aescula′pius), the god of physic, was a son of Apollo. He was physician to
the Argonauts in their famous expedition to Colchis. He became so noted for his cures
that Pluto became jealous of him, and he requested Jupiter to kill him with a
thunderbolt. To revenge his son’s death Apollo slew the Cyclops who had forged the
thunderbolt. By his marriage with Epione he had two sons, Machaon and Podalirius,
both famous physicians, and four daughters, of whom Hygeia, the goddess of health, is
the most renowned. Many temples were erected in honor of Aesculapius, and votive
tablets were hung therein by people who had been healed by him; but his most famous
shrine was at Epidaurus, where, every five years, games were held in his honor. This
god is variously represented, but the most famous statue shows him seated on a throne
of gold and ivory. His head is crowned with rays, and he wears a long beard. A knotty
stick is in one hand, and a staff entwined with a serpent is in the other, while a dog lies
at his feet.
“Thou that dost Aesculapius deride,
And o’er his gallipots in triumph ride.”
Fenton.
Aeson (Ae′son) was father of Jason, and was restored to youth by Medea.
Agamemnon (Agamem′non) was the son of Plisthenes and brother of Menelaus. He was
king of the Argives. His brother’s wife was the famous Helen, daughter of Tyndarus, king
7
of Sparta; and when she eloped with Paris, Agamemnon was appointed leader of the
Greeks in their expedition against Troy.
Aganippides (Aganip′pides), a name of the Muses, derived from the fountain of
Aganippe.
Agineus (Agine′us), see Apollo.
Aglaia (Agla′ia) was one of the Three Graces.
Agni (Ag′ni). The Hindoo god of lightning.
Ajax (A′jax) was one of the bravest of the Greek warriors in the Trojan War. His father
was Telamon, and his mother Eriboea. Some writers say that he was killed by Ulysses;
others aver that he was slain by Paris; while others again assert that he went mad after
being defeated by Ulysses, and killed himself. Another Ajax, son of Oileus, also took a
prominent part in the Trojan War.
Alcestis (Alces′tis), wife of Admetus, who, to save her husband’s life, died in his stead,
and was restored to life by Hercules.
Alcides (Alci′des), one of the names of Hercules.
Alcmena (Alcme′na), the mother of Hercules, was daughter of Electryon, a king of
Argos.
Alecto (Alec′to) was one of the Furies. She is depicted as having serpents instead of hair
on her head, and was supposed to breed pestilence wherever she went.
Alectryon (Alec′tryon), a servant of Mars, who was changed by him into a cock because
he did not warn his master of the rising of the sun.
Alfadur (Al′fadur), in Scandinavian Mythology the Supreme Being—Father of all.
Alma Mammosa (Al′ma Mammo′sa), a name of Ceres.
Alpheus (Alphe′us), a river god. See Arethusa.
Altar. A structure on which a sacrifice was offered. The earliest altars were merely
heaps of earth or turf or rough unhewn stone; but as the mode of sacrificing became
more ceremonious grander altars were built. Some were of marble and brass,
ornamented with carvings and bas-reliefs, and the corners with models of the heads of
animals. They varied in height from two feet to twenty, and some were built solid;
others were made hollow to retain the blood of the victims. Some were provided with a
kind of dish, into which frankincense was thrown to overpower the smell of burning fat.
This probably was the origin of the custom of burning incense at the altar.
Amalthaea (Amal′thae′a), the goat which nourished Jupiter.
Amazons (Am′azons) were a nation of women-soldiers who lived in Scythia. Hercules
totally defeated them, and gave Hippolyte, their queen, to Theseus for a wife. The race
seems to have been exterminated after this battle.
Ambarvalia (Ambarva′lia) were festivals in honor of Ceres, instituted by Roman
husbandmen to purge their fields. At the spring festival the head of each family led an
animal, usually a pig or ram, decked with oak boughs, round his grounds, and offered
milk and new wine. After harvest there was another festival, at which Ceres was
presented with the first-fruits of the season. See Ceres.
8
Antaeus (Antae′us), a giant who was vanquished by Hercules. Each time that Hercules
threw him the giant gained fresh strength from touching the earth, so Hercules lifted
him off the ground and squeezed him to death.
Anteros (An′teros), one of the two Cupids, sons of Venus.
Anticlea (Antic′lea), the mother of Ulysses.
Antiope (Anti′ope) was the wife of Lycus, King of Thebes. Jupiter, disguised as a satyr,
led her astray and corrupted her.
Anubis (Anu′bis) (or Hermanubis (Herman′ubis)). “A god half a dog, a dog half a man.”
Called Barker by Virgil and other poets.
Aonides (Aon′ides), a name of the Muses, from the country Aonia.
Apaturia (Apatur′ia), an Athenian festival, which received its name from a Greek word
signifying deceit.
Aphrodite (Aph′rodi′te), a Greek name of Venus.
Apis, a name given to Jupiter by the inhabitants of the Lower Nile. Also the miraculous
ox, worshiped in Egypt.
Apis (A′pis), King of Argivia. Afterward called Serapis, the greatest god of the Egyptians.
Apollo (Apol′lo). This famous god, some time King of Arcadia, was the son of Jupiter and
Latona. He was known by several names, but principally by the following:—Sol (the
sun); Cynthius, from the mountain called Cynthus in the Isle of Delos, and this same
island being his native place obtained for him the name of Delius; Delphinius, from his
occasionally assuming the shape of a dolphin. His name of Delphicus was derived from
his connection with the splendid Temple at Delphi, where he uttered the famous
oracles. Some writers record that this oracle became dumb when Jesus Christ was born.
Other common names of Apollo were Didymaeus, Nomius, Paean, and Phoebus. The
Greeks called him Agineus, because the streets were under his guardianship, and he was
called Pythius from having killed the serpent Python. Apollo is usually represented as a
handsome young man without beard, crowned with laurel, and having in one hand a
bow, and in the other a lyre. The favorite residence of Apollo was on Mount Parnassus, a
mountain of Phocis, in Greece, where he presided over the Muses. Apollo was the
accredited father of several children, but the two most renowned were Aesculapius and
Phaeton.
“Wilt thou have music? Hark! Apollo plays.
And twenty cagëd nightingales do sing.”
Shakespeare.
Apotheosis (Apothe′osis). The consecration of a god. The ceremony of deification.
Arachne (Arach′ne), a Lydian princess, who challenged Minerva to a spinning contest,
but Minerva struck her on the head with a spindle, and turned her into a spider.
“... So her disemboweled web,
Arachne, in a hall or kitchen spreads.
Obvious to vagrant flies.”
John Phillips.
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Ascolia (Ascol′ia), Bacchanalian feasts, from a Greek word meaning a leather bottle. The
bottles were used in the games to jump on.
Asopus (Aso′pus). A son of Jupiter, who was killed by one of his father’s thunderbolts.
Assabinus (Assabi′nus), the Ethiopian name of Jupiter.
Ass’s ears, see Midas.
Astarte (Astar′te), one of the Eastern names of Venus.
Asteria (Aste′ria), daughter of Caeus, was carried away by Jupiter, who assumed the
shape of an eagle.
Astrea (Astre′a), mother of Nemesis, was the goddess of justice; she returned to heaven
when the earth became corrupt.
“... Chaste Astrea fled,
And sought protection in her native sky.”
John Hughes.
Atalanta (Atalan′ta) was daughter of Caeneus. The oracle told her that marriage would
be fatal to her, but, being very beautiful, she had many suitors. She was a very swift
runner, and, to get rid of her admirers, she promised to marry any one of them who
should outstrip her in a race, but that all who were defeated should be slain.
Hippomenes, however, with the aid of Venus, was successful. That goddess gave him
three golden apples, one of which he dropped whenever Atalanta caught up to him in
the race. She stopped to pick them up, and he was victorious and married her. They
were both afterward turned into lions by Cybele, for profaning her temple.
Ate (A′te). The goddess of revenge, also called the goddess of discord and all evil. She
was banished from heaven by her father Jupiter.
“With Ate by his side come hot from hell.”
Shakespeare.
Athena (Athe′na), a name obtained by Minerva as the tutelary goddess of Athens.
Atlas, was King of Mauritania, now Morocco, in Africa. He was also a great astronomer.
He is depicted with the globe on his back, his name signifying great toil or labor. For his
inhospitality to Perseus that king changed him into the mountain which bears his name
of Atlas. A chain of mountains in Africa is called after him, and so is the Atlantic Ocean.
He had seven daughters by his wife Pleione, they were called by one common name,
Pleiades; and by his wife Aethra he had seven more, who were, in the same manner,
called Hyades. Both the Pleiades and the Hyades are celestial constellations.
Atreus (At′reus), the type of fraternal hatred. His dislike of his brother Thyestes went to
the extent of killing and roasting his nephews, and inviting their father to a feast, which
Thyestes thought was a sign of reconciliation, but he was the victim of his brother’s
detestable cruelty.
“Media must not draw her murdering knife,
Nor Atreus there his horrid feast prepare.”
Lord Roscommon.
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Atropos (At′ropos), one of the three sisters called The Fates, who held the shears ready
to cut the thread of life.
Atys (A′tys), son of Croesus, was born dumb, but when in a fight he saw a soldier about
to kill the king he gained speech, and cried out, “Save the king!” and the string that held
his tongue was broken.
Atys (A′tys) was a youth beloved by Aurora, and was slain by her father, but, according
to Ovid, was afterward turned into a pine-tree.
Augaeas (Aug′aeas), a king of Elis, the owner of the stable which Hercules cleansed
after three thousand oxen had been kept in it for thirty years. It was cleansed by turning
the river Alpheus through it. Augaeas promised to give Hercules a tenth part of his cattle
for his trouble but, for neglecting to keep his promise, Hercules slew him.
Augury (Au′gury). This was a means adopted by the Romans of forming a judgment of
futurity by the flight of birds, and the officiating priest was called an augur.
Aurora (Auro′ra), the goddess of the morning,
“Whose rosy fingers ope the gates of day.”
She was daughter of Sol, the sun, and was the mother of the stars and winds. She is
represented as riding in a splendid golden chariot drawn by white horses. The goddess
loved Tithonus, and begged the gods to grant him immortality, but forgot to ask at the
same time that he should not get old and decrepit. See Tithonus.
“... So soon as the all-cheering sun
Should, in the farthest east, begin to draw
The shady curtains of Aurora’s bed.”
Shakespeare.
Auster (Aus′ter), the south wind, a son of Jupiter.
Avernus (Aver′nus), a poisonous lake, referred to by poets as being at the entrance of
the infernal regions, but it was really a lake in Campania, in Italy.
Averruncus Deus (Averrun′cus Deus), a Roman god, who could divert people from evil-
doing.
Axe, see Daedalus.
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Cabiri (Cab′iri). The mysterious rites connected with the worship of these deities were
so obscene that most writers refer to them as secrets which it was unlawful to reveal.
Cacodaemon (Cac′odae′mon). The Greek name of an evil spirit.
Cacus (Ca′cus), a three-headed monster and robber.
Cadmus (Cad′mus), one of the earliest of the Greek demi-gods. He was the reputed
inventor of letters, and his alphabet consisted of sixteen letters. It was Cadmus who
slew the Boeotian dragon, and sowed its teeth in the ground, from each of which sprang
up an armed man.
Caduceus (Cadu′ceus). The rod carried by Mercury. It has two winged serpents
entwined round the top end. It was supposed to possess the power of producing sleep,
and Milton refers to it in Paradise Lost as the “opiate rod.”
Calisto (Calis′to), an Arcadian nymph, who was turned into a she-bear by Jupiter. In that
form she was hunted by her son Arcas, who would have killed her had not Jupiter
turned him into a he-bear. The nymph and her son form the constellations known as the
Great Bear and Little Bear.
