Chapter 6

“Such fiends to scourge mankind, so fierce, so fell,Heaven never summoned from the depth of hell.A virgin face, with wings and hookëd claws,Death in their eyes, and famine in their jaws,While proof to steel their hides and plumes remainWe strike the impenetrable fiends in vain.”Harpi′kruti.The Egyptian name of the god Harpocrates.Harpoc′rates, son of Isis, was the god of silence and meditation. He is usually represented as a young man, holding a finger of one hand to his lips, while in the other hand he holds a cornucopia.Harvest, see Segesta.Hawk, see Nysus.Ha′zis.The Syrian war-god.Health, see Hygeia and Salus.Hea′ven, Queen of, see Belisama. God of, see Cœlus.He′bewas the goddess of youth. She was cup-bearer to Jupiter and the gods, until she had an awkward fall at a festival, and so displeased Jupiter thatshe 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 youngThe whirling wheels are to the chariot hung.”Pope.Hec′ate.There were two goddesses known by this name, but the one generally referred to in modern literature is Hecate, or Prosperine, the name by which Diana was known in the infernal regions. In heaven her name was Luna, and her terrestrial name was Diana.Hec′uba.The mother of Paris, was allotted to 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.Hel′enawhen 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 strangled by order of Polyxo, king of Rhodes.He′liadeswere 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.Hel′icon.A mountain in Bœotia sacred to the Muses, from which place the fountain Hippocrene flowed.“Yet still the doating rhymer dreams,And sings of Helicon’s bright streams;But Helicon for all his clatterYields only uninspiring water.”Broom, 1720.Helico′nides.A name of the Muses, from Mount Helicon.Heliop′olis, in Elysium, was the city of the sun.He′lios.The Grecian sun-god, who went home every evening in a golden boat which had wings.Hel′iotrope.Clytie was turned into this flower by Apollo. See Clytie.Hel′lewas 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.Hellespontia′cus.A title of Priapus.Hemph′ta.The Egyptian god Jupiter.Hephæs′tos.The Greek Vulcan.He′ra.The Greek name of Juno.Her′acles, is the same as Hercules.Her′culeswas 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 the snakes. As hegot older he was set by his master Eurystheus what were thought to be twelve impossible tasks, which have long been known as the “Twelve Labours 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 3000 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 Hippolyta, 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 Antæus, Cacus, etc. His death was brought about through his endeavours to preserve Deianira from the attacks of Nessus, the centaur, whom he killed. Thecentaur, 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 Æta; but Jupiter had 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.Her′mæwere statues of Hermes (Mercury), which were set up in Athens for boundaries, and as direction marks for travellers.Her′manu′bis, see Anubis.Hermathe′naewere statues of Mercury and Minerva placed together.Her′mes.A Greek name of the god Mercury.“Hermes obeys. With golden pinions bindsHis flying feet, and mounts the western winds.”Virgil.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; she was betrothed to Orestes, but was carried away by Pyrrhus, the son of Achilles.He′ro.A priestess of Venus, with whom Leander was so enamoured that he swam across the Hellespont every night to visit her, but at last was drowned; when Hero threw herself into the sea and was drowned also.Heroes, see Valhalla.Hesper′ides.Three daughters of Hesperus, King of Italy. They kept in their garden the golden apples which Juno gave Jupiter on their wedding day. See Hercules.Hes′perus, brother of Atlas, was changed into the evening star.“To the ocean now I fly,And those happy climes that lieWhere day never shuts his eye,Upon the broad fields of the sky;There I suck the liquid air,All amidst the gardens fairOf Hesperus and his daughters three,That sing about the golden tree.”Milton.Hes′tia.The Greek name of Vesta.Hierogly′phics, see Mercury.Highways, see Janus.Hil′dur.The Scandinavian Mars.Hip′pia.A name of Minerva.Hip′pius.A name of Neptune.Hippocam′pus.The name of Neptune’s favourite horse.Hippocre′nides, a name of the Muses, from the fountain of Hippocrene (the horse fountain), which was formed by a kick of the winged horse Pegasus.Hippoly′te, queen of the Amazons, daughter of Mars. Her father gave her a famous girdle, which Hercules was required to procure (see Hercules). She was conquered by Hercules, and given by him in marriage to Theseus.Hippoly′tuswas son of Theseus and Hippolyte; he was killed by a fall from a chariot, but was raised to life again by Diana, or, as some say, by