Calliope (Calli′ope). The Muse who presided over epic poetry and rhetoric. She is
generally depicted using a stylus and wax tablets, the ancient writing materials.
Calpe (Cal′pe). One of the pillars of Hercules.
Calypso (Calyp′so) was queen of the island of Ogygia, on which Ulysses was wrecked,
and where he was persuaded to remain seven years.
Cama (Ca′ma). The Indian god of love and marriage.
Camillus (Camil′lus), a name of Mercury, from his office of minister to the gods.
Canache (Can′ache). The name of one of Actaeon’s hounds.
Canopus (Cano′pus). The Egyptian god of water, the conqueror of fire.
Capis (Cap′is) or Capula (Cap′ula). A peculiar cup with ears, used in drinking the health
of the deities.
Capitolinus (Capitoli′nus). A name of Jupiter, from the Capitoline hill, on the top of
which a temple was built and dedicated to him.
Capripedes (Cap′ri′pedes). Pan, the Egipans, the Satyrs, and Fauns, were so called from
having goat’s feet.
Caprotina (Caproti′na). A name of Juno.
Cassandra (Cassan′dra), a daughter of Priam and Hecuba, who was granted by Apollo
the power of seeing into futurity, but having offended that god he prevented people
from believing her predictions.
16
Cassiopeia (Cassiope′ia). The Ethiopian queen who set her beauty in comparison with
that of the Nereides, who thereupon chained her to a rock and left her to be devoured by
a sea-monster, but she was delivered by Perseus. See Andromeda.
Castalia (Casta′lia). One of the fountains in Mount Parnassus, sacred to the Muses.
Castalides (Casta′li′des), a name of the Muses, from the fountain Castalia or Castalius.
Castor (Cas′tor), son of Jupiter and Leda, twin brother of Pollux, noted for his skill in
horsemanship. He went with Jason in quest of the Golden Fleece.
Cauther (Cau′ther), in Mohammedan mythology, is the lake of paradise, whose waters
are as sweet as honey, as cold as snow, and as clear as crystal; and any believer who
tastes thereof is said to thirst no more.
Celeno (Cel′eno) was one of the Harpies, progenitor of Zephyrus, the west wind.
Centaur (Cen′taur). A huntsman who had the forepart like a man, and the remainder of
the body like a horse. The Centauri lived in Thessaly.
Cephalus (Cep′halus) was married to Procris, whom he accidentally slew by shooting
her while she was secretly watching him, he thinking she was a wild beast. Cephalus
was the type of constancy.
Ceraunius (Cerau′nius). A Greek name of Jupiter, meaning The Fulminator, from his
thunderbolts.
Cerberus (Cer′berus). Pluto’s famous three-headed dog, which guarded the gate of the
infernal regions, preventing the living from entering, and the inhabitants from going
out.
“Three-headed Cerberus, by fate
Posted at Pluto’s iron gate;
Low crouching rolls his haggard eyes,
Ecstatic, and foregoes his prize.”
Ceremonies, see Themis.
Ceres (Ce′res), daughter of Saturn, the goddess of agriculture, and of the fruits of the
earth. She taught Triptolemus how to grow corn, and sent him to teach the inhabitants
of the earth. She was known by the names of Magna Dea, Bona Dea, Alma Mammosa, and
Thesmorphonis. Ceres was the mother of Proserpine. See Ambarvalia.
“To Ceres bland, her annual rites be paid
On the green turf beneath the fragrant shade.—
... Let all the hinds bend low at Ceres’ shrine,
Mix honey sweet for her with milk and mellow wine,
Thrice lead the victim the new fruits around,
On Ceres call, and choral hymns resound.”
Pope.
Cestus (Ces′tus), the girdle of Venus, which excited irresistible affection.
Chaos (Cha′os) allegorically represented the confused mass of matter supposed to have
existed before the creation of the world, and out of which the world was formed.
“... Behold the throne
Of Chaos, and his dark pavilion spread
Wide on the wasteful deep; with him enthroned
Sat sable-vested Night, eldest of all things,
The consort of his reign.”
Milton.
Charon (Char′on) was the son of Nox and Erebus. He was the ferryman who conveyed
the spirits of the dead, in a boat, over the rivers Acheron and Styx to the Elysian Fields.
“Charon’s toll” was a coin put into the hands of the dead with which to pay the grim
ferryman.
“From the dark mansions of the dead,
Where Charon with his lazy boat
Ferries o’er Lethe’s sedgy moat.”
Charybdis (Charyb′dis). A dangerous whirlpool on the coast of Sicily. Personified, it was
supposed to have been a woman who plundered travelers, but was at last killed by
Hercules. Scylla and Charybdis are generally spoken of together to represent alternative
dangers.
“Charybdis barks, and Polyphemus roars.”
Francis.
Chemos (Che′mos). The Moabitish god of war.
Children, see Nundina.
Chimaera (Chimae′ra). A wild illusion, personified in the monster slain by Bellerophon.
It had the head and breast of a lion, the body of a goat, and the tail of a serpent. It used
to vomit fire.
“... And on the craggy top
Chimera dwells, with lion’s face and mane,
A goat’s rough body and a serpent’s train.”
Pope.
“First, dire Chimera’s conquest was enjoined,
A mingled monster of no mortal kind.
Behind, a dragon’s fiery tail was spread,
A goat’s rough body bore a lion’s head,
Her pitchy nostrils flaky flames expire,
18
Cupid (Cu′pid), the god of love, was the son of Jupiter and Venus. He is represented as a
naked, winged boy, with a bow and arrows, and a torch. When he grew up to be a man
he married Psyche.
“For Venus did but boast one only son,
And rosy Cupid was that boasted one;
He, uncontroll’d, thro’ heaven extends his sway,
And gods and goddesses by turns obey.”
Eusden, 1713.
Cuvera (Cuve′ra). The Indian god of wealth corresponding to the Greek Plutus.
Cybele (Cy′bele). The mother of the gods, and hence called Magna Mater. She was wife
of Saturn. She is sometimes referred to under the names of Ceres, Rhea, Ops, and Vesta.
She is represented as riding in a chariot drawn by lions. In one hand she holds a scepter,
and in the other a key. On her head is a castelated crown, to denote that she was the first
to protect castles and walls with towers.
“Nor Cybele with half so kind an eye
Surveyed her sons and daughters of the sky.”
Dryden.
“Might she the wise Latona be,
Or the towered Cybele,
Mother of a hundred gods,
Juno dares not give her odds.”
Milton.
Cyclops (Cy′clops) or Cyclopes (Cy′clopes) were the gigantic, one-eyed workmen of
Vulcan, who made Jove’s thunderbolts. Hesiod gives their names as Arges, Brontes, and
Steropes.
“Meantime, the Cyclop raging with his wound,
Spreads his wide arms, and searches round and round.”
Pope.
Cygnus (Cyg′nus), the bosom friend of Phaeton. He died of grief on the death of his
friend, and was turned into a swan.
Cyllaros (Cyll′aros), one of Castor’s horses. The color is mentioned as being coal-black,
with white legs and tail. See Cillaros.
Cyllo (Cyl′lo). The name of one of Actaeon’s hounds, which was lame.
Cyllopotes (Cyllop′otes). A name given to one of Actaeon’s hounds which limped.
Cynosure (Cyn′osure). One of the nurses of Jupiter, turned by the god into a
conspicuous constellation.
“Towers and battlements it sees
Bosomed high in tufted trees,
21
Dactyli (Dacty′li) were priests of Cybele. They were given the name, because, like the
fingers, they were ten in number.
Daedalus (Daed′alus) was a great architect and sculptor. He invented the wedge, the
axe, the level, and the gimlet, and was the first to use sails. Daedalus also constructed
the famous labyrinth for Minos, King of Crete. See Icarus.
“Now Daedalus, behold, by fate assigned,
A task proportioned to thy mighty mind.”
Pope.
Dagon (Da′gon). A god of the Philistines, half man half fish, like the mermaid. Milton
describes him as “Upward man and downward fish.”
Dahak (Da′hak). The Persian devil.
Daityas (Dai′tyas). In Hindoo mythology the devils or evil gods.
Danae (Dan′ae) was a daughter of Acrisius and Eurydice. She had a son by Jupiter, who
was drifted out to sea in a boat, but was saved by Polydectes and educated.
Danaides (Dana′ides), see Danaus.
Danaus (Dana′us), King of Argos, was the father of fifty daughters, who, all but one, at
the command of their father, slew their husbands directly after marriage. For this crime
they were condemned to the task of forever trying to draw water with vessels without
any bottoms. See Hypermnestra.
Dancing, see Terpsichore.
Dangers, see Charybdis, also Scylla.
Daphne (Daph′ne). The goddess of the earth. Apollo courted her, but she fled from him,
and was, at her own request, turned into a laurel tree.
“... As Daphne was
Root-bound, that fled Apollo.”
Milton.
Dardanus (Dar′danus), a son of Jupiter, who built the city of Dardania, and by some
writers was accounted the founder of Troy.
Dead-toll, see Charon.
Death, see Nox.
Deceiver, The, see Apaturia.
Deianira (Deiani′ra), daughter of Oeneus, was wife of Hercules. See Hercules.
Delius (De′lius), a name of Apollo, from the island in which he was born.
23
Delphi (Del′phi). A town on Mount Parnassus, famous for its oracle, and for a temple of
Apollo. See Delphos.
Delphicus (Del′phicus). A name of Apollo, from Delphi.
Delphos (Del′phos), the place where the temple was built, from which the oracle of
Apollo was given.
Demarus (De′marus). The Phoenician name of Jupiter.
Demogorgon (De′mogor′gon) was the tyrant genius of the soil or earth, the life and
support of plants. He was depicted as an old man covered with moss, and was said to
live underground. He is sometimes called the king of the elves and fays.
“Which wast begot in Demogorgon’s hall
And saw’st the secrets of the world unmade.”
Spenser.
Deucalion (Deuca′lion), one of the demi-gods, son of Prometheus and Pyrra. He and his
wife, by making a ship, survived the deluge which Jupiter sent on the earth, circa
1503 B.C.
Devil, see Dahak, Daityas, and Obambou.
Diana (Di′ana), goddess of hunting and of chastity. She was the sister of Apollo, and
daughter of Jupiter and Latona. She was known among the Greeks as Diana or Phoebe,
and was honored as a triform goddess. As a celestial divinity she was called Luna; as a
terrestrial Diana or Dictynna; and in the infernal regions Hecate.
Dictynna (Dictyn′na), a Greek name of Diana as a terrestrial goddess.
Dido (Di′do). A daughter of Belus, King of Tyre. It was this princess who bought a piece
of land in Africa as large as could be encompassed by a bullock’s hide, and when the
purchase was completed, cut the hide into strips, and so secured a large tract of land.
Here she built Carthage; and Virgil tells that when Aeneas was shipwrecked on the
neighboring coast she received him with every kindness, and at last fell in love with him.
But Aeneas did not reciprocate her affections, and this so grieved her that she stabbed
herself. A tale is told in Facetiae Cantabrigienses of Professor Porson, who being one of a
set party, the conversation turned on the subject of punning, when Porson observing
that he could pun on any subject, a person present defied him to do so on the Latin
gerunds, di, do, dum, which, however, he immediately did in the following admirable
couplet:
“When Dido found Aeneas would not come,
She mourned in silence, and was Dido dumb.”
Dies Pater (Di′es Pa′ter), or Father of the Day, a name of Jupiter.
Dii Selecti (Dii Selec′ti) composed the second class of gods. They were Coelus, Saturn,
Genius, Oreus, Sol, Bacchus, Terra, and Luna.