Æsculapius.Hippo′nawas a rural divinity, the goddess of horses.History, see Clio and Saga.Honey, see Aristæus and Dryads.Hope, see Pandora.Ho′ræwere the daughters of Sol and Chronis.Horse, see Cyllaros.Horse Races, see Neptune.Horses, see Hippona.Horten′sis, a name of Venus, because she looked after plants and flowers in gardens.Ho′rus.A name of Sol, the Egyptian day god.Hostil′ina.A rural divinity; goddess of growing corn.Hunger, see Erisichthon.Hunting, see Diana.Huntsmen, see Pan.Hyacin′thuswas a boy greatly loved by Apollo; but he was accidentally slain by him with a quoit. Apollo caused to spring from his blood the flower Hyacinth.Hy′adeswere seven daughters of Atlas and Æthra, and they form a constellation which, when it rises with the sun, threatens rain.Hy′dra.A famous monster serpent, which had many heads. It was slain by Hercules. See Hercules.Hyge′ia, the goddess of health, was a daughter of Æsculapius and Epione. She was represented as a young woman feeding a serpent, which is twined round her arm.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.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 mouldWho 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 Pæan.Hype′rion.Son of Cœlus and Terra. The model of manly beauty, synonymous with Apollo. The personification of the sun.“So excellent a king; that was to thisHyperion to a satyr.”Shakespeare.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.Iac′chus.A name of Bacchus.Iap′etos.The father of Atlas. See Japetus.Ib′lees.The Arabian Satan.Ic′arus, son of Dædalus, who with his father made themselves wings with which to fly from Crete. They were fixed to the shoulders by wax. Icarus flew too near the sun, and the heat melting the wax, caused the wings to drop off, and he fell into the sea and was drowned.Ichnoba′te.One of Actæon’s hounds; it means tracker.Idæ′a.A name of Cybele, from Mount Ida, where she was worshipped.Idæ′an Mother.Cybele was sometimes so called.Ida′lia.A name of Venus, from Mount Idalus.Impera′torwas a name of Jupiter, given to him at Præneste.I′nachuswas one of the earliest of the demigods or heroes.Incendiary, see Erostratus.Incense, see Venus.In′cubus.A Roman name of Pan, meaning The Nightmare. See Innus.Indig′eteswere deified mortals, gods of the fourth order. They were peculiar to some district.In′dra.The Hindoo Jupiter; his wife was Indrant, who presides over the winds and thunder.Infants, see Natio.In′nus.A name of Pan, the same as Incubus.I′no, second wife of Athamas, King of Thebes, father of Phryxus and Helle. Ino had two children, who could not ascend the throne while Phryxus andHelle were alive. Ino therefore persecuted them to such a degree that they determined to escape. They did so on a ram, whose hide became the Golden Fleece (see Phryxus and Helle). Ino destroyed herself, and was changed by Neptune into a sea-goddess.Ino′awere festivals in memory of Ino.Instrumental Music, see Euterpe.I′owas a daughter of Inachus, and a priestess of Juno at Argus. Jupiter courted her, and was detected by Juno, when the god turned Io into a beautiful heifer. Juno demanded the beast of Jupiter, and set the hundred-eyed Argus to watch her. Jupiter persuaded Mercury to destroy Argus, and Io was set at liberty, and restored to human 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 worshipped as the goddess Isis.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 Phosis and ratify their vows of fidelity.Io′thun.Celtic mythological monsters, or giants.Iph′icluswas twin brother of Hercules, and father of Iolaus.Iphigeni′awas a daughter of Agamemnon. He 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.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.I′sis, wife of Osiris, see Io.I′tyswas killed by his mother Progne when six years old, and given to his father Tereus as food. The gods were so enraged at this that they turned Itys into a pheasant, Progne into a swallow, and Tereus into an owl.Ixi′onwas son of Phlegyas, King of the Lapithæ. For attempting to produce thunder, Jupiter cast him into hell, and had him bound to a wheel, surrounded with serpents, which is for ever 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 feelThe giddy motion of the whirling wheel.”Pope.J′aniwas a place in Rome where there were three statues of Janus, and it was a meeting-place for usurers and creditors.Ja′nitor.A title of Janus, from the gates before the doors of private houses being called Januæ.Ja′nus.A king of Italy, said to have been the son of Cœlus, 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. 