Dindymene (Din′dyme′ne). A name of Cybele, from a mountain where she was
worshiped.
“Nor Dindymene, nor her priest possest,
Can with their sounding cymbals shake the breast
24
Eacus (E′acus), son of Jupiter and Egina, one of the judges of the infernal regions, who
was appointed to judge the Europeans. See Aeacus.
Earth, see Antaeus.
Eblis (Eb′lis), the Mohammedan evil genius.
Echidna (Echid′na). A woman having a serpent’s tail. She was the reputed mother of
Chimaera, and also of the many-headed dog Orthos, of the three-hundred-headed
dragon of the Hesperides, of the Colchian dragon, of the Sphinx, of Cerberus, of Scylla, of
the Gorgons, of the Lernaean Hydra, of the vulture that gnawed away the liver of
Prometheus, and also of the Nemean lion; in fact, the mother of all adversity and
tribulation.
Echnobas (Echno′bas), one of Actaeon’s hounds.
Echo (Ech′o) was a nymph who fell in love with Narcissus. But when he languished and
died she pined away from grief and died also, preserving nothing but her voice, which
repeats every sound that reaches her. Another fable makes Echo a daughter of Air and
Tellus. She was partly deprived of speech by Juno, being allowed only to reply to
questions.
“Sweet Echo, sweetest nymph, that liv’st unseen
Within thy airy shell…
Sweet queen of parley, daughter of the sphere,
So may’st thou be translated to the skies,
And give resounding grace to all heaven’s harmonies.”
Milton.
“Oft by Echo’s tedious tales misled.”
Ovid.
Egeon. A giant sea-god, who assisted the Titans against Jupiter.
Egeria (Ege′ria). A nymph who is said to have suggested to Numa all his wise laws. She
became his wife, and at his death was so disconsolate, and shed so many tears, that
Diana changed her into a fountain.
Egil (E′gil). The Vulcan of northern mythology.
Egipans (Egip′ans) were rural deities who inhabited the forests and mountains, the
upper half of the body being like that of a man, and the lower half like a goat.
Egis (E′gis) was the shield of Minerva. It obtained its name because it was covered with
the skin of the goat Amalthaea, which nourished Jupiter. See Aegis.
Eleusinian Mysteries (Eleusin′ian). Religious rites in honor of Ceres, performed at
Eleusis, in Attica.
27
Elysium (Elys′ium), or the Elysian Fields. The temporary abode of the just in the
infernal regions.
Empyrean, The (Empyre′an). The fifth heaven, the seat of the heathen deity.
Endymion (Endym′ion). A shepherd, who acquired from Jupiter the faculty of being
always young. One of the lovers of Diana.
Entertainments, see Comus.
Envy, see Furies.
Enyo was the Grecian name of Bellona, the goddess of war and cruelty.
Eolus (E′olus), see Aeolus.
Eos (E′os). The Grecian name of Aurora.
Eous (E′ous). One of the four horses which drew the chariot of Sol, the sun. The word is
Greek, and means red.
Ephialtes (Eph′ial′tes). A giant who lost his right eye in an encounter with Hercules,
and the left eye was destroyed by Apollo.
Erato (Er′ato). One of the Muses, the patroness of light poetry; she presided over the
triumphs and complaints of lovers, and is generally represented as crowned with roses
and myrtle, and holding a lyre in her hand.
Erebus (Er′ebus), son of Chaos, one of the gods of Hades, sometimes alluded to as
representing the infernal regions.
Ergatis (Erga′tis). A name given to Minerva. It means the work-woman, and was given
to the goddess because she was credited with having invented spinning and weaving.
Erictheus (Eric′theus), fourth King of Athens, was the son of Vulcan.
Erinnys (Erin′nys). A Greek name of the Furies. It means Disturber of the Mind.
Erisichthon (Erisich′thon) was punished with perpetual hunger because he defiled the
groves of Ceres, and cut down one of the sacred oaks.
Eros (Er′os). The Greek god of love.
Erostratus (Eros′tratus). The rascal who burnt the temple of Diana at Ephesus, thereby
hoping to make his name immortal.
Erycina (Eryc′ina). A name of Venus, from Mount Eryx in Sicily.
Erythreos (Erythre′os). The Grecian name of one of the horses of Sol’s chariot.
Esculapius (Escula′pius), see Aesculapius.
Eta (E′ta), see Aeetes.
Ethon (E′thon), one of the horses who drew the chariot of Sol—the sun. The word is
Greek, and signifies hot.
Etna (Et′na). A volcanic mountain, beneath which, according to Virgil, there is buried
the giant Typhon, who breathes forth devouring flames.
Eudromos (Eu′dromos). The name of one of Actaeon’s hounds.
Eulalon (Eu′lalon), one of the names of Apollo.
28
Eumenides (Eume′nides), a name of the Furies, meaning mild, and referring to the time
when they were approved by Minerva.
Euphrosyne (Euphro′syne), one of the three Graces, see Graces.
“Come, thou goddess fair and free,
In heaven ycleped Euphrosyne.”
Milton.
Eurus (Eu′rus). The east wind. A son of Aeolus.
Euryale (Eury′ale) was one of the Gorgons, daughter of Phorcus and Ceto.
Eurydice (Euryd′ice), wife of Orpheus, who was killed by a serpent on her wedding
night.
“Nor yet the golden verge of day begun.
When Orpheus (her unhappy lord),Eurydice to life restored,
At once beheld, and lost, and was undone.”
F. Lewis.
Eurythion (Euryth′ion). A seven-headed dragon. See Geryon.
Euterpe (Eu′terpe), one of the Muses, the patroness of instrumental music. The word
means agreeable.
Euvyhe (Eu′vyhe), an expression meaning “Well done, son.” Jupiter so frequently
addressed his son Bacchus by those words that the phrase at last became one of his
names.
Evening Star, see Hesperus.
Evil, see Cacodaemon.
Evils, see Pandora.
Eye, of one, see Cyclops and Glaukopis.
29
Fame was a poetical deity, represented as having wings and blowing a trumpet. A
temple was dedicated to her by the Romans.
Fate, see Nereus.
Fates, or Parcae, were the three daughters of Necessity. Their names were Clotho, who
held the distaff; Lachesis, who turned the spindle; and Atropos, who cut the thread with
the fatal shears.
Faun. A rural divinity, half man and half goat. They were very similar to the Satyrs. The
Fauns attended the god Pan, and the Satyrs attended Bacchus.
Favonius (Favo′nius). The wind favorable to vegetation, that is, Zephyr—the west wind.
“... Time will run
On smoother, till Favonius reinspire
The frozen earth, and clothe in fresh attire
The lily and the rose, that neither sowed nor spun.”
Milton.
Fays.
“The yellow-skirted Fays
Fly after the night-steeds,
Leaving their moon-loved maze.”
Milton.
Feasts, see Comus.
Febris (Fe′bris) (fever), one of the evil deities, was worshiped that she might not do
harm.
Februus (Feb′ruus). A name of Pluto, from the part of the funeral rites which consisted
of purifications.
Feronia (Fero′nia), the Roman goddess of orchards, was patroness of enfranchised
slaves. Some authors think Feronia is the same as Juno.
Fertility, see Lupercus.
Festivals, see Thalia.
Fidelity, see Iolaus.
Fides (Fi′des), the goddess of faith and honesty, and a temple in the Capitol of Rome.
Fine Arts, see Minerva.
Fire, see Salamander, Vesta, and Vulcan.
Fire Insurance, see Canopus.
30
Gabriel (Ga′briel), in Jewish mythology is the prince of fire and thunder, and the angel
of death to the favored people of God.
Galataea (Galatae′a). A sea nymph. Polyphemus, one of the Cyclops, loved her, but she
disdained his attentions and became the lover of Acis, a Sicilian shepherd.
Gallantes (Gallan′tes), madmen, from Galli (which see).
Galli (Gal′li) were priests of Cybele who used to cut their arms with knives when they
sacrificed, and acted so like madmen that demented people got the name of Gallantes.
Ganesa (Gan′esa). The Indian Mercury. The god of wisdom and prudence.
Ganga. One of the three Indian river goddesses.
Ganymede, a beautiful Phrygian youth, son of Tros, King of Troy. He succeeded Hebe in
the office of cup-bearer to Jupiter. He is generally represented sitting on the back of a
flying eagle.
Gardens, see Pomona (goddess of fruit-trees).
Gates, see Janus.
Gautama (Gau′tama) (Buddha). The chief deity of Burmah.
Genii were domestic divinities. Every man was supposed to have two of these genii
accompanying him; one brought him happiness, the other misery.
Genitor (Gen′itor). A Lycian name of Jupiter.
Geometry, see Mercury.
Geryon (Ge′ryon) was a triple-bodied monster who lived at Gades, where his numerous
flocks were guarded by Orthos, a two-headed dog, and by Eurythion, a seven-headed
dragon. These guardians were destroyed by Hercules, and the cattle taken away.
Gimlet, see Daedalus.
Girdle, see Cestus (Venus’s).
Glaucus (Glau′cus) was a fisherman who became a sea-god through eating a sea-weed,
which he thought invigorated the fishes and might strengthen him.
Glaukopis (Glauko′pis). A name given to Minerva, because she had blue eyes.
Gnomes (Gno′mes), a name given by Plato to the invisible deities who were supposed to
inhabit the earth.
Gnossis (Gnos′sis), a name given to Ariadne, from the city of Gnossus, in Crete.
Goat, see Iphigenia, Mendes, and Venus.
Goat’s Feet, see Capripedes.
Golden Apple, see Atalanta.
32
Golden Fleece, The, was a ram’s hide, sometimes described as white, and at other
times as purple and golden. It was given to Phryxus, who carried it to Colchis, where
King Aeetes entertained Phryxus, and the hide was hung up in the grove of Mars. Jason
and forty-nine companions fetched back the golden fleece. See Argonauts.
Gopya (Gopy′a). Indian mythological nymphs.
Gorgons, The (Gor′gons), were three sisters, named Stheno, Euryale, and Medusa. They
petrified every one they looked at. Instead of hair their heads were covered with vipers.
Perseus conquered them, and cut off the head of Medusa, which was placed on the
shield of Minerva, and all who fixed their eyes thereon were turned into stone.
Graces, The, were the attendants of Venus. Their names were, Aglaia, so called from her
beauty and goodness; Thalia, from her perpetual freshness; and Euphrosyne, from her
cheerfulness. They are generally depicted as three cheerful maidens with hands joined,
and either nude or only wearing transparent robes—the idea being that kindnesses, as
personified by the Graces, should be done with sincerity and candor, and without
disguise. They were supposed to teach the duties of gratitude and friendship, and they
promoted love and harmony among mankind.
Graces (fourth), see Pasithea.
Gradivus (Grad′ivus). A name given to Mars by the Romans. It meant the warrior who
defended the city against all external enemies.
Gragus (Gra′gus). The name by which Jupiter was worshiped in Lycia.
Granaries, see Tutelina.
Grapsios (Grap′sios). A Lycian name of Jupiter.
Grasshopper, see Tithonus.
Grief, see Niobe.
33
Hebe (He′be), daughter of Zeus (Jupiter) and Hera (Juno), was the goddess of youth. She
was cup-bearer to Jupiter and the gods, until she had an awkward fall at a festival,
causing her to alight in an indecent posture, which so displeased Jupiter that she was
deprived of her office, and Ganymede was appointed in her stead.
“Wreathed smiles,
Such as hung on Hebe’s cheek,
And love to live in dimples sleek.”
Milton.
“Bright Hebe waits; by Hebe ever young
The whirling wheels are to the chariot hung.”
Pope.