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.Jap′etus, son of Cœlus and Terra, husband of Clymene. He was looked upon by the Greeks as the father of mankind. See Iapetos.Ja′sonwas son of Æson, king of Iolcos; he was brought up by the centaur Chiron. His uncle Æta 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 Ætes 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 plough 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 ploughed 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 theking 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.Jocas′ta(otherwise Epicasta), wife of Laius, King of Thebes, who in after life married her own son, Œdipus, not knowing who he was, and, on discovering the fatal mistake, hanged herself.Jove.A very general name of Jupiter.“From the great father of the gods aboveMy muse begins, for all is full of Jove.”Virgil.Judges in Hell, The, were Rhadamanthus for Asiatics; Æacus for Europeans; Minos was the presiding judge. See Triptolemus.Jugatin′uswas one of the nuptial deities.Ju′nowas the daughter of Saturn and Ops,aliasCybele. She was married to Jupiter, and became queen of all the gods and goddesses, and mistress of heaven and earth. Juno was the mother of Mars, Vulcan, Hebe, and Lucina. She prompted the gods to conspire against Jupiter, but the attempt was frustrated, and Apollo and Neptune were banished from heaven by Jupiter. Juno is the goddess of marriage, and the protectress of married women; and she had special regard for virtuous women. In the competition for the celebrated GoldenApple, which Juno, Venus, and Minerva each claimed as the fairest amongst the goddesses, Juno was much displeased when Paris gave the apple to Venus. The goddess is generally represented riding in a chariot drawn by peacocks, with a diadem on her head, and a sceptre in her hand.Ju′piter, son of Saturn and Cybele (or Ops), was born on Mount Ida, in Crete, and nourished by the goat Amalthæa. When quite young Jupiter rescued his father from the Titans; and afterwards, with the help of Hercules, defeated the giants, the sons of earth, when they made war against heaven. Jupiter was worshipped with great solemnity under various names by most of the heathen nations. The Africans called him Ammon; the Babylonians, Belus; and the Egyptians, Osiris (see Jove). He was represented as a majestic personage seated on a throne, holding in his hands a sceptre and a thunderbolt; at his feet stood a spread eagle.“By Jupiter, this shall not be revoked.”Shakespeare.Justice, see Astrea, Nemesis.Kali.A Hindoo goddess, after whom Calcutta is named.Ka′loc.One of the chief of the Mexican gods.Kam′a.The Hindoo god of love.Keb′la.The point of the compass which worshippers look to during their invocations. Thus the Sol or Sun worshippers turn to the east, where the sun rises, and the Mohammedans turn towards Mecca.Ke′derli, in Mohammedan mythology, is a god corresponding to the English St. George, and is still invoked by the Turks when they go to war.Ki′un.The Egyptian Venus.Kneph.An Egyptian god, having a ram’s head and a man’s body.Krish′na.An Indian god, the revenger of wrongs; also called the Indian Apollo.Kro′do.The Saxon Saturn.Ku′ma′ra.The war-god of the Hindoos.Ku′vera.The Hindoo god of riches.La′be.The Arabian Circe, who had unlimited power of metamorphosis.La′bour, see Atlas, Hercules.Labyrinth, see Theseus.Lach′esis.One of the three Fates or Parcæ. She spun the thread of life.Lacin′ia.A name of Juno.Lactura.One of the goddesses of growing corn.La′don.The dragon which guarded the apples in the garden of the Hesperides. Also the name of one of Actæon’s hounds. Also the river to which Syrinx fled when pursued by Pan, where she was changed into a reed, and where Pan made his first pipe.Læ′laps.One of Diana’s hunting dogs, which, while pursuing a wild boar, was petrified. Also the name of one of Actæon’s hounds.Laks′mi.Hindoo goddess of wealth and pleasure. One of the husbands of Vishnu.Lamentation, see Cocytus.Lam′ia.An evil deity amongst 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.Lam′pos.One of Aurora’s chariot horses, the other being Phæton.Laoc′oon.One of the priests of Apollo, who was, with his two sons, crushed to death by serpents, because he opposed the admission of the wooden horse to Troy.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.Lap′is.The oath stone. The Romans used to swear by Jupiter Lapis.Lap′ithus, son of Apollo. His numerous children were called Lapithæ, and they are notorious for their fight with the centaurs at the nuptial feast of Perithous and Hippodamia.La′resandPen′ateswere 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.Lato′na, daughter of Cœus and Phœbus, mother of Apollo and Diana. Being admired so much by Jupiter, Juno was jealous, and Latona was the object of the goddess’s constant persecution.Laughter, see Momus and Venus.Lau′rel, see Daphne.Laver′na.The goddess of thieves.Law, see Menu.Lawgiver, see Nomius.Laws, see Themis.Lean′der, see Hero.Leather Bottle, see Ascolia.Le′dawas 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.Lem′nius.One of the names of Vulcan.Lem′ures.The spectres 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.Lenæ′us.One of the names of Bacchus.Ler′na.The lake near Argos where Hercules conquered the Hydra.