Hecate (Hec′ate). There were two goddesses known by this name, but the one generally
referred to in modern literature is Hecate, or Proserpine, the name by which Diana was
known in the infernal regions. In heaven her name was Luna, and her terrestrial name
was Diana. She was a moon-goddess, and is generally represented in art with three
bodies, standing back to back, a torch, a sword, and a lance in each right hand.
Hecuba (Hec′uba). The wife of Priam, king of Troy, and mother of Paris. Taken captive
in the Trojan war, she fell to the lot of Ulysses after the destruction of Troy, and was
afterwards changed into a hound.
“What’s Hecuba to him, or he to Hecuba?”
Shakespeare.
Heifer, see Ino.
Helena (Hel′ena) when a child was so beautiful that Theseus and Perithous stole her,
but she was restored by Castor and Pollux. She became the wife of Menelaus, king of
Sparta, but eloped with Paris, and thus caused the Trojan War. After the death of Paris
she married Deiphobus, his brother, and then betrayed him to Menelaus. She was
afterward tied to a tree and strangled by order of Polyxo, king of Rhodes.
Heliades, The (He′liades), were the daughters of Sol, and the sisters of Phaeton, at
whose death they were so sad that they stood mourning till they became
metamorphosed into poplar trees, and their tears were turned into amber.
Helicon (Hel′icon). A mountain in Boeotia sacred to the Muses, from which place the
fountain Hippocrene flowed.
“Yet still the doting rhymer dreams,
And sings of Helicon’s bright streams;
But Helicon for all his clatter
Yields only uninspiring water.”
Broom, 1720.
Heliconiades (Helico′niades). A name given to the Muses, from Mount Helicon.
Heliopolis (Heliop′olis), in Egypt, was the city of the sun.
35
Helios (He′lios). The Grecian sun-god, or charioteer of the sun, who went home every
evening in a golden boat which had wings.
Heliotrope (Hel′iotrope). Clytie was turned into this flower by Apollo. See Clytie.
Helle (Hel′le) was drowned in the sea, into which she fell from off the back of the golden
ram, on which she and Phryxus were escaping from the oppression of their stepmother
Ino. The episode gave the name of the Hellespont to the part of the sea where Helle was
drowned, and it is now called the Dardanelles. She was the daughter of Athamas and
Nephele.
Hellespontiacus (Hellespontia′cus). A title of Priapus.
Hemphta (Hemph′ta). The Egyptian god Jupiter.
Hephaestus (Hephaes′tus). The Greek Vulcan, the smith of the gods.
Hera (He′ra). The Greek name of Juno.
Heracles (Her′acles) is the same as Hercules.
Hercules (Her′cules) was the son of Jupiter and Alcmena. The goddess Juno hated him
from his birth, and sent two serpents to kill him, but though only eight months old he
strangled them. As he got older he was set by his master Eurystheus what were thought
to be twelve impossible tasks which have long been known as the “Twelve Labors of
Hercules.” They were:
First, To slay the Nemean Lion.
Second, To destroy the Hydra which infested the marshes of Lerna.
Third, To bring to Eurystheus the Arcadian Stag with the golden horns and brazen hoofs.
Fourth, To bring to his master the Boar of Erymanthus.
Fifth, To cleanse the stable of King Augeas, in which 3,000 oxen had been kept for thirty
years, but had never been cleaned out.
Sixth, To destroy the Stymphalides, terrible carnivorous birds.
Seventh, To capture the Bull which was desolating Crete.
Eighth, To capture the mares of Diomedes, which breathed fire from their nostrils, and
ate human flesh.
Ninth, To procure the girdle of Hippolyte, queen of the Amazons.
Tenth, To bring to Eurystheus the flesh-eating oxen of Geryon, the monster king of
Gades.
Eleventh, To bring away some of the golden apples from the garden of the Hesperides.
Twelfth, To bring up from Hades the three-headed dog, Cerberus.
All these tasks he successfully accomplished, and, besides, he assisted the gods in their
wars with the giants. Several other wonderful feats are mentioned under other
headings, as Antaeus, Cacus, etc. His death was brought about through his endeavors to
preserve Deianira from the attacks of Nessus, the centaur, whom he killed. The centaur,
before he expired, gave his mystic tunic to Deianira, who in turn gave it to Hercules, and
he put it on, but his doing so brought on an illness of which he could not be cured. In a
fit of desperation he cast himself into a funeral pile on Mount Oeta; but Jupiter had
36
him taken to heaven in a four-horse chariot, and only the mortal part of Hercules was
consumed.
“Let Hercules himself do what he may,
The cat will mew, and dog will have his day.”
Shakespeare.
Herdsmen, see Bubona.
Hermae (Her′mae) were statues of Hermes (Mercury), which were set up in Athens for
boundaries, and as direction marks for travelers.
Hermanubis (Her′manu′bis), see Anubis.
Hermathenae (Hermathe′nae) were statues of Mercury and Minerva placed together.
Hermes (Her′mes). A Greek name of the god Mercury.
“Hermes obeys. With golden pinions binds
His flying feet and mounts the western winds.”
Virgil.
Hermione (Hermi′one), daughter of Mars and Venus, who was turned into a serpent,
and allowed to live in the Elysian Fields. There was another Hermione, daughter of
Menelaus and Helen; she was betrothed to Orestes, but was carried away by Pyrrhus,
the son of Achilles.
Hero (He′ro). A priestess of Venus, with whom Leander was so enamored that he swam
across the Hellespont every night to visit her, but at last was drowned; when Hero saw
the fate of her lover she threw herself into the sea and was also drowned.
Heroes, see Valhalla.
Hesperides (Hesper′ides). Three daughters of Hesperus, King of Italy. They were
appointed to guard the golden apples which Juno gave Jupiter on their wedding day. See
Hercules.
Hesperus (Hes′perus), brother of Atlas, was changed into the evening star.
“To the ocean now I fly,
And those happy climes that lie
Where day never shuts his eye,
Upon the broad fields of the sky:
There I suck the liquid air,
All amidst the gardens fair
Of Hesperus and his daughters three,
That sing about the golden tree.”
Milton.
Hestia (Hes′tia). The Greek name of Vesta, the goddess of the hearth.
Hieroglyphics (Hierogly′phics), see Mercury.
37
Hylas (Hy′las). A beautiful boy beloved by Hercules. The nymphs were jealous of him,
and spirited him away while he was drawing water for Hercules. See Wm. Morris’s
tragedy, “The Life and Death of Jason.”
Hymen (Hy′men), the Grecian god of marriage, was either the son of Bacchus and
Venus, or, as some say, of Apollo and one of the Muses. He was represented as a
handsome youth, holding in his hand a burning torch.
“Some few there are of sordid mould
Who barter youth and bloom for gold:
But Hymen, gen’rous, just, and kind,
Abhors the mercenary mind;
Such rebels groan beneath his rod,
For Hymen’s a vindictive god.”
Dr. Cotton, 1736.
Hymn, see Paean.
Hyperion (Hype′rion). Son of Coelus and Terra. The model of manly beauty,
synonymous with Apollo. The personification of the sun.
“So excellent a king; that was to this
Hyperion to a satyr.”
Shakespeare.
Hypermnestra (Hypermnes′tra). One of the fifty daughters of Danaus, who were
collectively called the Danaides. She was the one who refused to kill her husband on the
wedding night. See Danaus.
39
shape. Juno continued her persecutions, and Io had to wander from place to place till
she came to Egypt, where she became wife of King Osiris, and won such good opinions
from the Egyptians that after her death she was worshiped as the goddess Isis.
Iolaus (Iola′us), son of Iphicles, assisted Hercules in conquering the Hydra, by burning
with hot irons the place where the heads were cut off; and for his assistance he was
restored to youth by Hebe. Lovers used to go to his monument at Phocis and ratify their
vows of fidelity.
Iothun (Io′thun). Celtic mythological monsters, or giants.
Iphicles (Iph′icles) was twin brother of Hercules, and father of Iolaus.
Iphigenia (Iphigeni′a) was a daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra. Agamemnon
made a vow to Diana, which involved the sacrifice of Iphigenia, but just at the critical
moment she was carried to heaven, and a beautiful goat was found on the altar in her
place.
Iris (I′ris), daughter of Thaumas and Electra, was the attendant of Juno, and one of the
messengers of the gods. Her duty was to cut the thread which detained expiring souls.
She is the personification of the rainbow.
Iron, see Vulcan.
Isis (I′sis), wife of Osiris, and a much worshiped divinity of the Egyptians. See Io.
Itys (I′tys) was killed by his mother Procne when six years old, and given to his father
Tereus, a Thracian of Daulis, as food. The gods were so enraged at this that they turned
Itys into a pheasant, Procne into a swallow, and Tereus into a hawk.
Ixion (Ixi′on), the son of Phlegyas, King of the Lapithae. For attempting to produce
thunder, Jupiter cast him into hell, and had him bound to a wheel, surrounded with
serpents, which is forever turning over a river of fire.
“The powers of vengeance, while they hear,
Touched with compassion, drop a tear;
Ixion’s rapid wheel is bound,
Fixed in attention to the sound.”
F. Lewis.
“Or, as Ixion fix’d, the wretch shall feel
The giddy motion of the whirling wheel.”
Pope.
41
Jani (Ja′ni) was a place in Rome where there were three statues of Janus, and it was a
meeting-place for usurers and creditors.
Janitor (Ja′nitor). A title of Janus, from the gates before the doors of private houses
being called Januae.
Janus (Ja′nus). A king of Italy, said to have been the son of Coelus, others say of Apollo;
he sheltered Saturn when he was driven from heaven by Jupiter. Janus presided over
highways, gates, and locks, and is usually represented with two faces, because he was
acquainted with the past and the future; or, according to others, because he was taken
for the sun, who opens the day at his rising, and shuts it at his setting. A brazen temple
was erected to him in Rome, which was always open in time of war, and closed during
peace.
“Old Janus, if you please,
Grave two-faced father.”
“In two-faced Janus we this moral find,—
While we look forward, we should glance behind.”
Colman.
Japetus (Jap′etus), son of Coelus and Terra, husband of Clymene. He was looked upon
by the Greeks as the father of all mankind. See Iapetos.
Jason (Ja′son), the son of Aeson, king of Iolcos; he was brought up by the centaur
Chiron. His uncle Aeeta sent him to fetch the Golden Fleece from Colchis (see
Argonauts). He went in the ship Argo with forty-nine companions, the flower of Greek
youth. With the help of Juno they got safe to Colchis, but the King Aeetes promised to
restore the Golden Fleece only on condition that the Argonauts performed certain
services. Jason was to tame the wild fiery bulls, and to make them plow the field of
Mars; to sow in the ground the teeth of a serpent, from which would spring armed men
who would fight against him who plowed the field of Mars; to kill the fiery dragon which
guarded the tree on which the Golden Fleece was hung. The fate of Jason and the rest of
the Argonauts seemed certain; but Medea, the king’s daughter, fell in love with Jason,
and with the help of charms which she gave him he overcame all the difficulties which
the king had put in his way. He took away the Golden Fleece and Medea also. The king
sent his son Absyrtus to overtake the fugitives, but Medea killed him, and strewed his
limbs in his father’s path, so that he might be delayed in collecting them, and this
enabled Jason and Medea to escape. After a time Jason got tired of Medea, and married
Glauce, which cruelty Medea revenged by killing her children before their father’s eyes.
Jason was accidentally killed by a beam of the ship Argo falling on him.
Jocasta (Jocas′ta) (otherwise Epicasta), wife of Laius, King of Thebes, who in after-life
married her own son, Oedipus, not knowing who he was, and, on discovering the fatal
mistake, hanged herself.