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 ofeverything they did or knew while alive on the earth.“A slow and silent stream,Lethe, the river of oblivion, rollsHer watery labyrinth, whereof who drinksForthwith his former state and being forgets,Forgets both joy and grief, pleasure and pain.”Milton.Leucoth′ea.The name of Ino after she was transformed into a sea-nymph.Leva′na.The deity who presided over new-born infants.Level, The, see Dædalus.Liak′ura.Mount Parnassus.Liberal Arts, see Minerva.Lib′er Pat′er.A name of Bacchus.Liberty, see Bacchus.Lib′issa.Queen of fays and fairies.Libiti′na.The chief of the funeral deities.Licentiousness, see Belphegor.Lige′a.A Greek syren or sea-nymph.Lightning, see Agni.Li′lith.A Jewish myth who is a great enemy to new-born children. She was said to have been Adam’s first wife, but, refusing to submit to him, was turned from Paradise and made a spectre.Li′na.The goddess of the art of weaving.Lin′dor.A lover in the shape of a shepherd, like Corydon; a love-sick swain.Lion, see Atalanta, Chimæra.Liver, see Tityus and Prometheus.Locks, see Janus.Lo′fen.The Scandinavian god who guards friendship.Lof′ua.The Scandinavian goddess who reconciles lovers.Loke.The Scandinavian Satan, the god of strife, the spirit of evil.Lo′tis.A daughter of Neptune, who fled from Priapus, and only escaped from him by being transformed into a lotus-plant.Lo′tus-Plant, see Lotis.Love, see Cupid, Eros, Venus.Lu′cian.The impersonation of folly, changed into an ass.Lu′cifer.The morning star.Luci′na.The goddess who presides at the birth of children. She was a daughter of Jupiter and Juno.“Lucina, hail! So named from thine own grove,Or from the light thou giv’st us from above.”Ovid.Lud.In ancient British mythology the king of the Britons.Lu′na.The name of Diana as a celestial divinity. See Diana and Hecate.Lu′percus, or Pan. The Roman god of fertility; his festival day was 15th February, and the festivals were called Lupercalia.Lycaon′ian Food.Execrable viands, such as were supplied to Jupiter by Lycaon. To test the divine knowledge of the god he served up human flesh, which Jove discovered, and punished Lycaon by turning him into a wolf.Lycian Clownswere turned into frogs by Latona or Ceres.Lymni′ades.Nymphs who resided in marshes.Lyn′ceus.One of the Argonauts. The personification of sharpsightedness.Lyre.This musical instrument is constantly associated with the doings of the ancient deities. Amphion built the walls of Thebes by the music of his lyre. Arion charmed the dolphins in a similar way. Hercules broke the head of Linus, his music master, with the lyre he was learning to use; and Orpheus charmed the most savage beasts, and even the Harpies and gods of the infernal regions, with the enchanting music of the lyre. See Mercury.Mæn′ades.Priestesses of Bacchus.Magicians, see Telchines.Mag′na De’a, a name of Ceres.Magpies, see Pierides.Ma′ha′soor.The Hindoo god of evil.Ma′ia.The mother of the Grecian Mercury.Mam′mon.The money-god.Ma′nes.The souls of the departed. The god of funerals and tombs.“All have their Manes, and their Manes bear.The few who’re cleansed to those abodes repair,And breathe in ample fields the soft Elysian air.”Manuring Land, see Picumnus.March 24, Bellona’s Day. See Bellona.Mari′na.A name of Venus, meaning sea-foam, from her having been formed from the froth of the sea. See Aphrodite.Marriage, see Cama, Hymen, Juno, Jugatinus.Mars, the god of war, was the son of Jupiter and Juno. Venus was his favourite goddess, and amongst their children were Cupid, Anteros, and Harmonia. In the Trojan War Mars took the part of the Trojans, but was defeated by Diomedes.Marshes, see Lymniades.Mar′syas.The name of the piper who challenged Apollo to a musical contest, and, being defeated, was flayed to death by the god. He was the supposed inventor of the flute.Ma′rut.The Hindoo god of tempestuous winds.Matu′ra.One of the rural deities who protected the growing corn at time of ripening.Max′imus.One of the appellations of Jupiter, being the greatest of the gods.MeasuresandWeights, see Mercury.Mede′a.Wife of Jason, chief of the Argonauts. See Jason.“Now to Medæa’s dragons fix my reins.”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.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, says he wished to see more of the inhabitants of Hades, but was afraid, as he says—“Lest Gorgon, rising from the infernal lakesWith horrors armed, and curls of hissing snakes,Should fix me, stiffened at the monstrous sight,A stony image in eternal night.”Pope.

“Such fiends to scourge mankind, so fierce, so fell,

Heaven never summoned from the depth of hell.

A virgin face, with wings and hookëd claws,

Death in their eyes, and famine in their jaws,

While proof to steel their hides and plumes remain

We strike the impenetrable fiends in vain.”

Harpi′kruti.The Egyptian name of the god Harpocrates.

Harpoc′rates, son of Isis, was the god of silence and meditation. He is usually represented as a young man, holding a finger of one hand to his lips, while in the other hand he holds a cornucopia.

Harvest, see Segesta.

Hawk, see Nysus.

Ha′zis.The Syrian war-god.

Health, see Hygeia and Salus.

Hea′ven, Queen of, see Belisama. God of, see Cœlus.

He′bewas the goddess of youth. She was cup-bearer to Jupiter and the gods, until she had an awkward fall at a festival, and so displeased Jupiter thatshe 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.

“Wreathed smiles,

Such as hung on Hebe’s cheek,

And love to live in dimples sleek.”

Milton.

“Bright Hebe waits; by Hebe ever youngThe whirling wheels are to the chariot hung.”Pope.

“Bright Hebe waits; by Hebe ever young

The whirling wheels are to the chariot hung.”

Pope.

Hec′ate.There were two goddesses known by this name, but the one generally referred to in modern literature is Hecate, or Prosperine, the name by which Diana was known in the infernal regions. In heaven her name was Luna, and her terrestrial name was Diana.

Hec′uba.The mother of Paris, was allotted to Ulysses after the destruction of Troy, and was afterwards changed into a hound.

“What’s Hecuba to him, or he to Hecuba?”Shakespeare.

“What’s Hecuba to him, or he to Hecuba?”

Shakespeare.

Heifer, see Ino.

Hel′enawhen 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 strangled by order of Polyxo, king of Rhodes.

He′liadeswere 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.

Hel′icon.A mountain in Bœotia sacred to the Muses, from which place the fountain Hippocrene flowed.

“Yet still the doating rhymer dreams,And sings of Helicon’s bright streams;But Helicon for all his clatterYields only uninspiring water.”Broom, 1720.

“Yet still the doating rhymer dreams,

And sings of Helicon’s bright streams;

But Helicon for all his clatter

Yields only uninspiring water.”

Broom, 1720.

Helico′nides.A name of the Muses, from Mount Helicon.

Heliop′olis, in Elysium, was the city of the sun.

He′lios.The Grecian sun-god, who went home every evening in a golden boat which had wings.

Hel′iotrope.Clytie was turned into this flower by Apollo. See Clytie.

Hel′lewas 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.

Hellespontia′cus.A title of Priapus.

Hemph′ta.The Egyptian god Jupiter.

Hephæs′tos.The Greek Vulcan.

He′ra.The Greek name of Juno.

Her′acles, is the same as Hercules.

Her′culeswas 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 the snakes. As hegot older he was set by his master Eurystheus what were thought to be twelve impossible tasks, which have long been known as the “Twelve Labours 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 3000 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 Hippolyta, 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.

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 3000 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 Hippolyta, 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 Antæus, Cacus, etc. His death was brought about through his endeavours to preserve Deianira from the attacks of Nessus, the centaur, whom he killed. Thecentaur, 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 Æta; but Jupiter had 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.