42
Labe (La′be). The Arabian Circe, who had unlimited power of metamorphosis.
Labor (Lab′or), see Atlas, Hercules.
Labyrinth, see Theseus.
Lachesis (Lach′esis). One of the three goddesses of Fate, the Parcae. She spun the
thread of life.
Lacinia (Lacin′ia). A name of Juno.
Lactura. One of the goddesses of growing corn.
Ladon (La′don). The dragon which guarded the apples in the garden of the Hesperides.
Also the name of one of Actaeon’s hounds. Also the river in Arcadia to which Syrinx fled
when pursued by Pan, where she was changed into a reed, and where Pan made his first
pipe.
Laelaps (Lae′laps). One of Diana’s hunting-dogs, which, while pursuing a wild boar, was
petrified. Also the name of one of Actaeon’s hounds.
Laksmi (Laks′mi) Hindoo goddess of wealth and pleasure. One of the husbands of
Vishnu.
Lamentation, see Cocytus.
Lamia (Lam′ia). An evil deity among the Greeks and Romans, and the great dread of
their children, whom she had the credit of constantly enticing away and destroying.
Lamp, see Lares and Penates.
Lampos (Lam′pos). One of Aurora’s chariot horses, the other being Phaeton.
Laocoon (Laoc′oon). One of the priests of Apollo, who was, with his two sons, strangled
to death by serpents, because he opposed the admission of the fatal wooden horse to
Troy.
Laomedon (Laom′edon), son of Ilus, a Trojan king. He was famous for having, with the
assistance of Apollo and Neptune, built the walls of Troy.
Lapis (Lap′is). The oath stone. The Romans used to swear by Jupiter Lapis.
Lapithus (Lap′ithus), son of Apollo. His numerous children were called Lapithae, and
they are notorious for their fight with the centaurs at the nuptial feast of Perithous and
Hippodamia.
Lares and Penates (La′res and Pena′tes) were sons of Mercury and Lara, or, as other
mythologists say, of Jupiter and Lamida. They belonged to the lower order of Roman
gods, and presided over homes and families. Their statues were generally fixed within
the doors of houses, or near the hearths. Lamps were sacred to them, as symbols of
vigilance, and the dog was their sacrifice.
Lark, see Scylla and Nysus.
45
Latona (Lato′na), daughter of Coelus and Phoebe, mother of Apollo and Diana. Being
admired so much by Jupiter, Juno was jealous, and Latona was the object of the goddess’
constant persecution.
Laughter, see Momus and Venus.
Laurel (Lau′rel), see Daphne.
Laverna (Laver′na). The Roman patroness of thieves.
Law, see Menu.
Lawgiver, see Nomius.
Laws, see Themis.
Leander (Lean′der), see Hero.
Leather Bottle, see Ascolia.
Leda (Le′da) was the mother of Castor and Pollux, their father being Jupiter, in the
shape of a swan. After her death she received the name of Nemesis.
Lemnius (Lem′nius). One of the names of Vulcan.
Lemures (Lem′ures). The ghosts of departed souls. Milton, in his “Ode to the Nativity,”
says—
“Lemures moan with midnight plaint.”
They are sometimes referred to as the Manes of the dead.
Lenaeus (Lenae′us). One of the names of Bacchus.
Lerna (Ler′na). The lake or swamp near Argos where Hercules conquered the Lernaean
Hydra.
Lethe (Le′the). One of the rivers of the infernal regions, of which the souls of the
departed are obliged to drink to produce oblivion or forgetfulness of everything they
did or knew while alive on the earth.
“A slow and silent stream,
Lethe, the river of oblivion, rolls
Her watery labyrinth, whereof who drinks
Forthwith his former state and being forgets,
Forgets both joy and grief, pleasure and pain.”
Milton.
Leucothea (Leucoth′ea). The name of Ino after she was transformed into a sea nymph.
Levana (Leva′na). The deity who presided over new-born infants.
Level, The, see Daedalus.
Liakura (Liak′ura). Mount Parnassus.
Liberal Arts, see Minerva.
Liber Pater (Li′ber Pa′ter). A name of Bacchus.
Liberty, see Bacchus.
46
F. Lewis.
“Let not Medea draw her murdering knife,
And spill her children’s blood upon the stage.”
Lord Roscommon.
Medicine, see Apollo.
Meditation, see Harpocrates.
Medusa (Medu′sa). One of the Gorgons. Minerva changed her beautiful hair into
serpents. She was conquered by Perseus, who cut off her head, and placed it on
Minerva’s shield. Every one who looked at the head was turned into stone.
Ulysses, in the Odyssey, relates that he wished to see more of the inhabitants of Hades,
but was afraid, as he says—
“Lest Gorgon, rising from the infernal lakes,
With horrors armed, and curls of hissing snakes,
Should fix me, stiffened at the monstrous sight,
A stony image in eternal night.”
Pope.
“Medusa with Gorgonian terror guards
The ford.”
Milton.
“Remove that horrid monster, and take hence
Medusa’s petrifying countenance.”
Addison.
Megaera (Meg′aera). One of the three Furies—Greek goddesses of vengeance.
Megale (Meg′ale). A Greek name of Juno, meaning great.
Melicerta (Melicer′ta), see Palaemon.
Mellona (Mello′na). One of the rural divinities, the goddess of bees.
Melpomene (Melpom′ene). One of the nine Muses, the goddess of tragedy.
Memnon (Mem′non), son of Tithonus and of Eos, who after the death of Hector brought
the Aethiopians to the assistance of Priam in the war against Troy.
Memory, see Mnemosyne.
Mendes (Men′des). An Egyptian god like Pan. He was worshiped in the form of a goat.
Menelaus (Menela′us). A Spartan king, brother of Agamemnon. The elopement of his
wife Helen with Paris was the cause of the siege of Troy. See Helena.
Menu (Me′nu), or Manu (Ma′nu). The Hindoo law-giver. See Satyavrata.
Merchants, see Mercury.
50
Mercury (Mer′cury), the son of Jupiter and Maia, was the messenger of the gods, and
the conductor of the souls of the dead to Hades. He was the supposed inventor of
weights and measures, and presided over orators and merchants. Mercury was
accounted a most cunning thief, for he stole the bow and quiver of Apollo, the girdle of
Venus, the trident of Neptune, the tools of Vulcan, and the sword of Mars, and he was
therefore called the god of thieves. He is the supposed inventor of the lyre, which he
exchanged with Apollo for the Caduceus. There was also an Egyptian Mercury under the
name of Thoth, or Thaut, who is credited with having taught the Egyptians geometry
and hieroglyphics. Hermes is the Greek name of Mercury. In art he is usually
represented as having on a winged cap, and with wings on his heels.
“And there, without the power to fly,
Stands fix’d a tip-toe Mercury.”
Lloyd, 1750.
“Then fiery expedition be my wing,
Jove’s Mercury, and herald for a king.”
“Be Mercury, set feathers to thy heels
And fly, like thought, from them to me again.”
Shakespeare.
Meru (Me′ru). The abode of the Hindoo god Vishnu. It is at the top of a mountain 8,000
leagues high. The Olympus of the East Indians.
Midas (Mi′das). A king of Phrygia, who begged of Bacchus the special gift that
everything that he touched might be turned into gold. The request was granted, and as
soon as he touched his food it also was turned to gold, and for fear of being starved he
was compelled to ask the god to withdraw the power he had bestowed upon him. He
was told to bathe in the river Pactolus. He did so, and the sands which he stood on were
golden forever after. It was this same king who, being appointed to be judge in a musical
contest between Apollo and Pan, gave the satyr the palm; whereupon Apollo, to show
his contempt, bestowed on him a pair of asses’ ears. This gave rise to the term “Midas-
eared” as a synonym for ill-judged, or indiscriminate.
“He dug a hole, and in it whispering said,
What monstrous ears sprout from King Midas’ head.”
Ovid.
Milo (Mi′lo), a celebrated Croton athlete, who is said to have felled an ox with his fist,
and to have eaten the beast in one day. His statue is often seen with one hand in the rift
of a tree trunk, out of which he is vainly trying to withdraw it. The fable is, that when he
got to be an old man he attempted to split an oak tree, but having lost his youthful vigor,
the tree closed on his hand and he was held a prisoner till the wolves came and
devoured him.
Mimallones (Mimallo′nes). The “wild women” who accompanied Bacchus, so called
because they mimicked his actions, putting horns on their heads when they took part in
his orgies.
Mimir (Mi′mir). In Scandinavian mythology the god of wisdom.
51
Moon. The moon was, by the ancients, called Hecate before and after
setting; Astarte when in crescent form; Diana when in full. See Luna.
“Soon as the evening shades prevail
The moon takes up her wondrous tale,
And nightly to the list’ning earth
Repeats the story of her birth.”
Addison.
Morpheus (Mor′pheus). The Greek god of sleep and dreams, the son and minister of
Somnus.
“Morpheus, the humble god that dwells
In cottages and smoky cells;
Hates gilded roofs and beds of down,
And though he fears no prince’s frown,
Flies from the circle of a crown.”
Sir John Denman.
Mors. Death, a daughter of Nox (Night).
Mountain, see Atlas, Nymph.
Mulciber (Mul′ciber). A name of Vulcan, sometimes spelled Mulcifer, the smelter of
metals. See Vulcan.
Munin (Mun′in). The Scandinavian god of memory, represented by the raven that was
perched on Odin’s shoulder.
Muscarius (Musca′rius). A name given to Jupiter because he kept off the flies from the
sacrifices.
Muses, The (Mu′ses), were nine daughters of Jupiter and Mnemosyne. They presided
over the arts and sciences, music and poetry. Their names were, Calliope, Clio, Erato,
Thalia, Melpomene, Terpsichore, Euterpe, Polyhymnia, and Urania. They principally
resided in Mount Parnassus, at Helicon.
“Be thou the tenth Muse, ten times more in worth,
Than those old nine which rhymers advocate.”
Shakespeare.
Music, see Apollo, Muses.
Mythras (My′thras). The Egyptian name of Apollo.
53
Naiads, The (Nai′ads), were beautiful nymphs of human form who presided over
springs, fountains, and wells. They resided in the meadows by the sides of rivers. Virgil
mentions Aegle as being the fairest of the Naiades.
Nandi (Nan′di). The Hindoo goddess of joy.
Narrae (Nar′rae). The name of the infernal regions amongst the Hindoos.
Narayan (Na′ra′yan). The mover of the waters. The Hindoo god of tides.
Narcissus (Narcis′sus), son of Cephisus and the Naiad Liriope, was a beautiful youth,
who was so pleased with the reflection of himself which he saw in the placid water of a
fountain that he could not help loving it, imagining that it must be some beautiful
nymph. His fruitless endeavors to possess himself of the supposed nymph drove him to
despair, and he killed himself. There sprang from his blood a flower, which was named
after him, Narcissus.
“Narcissus so himself forsook,
And died to kiss his shadow in the brook.”
“Hadst thou Narcissus in thy face, to me
Thou wouldst appear most ugly.”
Shakespeare.
Nastrond (Nas′trond). The Scandinavian place of eternal punishment, corresponding
with Hades.
Natio (Na′tio). A Roman goddess who took care of young infants.
Nemaean Lion (Nemae′an), see Hercules.
Nemesis (Nem′esis), the goddess of vengeance or justice, was one of the infernal
deities. Her mother was Nox. She was supposed to be constantly traveling about the
earth in search of wickedness, which she punished with the greatest severity. She is
referred to by some writers under the name of Adrasteia. The Romans always sacrificed
to this goddess before they went to war, because they wished to signify that they never
took up arms but in the cause of justice.
“Forbear, said Nemesis, my loss to moan,
The fainting, trembling hand was mine alone.”
Dr. J. Wharton.
Nephalia (Nepha′lia). Grecian festivals in honor of Mnemosyne, the mother of the
Muses.
Neptune (Nep′tune), god of the sea, was a son of Saturn and Cybele, and brother to
Jupiter and Pluto. He quarreled with Jupiter because he did not consider that the
dominion of the sea was equal to Jupiter’s empire of heaven and earth; and he was
banished from the celestial regions, after having conspired with Pluto to dethrone
54
Jupiter. Neptune was married to Amphitrite, daughter of Oceanus and Tethys, by whom
he had a son named Triton. He was also father of Polyphemus (one of the Cyclopes),
Phoreus, and Proteus. Neptune is represented as being seated in a shell chariot, drawn
by dolphins or sea-horses, and surrounded by Tritons and sea-nymphs. He holds in his
hand a trident, with which he rules the waves. Though a marine deity, he was reputed to
have presided over horse-training and horse-races; but he is principally known as the
god of the ocean; and the two functions of the god are portrayed in the sea horses with
which his chariot is drawn, the fore-half of the animal being a horse, and the hind-half a
dolphin. Ships were also under his protection, and whenever he appeared on the ocean
there was a dead calm.
Nereides, The (Nere′ides), were aquatic nymphs. They were daughters of Nereus and
Doris, and were fifty in number. They are generally represented as beautiful girls riding
on dolphins, and carrying tridents in the right hand or garlands of flowers.
Nereus (Nere′us). A sea deity, husband of Doris. He had the gift of prophecy, and
foretold fates; but he had also the power of assuming various shapes, which enabled
him to escape from the importunities of those who were anxious to consult him.
Nessus (Nes′sus). The name of the Centaur that was destroyed by Hercules for insulting
his wife Deianira. Nessus’s blood-smeared robe proved fatal to Hercules.
Nestor (Nes′tor). A grandson of Neptune, his father being Neleus, and his mother
Chloris. Homer makes him one of the greatest of the Greek heroes. He was present at the
famous battle between the Lapithae and the Centaurs, and took a leading part in the
Trojan war.
“... Here’s Nestor
Instructed by the antiquary times,
He must, he is, he cannot but be wise.”
Shakespeare.
Nicephorus (Niceph′orus). A name of Jupiter, meaning the bearer of victory.
Nidhogg (Nid′hogg). In Scandinavian mythology the dragon who dwells in Nastrond.
Niflheim (Nifl′heim). The Scandinavian hell. It was supposed to consist of nine vast
regions of ice beneath the North Pole, where darkness reigns eternally. See Nastrond.
Night, see Nox.
Nightingale, see Philomela.
Nightmare, see Incubus.
Nilus (Ni′lus), a king of Thebes, who gave his name to the Nile, the great Egyptian river.
Nine, The, see Muses.
Niobe (Ni′obe) was a daughter of Tantalus, and is the personification of grief. By her
husband Amphion she had seven sons and seven daughters. By the orders of Latona the
father and sons were killed by Apollo, and the daughters (except Chloris) by Diana.
Niobe, being overwhelmed with grief, escaped further trouble by being turned into a
stone.
55
Nomius (No′mius). A law-giver; one of the names of Apollo. This title was also given to
Mercury for the part he took in inventing beneficent laws.
Norns. Three Scandinavian goddesses, who wove the woof of human destiny. The three
witches in Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” have their origin in the Scandinavian Norns.
Notus (No′tus). Another name for Auster, the south wind.
Nox was the daughter of Chaos, and sister of Erebus and Mors. She personified night,
and was the mother of Nemesis and the Fates.
Nundina (Nundi′na). The goddess who took charge of children when they were nine
days old—the day (Nona dies) on which the Romans named their children.
Nuptialis (Nuptia′lis). A title of Juno. When the goddess was invoked under this name
the gall of the victim was taken out and thrown behind the altar, signifying that there
should be no gall (bitterness) or anger between married people.
Nuriel (Nu′riel). In Hebrew mythology the god of hailstorms.
Nyctelius (Nycte′lius). A name given to Bacchus, because his festivals were celebrated
by torchlight.
Nymphs. This was a general name for a class of inferior female deities who were
attendants of the gods. Some of them presided over springs, fountains, wells, woods,
and the sea. They are spoken of as land-nymphs or Naiads, and sea-nymphs or Nereids,
though the former are associated also with fountains and rivers. The Dryads were
forest-nymphs, and the Hamadryads were nymphs who lived among the oak-trees—the
oak being always specially venerated by the ancients. The mountain-nymphs were
called Oreads.
“With flower-inwoven tresses torn,
The nymphs in twilight shade
Of tangled thickets mourn.”
Milton.
Nysae (Ny′sae). The names of the nymphs by whom Bacchus was nursed. See Dionysius.
Nysaeus (Ny′saeus). A name of Bacchus, because he was worshiped at Nysa, a town of
Aethiopia.
Nysus (Ny′sus). A king of Megara who was invisible by virtue of a particular lock of hair.
This lock his daughter Scylla cut off, and so betrayed her father to his enemies. She was
changed into a lark, and the king into a hawk, and he still pursues his daughter,
intending to punish her for her treachery.
56
Olenus (Ole′nus). A son of Vulcan, who married Lathaea, a woman who thought herself
more beautiful than the goddesses, and as a punishment she and her husband were
turned into stone statues.
Olives, see Aristaeus.
Olympius (Olym′pius). A name of Jupiter, from Olympia, where the god had a splendid
temple, which was considered to be one of the seven wonders of the world.
Olympus (Olym′pus) was the magnificent mountain on the coast of Thessaly, 9,000 feet
high, where the gods were supposed to reside. There were several other smaller
mountains of the same name.
“High heaven with trembling the dread signal took,
And all Olympus to the center shook.”
Pope.
Olyras (Oly′ras). A river near Thermopylae, which, it is said, attempted to extinguish
the funeral pile on which Hercules was consumed.
Omophagia (Omopha′gia). A Bacchanalian festival at which some uncooked meats were
served.
Omphale (Om′phale). The Queen of Lydia, to whom Hercules was sold as a bondsman
for three years for the murder of Iphitus. Hercules fell in love with her, and led an
effeminate life in her society, wearing female apparel, while Omphale wore the lion’s
skin.
Onarus (Ona′rus). A priest of Bacchus, said to have married Ariadne after she had been
abandoned by Theseus.
Onuva (Onu′va). The Venus of the ancient Gauls.
Opalia (Opa′lia). Roman festivals in honor of Ops, held on 14th of the calends of
January.
Opiate-rod, see Caduceus.
“Eyes ... more wakeful than to drowse,
Charmed with Arcadian pipe—the pastoral reed
Of Hermes or his opiate-rod.”
Milton.
Ops. Mother of the gods, a daughter of Coelus and Terra. She was known by the several
names of Bona Dea, Rhea, Cybele, Magna Mater, Proserpine, Tellus, and Thya; and
occasionally she is spoken of as Juno and Minerva. She personified labor, and is
represented as a comely matron, distributing gifts with her right hand, and holding in
her left hand a loaf of bread. Her festival was the 14th day of the January calends.
Oracles, see Themis.
Oraea (Orae′a). Certain sacrifices offered to the goddesses of the seasons to invoke fair
weather for the ripening of the fruits of the earth.
Orbona (Orbo′na). Roman goddess of children, invoked by mothers when they lost or
were in danger of losing their offspring.
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Pactolus (Pacto′lus). The river in Lydia where Midas washed himself by order of
Bacchus, and the sands were turned to gold.
Paean (Pae′an). A name given Apollo, from paean, the hymn which was sung in his
honor after he had killed the serpent Python. Paeans were solemn songs, praying either
for the averting of evil and for rescue, or giving thanks for help vouchsafed.
“With hymns divine the joyous banquet ends,
The Paeans lengthened till the sun descends.”
Pope.
Palaemon (Palae′mon), or Melicerta, a sea-god, son of Athamas and Ino.
Pales (Pa′les). The goddess of shepherds and sheepfolds and protectress of flocks; her
festivals were called by the Romans Palilia.
“Pomona loves the orchard,
And Liber loves the wine,
And Pales loves the straw-built shed,
Warm with the breath of kine.”
Macaulay.
“Great Pales help, the pastoral rites I sing,
With humble duty mentioning each thing.”
Pope.
Palladium (Palla′dium). A famous statue of the goddess Pallas (Minerva). She is sitting
with a spear in her right hand, and in her left a distaff and spindle. Various accounts are
given of the origin of the statue. Some writers say that it fell from the skies. It was
supposed that the preservation of the statue would be the preservation of Troy; and
during the Trojan War the Greeks were greatly encouraged when they became the
possessors of it.
Pallas (Pal′las), or Minerva. The name was given to Minerva when she destroyed a
famous giant named Pallas. The Greeks called their goddess of wisdom Pallas Athene.
See Minerva.
“Apollo, Pallas, Jove, or Mercury,
Inspire me that I may this treason find.”
Shakespeare.
Pan. The Arcadian god of shepherds, huntsmen, and country folk, and chief of the
inferior deities, is usually considered to have been the son of Mercury and Penelope.
After his birth he was metamorphosed into the mythical form in which we find him
depicted, namely, a horned, long-eared man, with the lower half of the body like a goat.
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He is generally seen playing a pipe made of reeds of various lengths, which he invented
himself, and from which he could produce music which charmed even the gods. These
are the Pan-pipes, or Syrinx. Pan’s terrific appearance once so frightened the Gauls when
they invaded Greece that they ran away though no one pursued them; and the
word panic is said to have been derived from this episode. The Fauns, who greatly
resembled Pan, were his attendants.
“Piping on their reeds the shepherds go,
Nor fear an ambush, nor suspect a foe.”
Pope.
Pandora (Pando′ra), according to Hesiod, was the first mortal female. Vulcan made her
of clay, and gave her life. Venus gave her beauty; and the art of captivating was
bestowed upon her by the Graces. She was taught singing by Apollo, and Mercury taught
her oratory. Jupiter gave her a box, the famous “Pandora’s Box,” which she was told to
give to her husband, Epimetheus, brother of Prometheus. As soon as he opened it there
issued from it numberless diseases and evils which were soon spread all over the world,
and from that moment they have afflicted the human race. It is said that Hope alone
remained in the box. Pandora means “the all-gifted.”
“More lovely than Pandora, whom the gods
Endowed with all their gifts.”
Milton.
Pantheon (Panthe′on) (lit. “the all-divine place”). The temple of all the gods, built by
Agrippa at Rome, in the reign of Augustus (B.C. 27). It was 144 feet in diameter, and 144
feet high; and was built in the Corinthian style of architecture, mostly of marble; while
its walls were covered with engraved brass and silver. Its magnificence induced Pliny to
give it rank among the wonders of the world.
Paphia (Pa′phia), a name of Venus.
Papremis (Pap′remis). The Egyptian Mars.
Parcae, The (Par′cae), were goddesses who presided over the destiny of human beings.
They were also called the Fates, and were three in number, Atropos, Clotho, and
Lachesis. See Fates.