“Let Hercules himself do what he may,

The cat will mew, and dog will have his day.”

Shakespeare.

Herdsmen, see Bubona.

Her′mæwere statues of Hermes (Mercury), which were set up in Athens for boundaries, and as direction marks for travellers.

Her′manu′bis, see Anubis.

Hermathe′naewere statues of Mercury and Minerva placed together.

Her′mes.A Greek name of the god Mercury.

“Hermes obeys. With golden pinions bindsHis flying feet, and mounts the western winds.”Virgil.

“Hermes obeys. With golden pinions binds

His flying feet, and mounts the western winds.”

Virgil.

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; she was betrothed to Orestes, but was carried away by Pyrrhus, the son of Achilles.

He′ro.A priestess of Venus, with whom Leander was so enamoured that he swam across the Hellespont every night to visit her, but at last was drowned; when Hero threw herself into the sea and was drowned also.

Heroes, see Valhalla.

Hesper′ides.Three daughters of Hesperus, King of Italy. They kept in their garden the golden apples which Juno gave Jupiter on their wedding day. See Hercules.

Hes′perus, brother of Atlas, was changed into the evening star.

“To the ocean now I fly,And those happy climes that lieWhere day never shuts his eye,Upon the broad fields of the sky;There I suck the liquid air,All amidst the gardens fairOf Hesperus and his daughters three,That sing about the golden tree.”Milton.

“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.

Hes′tia.The Greek name of Vesta.

Hierogly′phics, see Mercury.

Highways, see Janus.

Hil′dur.The Scandinavian Mars.

Hip′pia.A name of Minerva.

Hip′pius.A name of Neptune.

Hippocam′pus.The name of Neptune’s favourite horse.

Hippocre′nides, a name of the Muses, from the fountain of Hippocrene (the horse fountain), which was formed by a kick of the winged horse Pegasus.

Hippoly′te, queen of the Amazons, daughter of Mars. Her father gave her a famous girdle, which Hercules was required to procure (see Hercules). She was conquered by Hercules, and given by him in marriage to Theseus.

Hippoly′tuswas son of Theseus and Hippolyte; he was killed by a fall from a chariot, but was raised to life again by Diana, or, as some say, by Æsculapius.

Hippo′nawas a rural divinity, the goddess of horses.

History, see Clio and Saga.

Honey, see Aristæus and Dryads.

Hope, see Pandora.

Ho′ræwere the daughters of Sol and Chronis.

Horse, see Cyllaros.

Horse Races, see Neptune.

Horses, see Hippona.

Horten′sis, a name of Venus, because she looked after plants and flowers in gardens.

Ho′rus.A name of Sol, the Egyptian day god.

Hostil′ina.A rural divinity; goddess of growing corn.

Hunger, see Erisichthon.

Hunting, see Diana.

Huntsmen, see Pan.

Hyacin′thuswas a boy greatly loved by Apollo; but he was accidentally slain by him with a quoit. Apollo caused to spring from his blood the flower Hyacinth.

Hy′adeswere seven daughters of Atlas and Æthra, and they form a constellation which, when it rises with the sun, threatens rain.

Hy′dra.A famous monster serpent, which had many heads. It was slain by Hercules. See Hercules.

Hyge′ia, the goddess of health, was a daughter of Æsculapius and Epione. She was represented as a young woman feeding a serpent, which is twined round her arm.

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.

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 mouldWho 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.

“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 Pæan.

Hype′rion.Son of Cœlus and Terra. The model of manly beauty, synonymous with Apollo. The personification of the sun.

“So excellent a king; that was to thisHyperion to a satyr.”Shakespeare.

“So excellent a king; that was to this

Hyperion to a satyr.”Shakespeare.

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.

Iac′chus.A name of Bacchus.

Iap′etos.The father of Atlas. See Japetus.

Ib′lees.The Arabian Satan.

Ic′arus, son of Dædalus, who with his father made themselves wings with which to fly from Crete. They were fixed to the shoulders by wax. Icarus flew too near the sun, and the heat melting the wax, caused the wings to drop off, and he fell into the sea and was drowned.

Ichnoba′te.One of Actæon’s hounds; it means tracker.

Idæ′a.A name of Cybele, from Mount Ida, where she was worshipped.

Idæ′an Mother.Cybele was sometimes so called.