Paris (Par′is), the son of Priam, king of Troy, and of his mother Hecuba. It had been
predicted that he would be the cause of the destruction of Troy, and his father therefore
ordered him to be strangled as soon as he was born; but the slave who had been
entrusted with this mission took the child to Mount Ida, and left it there. Some
shepherds, however, found the infant and took care of him. He lived among them till he
had grown to man’s estate, and he then married Oenone, a nymph of Ida. At the famous
nuptial feast of Peleus and Thetis, Discordia, who had not been invited, attended
secretly; and when all were assembled, she threw among the goddesses a golden apple,
on which was inscribed “Let the fairest take it.” This occasioned a great contention, for
each thought herself the fairest. Ultimately, the contestants were reduced to three, Juno,
Pallas (Minerva), and Venus; but Jove himself could not make these three agree, and it
was decided that Paris should be the umpire. He was sent for, and each of the goddesses
courted his favor by offering all sorts of bribes. Juno offered him power, Pallas wisdom,
and Venus promised him the most beautiful woman in the world. Paris gave the golden
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apple to Venus. Soon after this episode Priam owned Paris as his son, and sent him to
Greece to fetch Helen, who was renowned as being the most beautiful woman in the
world. She was the wife of Menelaus, king of Sparta; but during his absence Paris carried
Helen away to Troy, and this gave rise to the celebrated war between the Greeks and the
Trojans, which ended in the destruction of Troy. Paris was among the 676,000 Trojans
who fell during or after the siege.
Parnassides (Parnas′sides), a name common to the Muses, from Mount Parnassus.
Parnassus (Parnas′sus). The mountain of the Muses in Phocis, and sacred to Apollo and
Bacchus. Any one who slept on this mountain became a poet. It was named after one of
the sons of Bacchus.
Parthenon (Par′thenon). The temple of Minerva (or Pallas) on the Acropolis at Athens.
It was destroyed by the Persians, and rebuilt by Pericles.
Parthenos (Par′thenos) was a name of Juno, and also of Minerva. See Pallas.
Pasiphae (Pasiph′ae) was the reputed mother of the Minotaur killed by Theseus. She
was said to be the daughter of Sol and Perseis, and her husband was Minos, king of
Crete.
Pasithea (Pasith′ea). Sometimes there are four Graces spoken of; when this is so, the
name of the fourth is Pasithea. Also called Aglaia.
Pavan (Pav′an), the Hindoo god of the winds.
Peace, see Concordia.
Peacock, see Argus.
Pegasus (Peg′asus). The famous winged horse which was said to have sprung from the
blood of Medusa when her head was cut off by Perseus. His abode was on Mount
Helicon, where, by striking the ground with his hoof, he caused water to spring forth,
which formed the fountain afterward called Hippocrene.
“Each spurs his faded
Pegasus apace.”
Byron.
“Thy stumbling founder’d jade can trot as high
As any other Pegasus can fly.”
Earl of Dorset.
“To turn and wind a fiery Pegasus,
And witch the world with noble horsemanship.”
Shakespeare.
Peleus (Pe′leus). A king of Thessaly, who married Thetis, one of the Nereides. It is said
that he was the only mortal who married an immortal.
Pelias (Pe′lias). A son of Neptune and Tyro. He usurped the throne of Cretheus, which
Jason was persuaded to relinquish and take the command of the Argonautic expedition.
On the return of Jason, Medea, the sorceress, undertook to restore Pelias to youth, but
required that the body should first be cut up and put in a caldron of boiling water. When
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this had been done, Medea refused to fulfil her promise. Pelias had four daughters, who
were called the Peliades.
Pelias (Pe′lias) was the name of the spear of Achilles, which was so large that none
could wield it but the hero himself.
Pelion (Pe′lion). A well-wooded mountain, famous for the wars between the giants and
the gods, and as the abode of the Centaurs, who were expelled by the Lapithae. See Ossa,
a mount, which the giants piled upon Pelion, to enable them to scale the heavens.
“The gods they challenge, and affect the skies,
Heaved on Olympus tottering Ossa stood;
On Ossa, Pelion nods with all his wood.”
Pope.
Pelops (Pe′lops), son of Tantalus, king of Phrygia. His father killed him, and served him
up to be eaten at a feast given to the gods, who, when they found out what the father of
Pelops had done, restored the son to life, and he afterward became the husband of
Hippodamia.
Penates (Pena′tes). Roman domestic gods. The hearth of the house was their altar. See
Lares.
Perpetual Punishment, see Sisyphus.
Persephone (Perseph′one). The Greek name of Proserpine.
Perseus (Per′seus) was a son of Jupiter and Danae, the daughter of Acrisius. His first
famous exploit was against the Gorgon, Medusa. He was assisted in this enterprise by
Pluto, who lent him a helmet which would make him invisible. Pallas lent him her shield,
and Mercury supplied him with wings. He made a speedy conquest of the Gorgons, and
cut off Medusa’s head, with which he flew through the air, and from the blood sprang
the winged horse Pegasus. As he flew along he saw Andromeda chained to the rock, and
a sea-monster ready to devour her. He killed the monster, and married Andromeda.
When he got back, he showed the Gorgon’s head to King Polydectes, and the monarch
was immediately turned into stone.
“Now on Daedalian waxen pinions stray,
Or those which wafted Perseus on his way.”
F. Lewis.
Persuasion, goddess of, see Pitho.
Phaeton (Pha′eton). A son of Sol, or, according to many mythologists, of Phoebus and
Clymene. Anxious to display his skill in horsemanship, he was allowed to drive the
chariot of the sun for one day. The horses soon found out the incapacity of the
charioteer, became unmanageable, and overturned the chariot. There was such great
fear of injury to heaven and earth, that Jove, to stop the destruction, killed Phaeton with
a thunderbolt.
“Now Phaeton, by lofty hopes possessed,
The burning seat with youthful vigor pressed.”
“The breathless Phaeton, with flaming hair,
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Dis, and he personifies hell. His principal attendant was the three-headed dog Cerberus,
and about his throne were the Eumenides, the Harpies, and the Furies.
“With equal foot, rich friend, impartial fate
Knocks at the cottage and the palace gate.. . . . .
Night soon will seize, and you must go below,
To story’d ghosts and Pluto’s house below.”
Creech.
Plutus (Plu′tus), the god of riches, was son of Jasion or Iasius and Ceres (Demeter), the
goddess of corn. He is described as being blind and lame; blind because he so often
injudiciously bestows his riches, and lame because fortunes come so slowly.
Pluvius (Plu′vius). A name of Jupiter, because he had the rain in his control.
Podalirius (Podalir′ius). A famous surgeon, a son of Aesculapius and Epione. His skill in
medicine made him very serviceable among the soldiers in the Trojan war.
Poet, see Parnassus.
Poetry, see Apollo, Calliope, The Muses.
Poisonous Herbs, see Circe.
Poisonous Lake, see Avernus.
Pollear (Poll′ear). Son of Siva, the Hindoo god of wisdom.
Pollux (Pol′lux). Twin brother of Castor. Their father was Jupiter and their mother Leda.
He and his brother form the constellation Gemini. His Greek name was Polydeuces.
Castor and Pollux are also known under the name of Dioscuri, the presiding deities of
public games in Rome, Castor being the god of equestrian exercise, and Pollux the god of
boxing. See Aedepol.
Polybotes (Polybo′tes). One of the giants who made war against Jupiter. He was killed
by Neptune.
Polydectes (Polydec′tes) was turned into stone when Perseus showed him Medusa’s
head. See Perseus.
Polydeuces (Polydeu′ces). The Greek name of Pollux.
Polyhymnia (Polyhym′nia). Daughter of Jupiter and Mnemosyne. One of the Muses who
presided over singing and rhetoric.
Polyphemus (Polyphe′mus), one of the most celebrated of the Cyclops, a son of the
nymph Thoosa and Neptune, or Poseidon, as the Greeks called the god of the sea. He
captured Ulysses and twelve of his companions, and it is said that six of them were
eaten. The remainder escaped by the ingenuity of Ulysses, who destroyed Polyphemus’s
one eye with a fire-brand.
“Charybdis barks and Polyphemus roars.”
Francis.
Polyxena (Polyx′ena). Daughter of Hecuba and Priam, king of Troy. It was by her
treachery that Achilles was shot in the heel.
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Sacrifices were ceremonious offerings made to the gods. To every deity a distinct
victim was allotted, and the greatest care was always taken in the selection of them.
Anything in any way blemished was considered as an insult to the god. At the time of the
sacrifice the people were called together by heralds led by a procession of musicians.
The priest, clothed in white, was crowned with a wreath made of the leaves of the tree
which was sacred to the particular god to whom the sacrifice was offered. The victim
had its horns gilt, and was adorned with a chaplet similar to that of the priest, and was
decorated with bright-colored ribbons. The priest then said, “Who is here?” to which the
spectators replied, “Many good people.” “Begone all ye who are profane,” said the priest;
and he then began a prayer addressed to all the gods. The sacrifice was begun by
putting corn, frankincense, flour, salt, cakes, and fruit on the head of the victim. This was
called the Immolation. The priest then took a cup of wine, tasted it, and handed it to the
bystanders to taste also; some of it was then poured between the horns of the victim,
and a few of the saturated hairs were pulled off and put in the fire which was burning on
the altar. Then, turning to the east, the priest drew with his knife a crooked line along
the back of the beast from the head to the tail, and told the assistants to kill the animal.
This was done directly, and the entrails of the victim taken out and carefully examined
by the Haruspices to find out what was prognosticated. The carcase was then divided,
and the thighs, covered with fat, were put in the fire, and the rest of the animal was cut
up, cooked, and eaten. This feast was celebrated with dancing, music, and hymns, in
praise of the god in whose honor the sacrifice was made. On great occasions as many as
a hundred bullocks were offered at one time; and it is said that Pythagoras made this
offering when he found out the demonstration of the forty-seventh proposition of the
book of Euclid.
Saga (Sa′ga). The Scandinavian goddess of history. The word means a saw or saying;
hence Sagas, which embody Scandinavian legends, and heroic or mythical traditions.
Sagittarius (Sagitta′rius), see Chiron.
Sails, see Daedalus.
Salamanders (Sal′aman′ders). The genii who, according to Plato, lived in fire.
“The spirits of fiery termagants in flame,
Mount up and take a Salamander’s name.”
Pope.
Salatia (Sala′tia), or Salacia, a Roman goddess of the salt water. See Amphitrite.
Salii (Sal′ii). The priests of Mars who had charge of the sacred shields.
Salmoneus (Salmo′neus). A king of Elis who, for trying to imitate Jupiter’s thunders,
was sent by the god straight to the infernal regions.
Salus (Sa′lus). The Roman goddess of health.
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Semele (Sem′ele), daughter of Cadmus and the mother of Bacchus (Dionysus), who was
born in a miraculous manner after Jupiter had visited her, at her special request, in all
his terrible splendor. She was deified after her death, and named Thyone.
Semi-Dei were the demi-gods.
Semones (Semo′nes). Roman gods of a class between the “immortal” and the “mortal,”
such as the Satyrs and Fauns.
Septerion (Septe′rion). A festival held every nine years at Delphi in honor of Apollo, at
which the victory of that god over the Python was grandly represented.
Serapis (Sera′pis). The Egyptian Jupiter, and generally considered to be the same as
Osiris. See Apis.
Serpent. The Greeks and Romans considered the serpent as symbolical of guardian
spirits, and as such were often engraved on their altars. See Aesculapius, Apollo,
Chimaera, Eurydice, and Medusa.
“Pleasing was his shape,
And lovely; never since of serpent kind,
Lovelier; not those that in Illyria changed
Hermione and Cadmus, or the god
In Epidaurus, nor to which transformed
Ammonian Jove, or Capitoline, was seen.”
Milton.
Seshanaga (Sesh′anag′a). The Egyptian Pluto.
Sewers, see Cloacina.
Sharp-sightedness, see Lynceus.
Shepherds, see Pan.
Shields, see Ancilia.
Ships, see Neptune.
Silence, see Harpocrates and Tacita.
Silenus (Sile′nus). A Bacchanalian demi-god, the chief of the Satyrs. He is generally
represented as a fat, drunken old man, riding on an ass, and crowned with flowers.
“And there two Satyrs on the ground,
Stretched at his ease, their sire Silenus found.”
Singing, see Polyhymnia, Thamyris.
Sirens, The (Si′rens). Sea nymphs, who by their music allured mariners to destruction.
To avoid the snare when nearing their abode, Ulysses had the ears of his companions
stopped with wax, and had himself tied to the mast of his ship. They thus sailed past in
safety; but the Sirens, thinking that their charms had lost their powers, drowned
themselves.
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Sisyphus (Sis′yphus), son of Aeolus and Enaretta. He was condemned to roll a stone to
the top of a hill in the infernal regions, and as it rolled down again when he reached the
summit, his punishment was perpetual.
“I turned my eye, and as I turned, surveyed
A mournful vision! The Sisyphian shade.
With many a weary step and many a groan,
Up the high hill he leaves a huge round stone,
The huge round stone, resulting with a bound
Thunders impetuous down, and smokes along the ground.”
Pope.
“Thy stone, O Sisyphus, stands still
Ixion rests upon his wheel,
And the pale specters dance.”
F. Lewis.
Siva (Si′va). In Hindoo mythology the “changer of form.” He is usually spoken of as the
“Destroyer and Regenerator.”
Slaughter, see Furies.
Slaves, see Feronia.
Sleep, see Caduceus, Morpheus, and Somnus.
Sleipner (Sleip′ner). The eight-legged horse of Odin, the chief of the Scandinavian gods.
Sol. The sun. The worship of the god Sol is the oldest on record, and though he is
sometimes referred to as being the same as the god Apollo, there is no doubt he was
worshiped by the Egyptians, Persians, and other nations long before the Apollo of the
Greeks was heard of. See Surya.
“Sol through white curtains shot a timorous ray,
And oped those eyes that must eclipse the day.”
Pope.
Somnus (Som′nus). The Roman god of sleep, son of Erebus and Nox (Night). He was one
of the infernal deities, and resided in a gloomy cave, void of light and air.
Sospita (Sos′pita). A name of Juno, as the safeguard of women. She is called the “saving
goddess.”
Soter (So′ter). A Greek name of Jupiter, meaning Savior or deliverer.
Soul, see Psyche.
South Wind, see Auster.
Spear, see Pelias.
Sphinx, The. A monster having the head and breast of a woman, the body of a dog, the
tail of a serpent, the wings of a bird, the paws of a lion, and a human voice. She lived in
the country near Thebes, and proposed to every passer-by the following enigma: “What
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animal is that which walks on four legs in the morning, two at noon, and three in the
evening.” Oedipus solved the riddle thus: Man is the animal; for, when an infant he
crawls on his hands and feet, in the noontide of life he walks erect, and as the evening of
his existence sets in, he supports himself with a stick. When the Sphinx found her riddle
solved she destroyed herself.
Spider, see Arachne.
Spindle, see Pallas.
Spinning, see Arachne, Ergatis.
Spring, see Vertumnus.
Stable, see Augaeas.
Stars, see Aurora.
Sterentius (Steren′tius). The Roman god who invented the art of manuring lands. See
also Picumnus.
Steropes (Ster′opes). One of the Cyclopes.
Stone, see Medusa and Phlegyas.
Stone (rolling), see Sisyphus.
Streets, see Apollo.
Stymphalides (Stym′phali′des). The carnivorous birds destroyed in the sixth labor of
Hercules.
Styx. A noted river of hell, which was held in such high esteem by the gods that they
always swore “By the Styx,” and such an oath was never violated. The river has to be
crossed in passing to the regions of the dead. See Achilles and Thetis.
“To seal his sacred vow by Styx he swore:—
The lake with liquid pitch,—the dreary shore.”
Dryden.
“... Infernal rivers that disgorge
Into the burning lake their baleful streams,
Abhorrèd Styx, the flood of deadly hate.”
Suada (Sua′da), the goddess of Persuasion. See Pitho.
Success, see Bonus Eventus.
Sun, see Aurora, Belus, Sol, and Surya.
Sunflower, see Clytie.
Suradevi (Sura′de′vi). The Hindoo goddess of wine.
Surgeon (Sur′geon), see Podalirius.
Surya (Su′ry′a). The Hindoo god corresponding to the Roman Sol, the sun.
Swallow, see Itys.
Swan, see Cygnus and Leda.
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dragons, in which he carried seed-corn to all the inhabitants of the earth, and
communicated the knowledge given to him by Ceres. Cicero mentions a Triptolemus as
the fourth judge of the dead.
“Triptolemus, whose useful cares intend
The common good.”
Pope.
Triterica (Triteri′ca). Bacchanalian festivals.
Tritons (Tri′tons) were sons of Triton, a son of Neptune and Amphitrite. They were the
trumpeters of the sea-gods, and were depicted as a sort of mermen—the upper half of
the body being like a man, and the lower half like dolphins.
Trivia (Tri′via). A surname given to Diana, because she presided over all places where
three roads meet.
Trophonius (Tropho′nius). A legendary hero of architecture, and one of Jupiter’s most
famous oracles.
Troy. The classic poets say that the walls of this famous city were built by the magic
sound of Apollo’s lyre. See Dardanus, Helen, Hercules, Paris.
Trumpeters, see Tritons.
Truth. A daughter of Time, because Truth is discovered in the course of Time.
Democritus says that Truth lies hidden at the bottom of a well.
Tutelina (Tutel′ina). A rural divinity—the goddess of granaries.
Two Faces, see Janus.
Typhoeus (Typhoe′us), see Typhon.
Typhon (Ty′phon). A monster with a hundred heads who made war against the gods,
but was crushed by Jove’s thunderbolts, and imprisoned under Mount Etna.
“... Typhon huge, ending in snaky twine.”
Milton.
Typhon (Ty′phon). In Egyptian mythology the god who tried to undo all the good work
effected by Osiris. According to the Greek writer, Hesiod, Typhon or Typhoeus was a
monster giant, son of Terra and Tartarus.
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Uller (Ul′ler). The Scandinavian god who presided over archery and duels.
Ulysses (Ulys′ses). A noted king of Ithaca, whose exploits in connection with the Trojan
war, and his adventures on his return therefrom, are the subject of Homer’s Odyssey.
His wife’s name was Penelope, and he was so much endeared to her that he feigned
madness to get himself excused from going to the Trojan war; but this artifice was
discovered, and he was compelled to go. He was of great help to the Grecians, and forced
Achilles from his retreat, and obtained the charmed arrows of Hercules from
Philoctetes, and used them against the Trojans. He enabled Paris to shoot one of them at
the heel of Achilles, and so kill that charmed warrior. During his wanderings on his
homeward voyage he was taken prisoner by the Cyclopes and escaped, after blinding
Polyphemus, their chief. At Aeolia he obtained all the winds of heaven, and put them in a
bag; but his companions, thinking that the bags contained treasure which they could rob
him of when they got to Ithaca, cut the bags, and let out the winds, and the ships were
immediately blown back to Aeolia. After Circe had turned his companions into swine on
an island where he and they were shipwrecked, he compelled the goddess to restore
them to their human shape again. As he passed the islands of the Sirens he escaped their
allurements by stopping the ears of his companions with wax, and fastening himself to
the mast of his ship. His wife Penelope was a pattern of constancy; for, though Ulysses
was reported to be dead, she would not marry any one else, and had the satisfaction of
finding her husband return after an absence of about twenty years. The Greek name of
Ulysses is Odysseus.
“To show what pious wisdom’s power can do,
The poet sets Ulysses in our view.”
Undine (Un′dine). A water-nymph, or sylph, who, according to fable, might receive a
human soul by marrying a mortal.
Unknown God, An. With reference to this God, nothing can be more appropriate than
St. Paul’s address to the Athenians, as recorded in the 17th chapter of the Acts of the
Apostles:
“Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. For as I passed
by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN
GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. God that made the
world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in
temples made with hands; neither is worshiped with men’s hands, as though he needed
anything, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; and hath made of one
blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined
the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; that they should seek
the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from
every one of us: for in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your
own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. Forasmuch then as we are the
offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or
stone, graven by art and man’s device. And the times of this ignorance God winked at;
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but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent: because he hath appointed a day,
in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath
ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from
the dead.”
Unxia (Unx′ia). A name of Juno, relating to her protection of newly married people.
Urania (Ura′nia). A daughter of Jupiter and Mnemosyne—one of the Muses who
presided over astronomy.
Uranus (Ura′nus), literally, heaven. Son and husband of Gaea, the Earth, and father of
Chronos (Time) and the Titans. The Greek name of Coelus; his descendants are
sometimes called Uranides.
Urgus (Ur′gus). A name of Pluto, signifying the Impeller.
Ursa Major (Ur′sa Ma′jor), see Calisto.
Ursa Minor (Ur′sa Mi′nor), see Arcas.
Usurers, see Jani.
Utgard Loki (Ut′gard Lo′ki). In Scandinavian mythology the king of the giants.
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selected from the best families, and were under a solemn vow of chastity, and compelled
to live perfectly pure lives.
Vialis (Via′lis). A name of Mercury, because he presided over the making of roads.
Victory (Vic′tory). A goddess, the daughter of Styx and Acheron, generally represented
as flying in the air holding out a wreath of laurel. Her Greek name is Nike (Nicē). See
Nicephorus.
Vidor. A Scandinavian god, who could walk on the water and in the air. The god of
silence (corresponding with the classic Harpocrates).
Virtue. A goddess worshiped by most of the ancients under various names. The way
to the temple of honor was through the temple of virtue.
Virtuous Women, see Juno.
Vishnu (Vish′nu). The Preserver, the principal Hindoo goddess.
Volupia (Volu′pia), see Angeronia.
Vulcan (Vul′can), the god of fire, was the son of Jupiter and Juno. He offended Jupiter,
and was by him thrown out of heaven; he was nine days falling, and at last dropped into
Lemnos with such violence that he broke his leg, and was lame forever after. Vulcan was
married to Venus. He is supposed to have formed Pandora out of clay. His servants were
the Cyclopes. He was the patron deity of blacksmiths, and as the smelter or softener of
metal bears also the name of Mulciber.
“Men call him Mulciber; and how he fell
From heaven, they fabled, thrown by angry Jove,
Sheer o’er the crystal battlements.”
Milton.
Vulcanalia (Vulcān-al′ia) were Roman festivals in honor of Vulcan, at which the victims
(certain fish and animals) were thrown into the fire and burned to death.
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Yama (Ya′ma). The Hindoo devil, generally represented as a terrible monster of a green
color, with flaming eyes.
Ygdrasil (Yg′dra′sil). The famous ash-tree of Scandinavian mythology, under which the
gods held daily council.
Ymir (Y′mir). The Scandinavian god, corresponding to Chaos of the classics.
Youth (perpetual), see Tithonus.
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Zephyr (Zeph′yr) or Zephyrus (Zeph′yrus). The west wind and god of flowers, a son of
Astraeus and Aurora (Eos). See Favonius.
“Wanton Zephyr, come away.. . . . .
The sun, and Mira’s charming eyes,
At thy return more charming grow.
With double glory they appear,
To warm and grace the infant year.”
John Hughes, 1700.
Zetes (Ze′tes), with his brother Calais, drove the Harpies from Thrace.
Zethus (Ze′thus), twin brother of Amphion. He was the son of Antiope and Zeus. See
Amphion.
Zeus (Zūs). The Greek name of Jupiter, the greatest god in Grecian mythology. He was
the god of the sky and its phenomena, and as such was worshiped on the highest
mountains, on which he was enthroned. From Zeus come all changes in the sky or the
winds; he is the gatherer of the clouds which dispense fertilizing rain; and is also the
thunderer and hurler of lightning.
THE END.