Ida′lia.A name of Venus, from Mount Idalus.

Impera′torwas a name of Jupiter, given to him at Præneste.

I′nachuswas one of the earliest of the demigods or heroes.

Incendiary, see Erostratus.

Incense, see Venus.

In′cubus.A Roman name of Pan, meaning The Nightmare. See Innus.

Indig′eteswere deified mortals, gods of the fourth order. They were peculiar to some district.

In′dra.The Hindoo Jupiter; his wife was Indrant, who presides over the winds and thunder.

Infants, see Natio.

In′nus.A name of Pan, the same as Incubus.

I′no, second wife of Athamas, King of Thebes, father of Phryxus and Helle. Ino had two children, who could not ascend the throne while Phryxus andHelle were alive. Ino therefore persecuted them to such a degree that they determined to escape. They did so on a ram, whose hide became the Golden Fleece (see Phryxus and Helle). Ino destroyed herself, and was changed by Neptune into a sea-goddess.

Ino′awere festivals in memory of Ino.

Instrumental Music, see Euterpe.

I′owas a daughter of Inachus, and a priestess of Juno at Argus. Jupiter courted her, and was detected by Juno, when the god turned Io into a beautiful heifer. Juno demanded the beast of Jupiter, and set the hundred-eyed Argus to watch her. Jupiter persuaded Mercury to destroy Argus, and Io was set at liberty, and restored to human 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 worshipped as the goddess Isis.

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 Phosis and ratify their vows of fidelity.

Io′thun.Celtic mythological monsters, or giants.

Iph′icluswas twin brother of Hercules, and father of Iolaus.

Iphigeni′awas a daughter of Agamemnon. He 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.

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.

I′sis, wife of Osiris, see Io.

I′tyswas killed by his mother Progne when six years old, and given to his father Tereus as food. The gods were so enraged at this that they turned Itys into a pheasant, Progne into a swallow, and Tereus into an owl.

Ixi′onwas son of Phlegyas, King of the Lapithæ. For attempting to produce thunder, Jupiter cast him into hell, and had him bound to a wheel, surrounded with serpents, which is for ever 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.

“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 feelThe giddy motion of the whirling wheel.”Pope.

“Or, as Ixion fix’d, the wretch shall feel

The giddy motion of the whirling wheel.”

Pope.

J′aniwas a place in Rome where there were three statues of Janus, and it was a meeting-place for usurers and creditors.

Ja′nitor.A title of Janus, from the gates before the doors of private houses being called Januæ.

Ja′nus.A king of Italy, said to have been the son of Cœlus, 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. 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.”

“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.

“In two-faced Janus we this moral find,—

While we look forward, we should glance behind.”

Colman.

Jap′etus, son of Cœlus and Terra, husband of Clymene. He was looked upon by the Greeks as the father of mankind. See Iapetos.

Ja′sonwas son of Æson, king of Iolcos; he was brought up by the centaur Chiron. His uncle Æta 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 Ætes 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 plough 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 ploughed 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 theking 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.

Jocas′ta(otherwise Epicasta), wife of Laius, King of Thebes, who in after life married her own son, Œdipus, not knowing who he was, and, on discovering the fatal mistake, hanged herself.

Jove.A very general name of Jupiter.

“From the great father of the gods aboveMy muse begins, for all is full of Jove.”Virgil.

“From the great father of the gods above

My muse begins, for all is full of Jove.”

Virgil.

Judges in Hell, The, were Rhadamanthus for Asiatics; Æacus for Europeans; Minos was the presiding judge. See Triptolemus.

Jugatin′uswas one of the nuptial deities.

Ju′nowas the daughter of Saturn and Ops,aliasCybele. She was married to Jupiter, and became queen of all the gods and goddesses, and mistress of heaven and earth. Juno was the mother of Mars, Vulcan, Hebe, and Lucina. She prompted the gods to conspire against Jupiter, but the attempt was frustrated, and Apollo and Neptune were banished from heaven by Jupiter. Juno is the goddess of marriage, and the protectress of married women; and she had special regard for virtuous women. In the competition for the celebrated GoldenApple, which Juno, Venus, and Minerva each claimed as the fairest amongst the goddesses, Juno was much displeased when Paris gave the apple to Venus. The goddess is generally represented riding in a chariot drawn by peacocks, with a diadem on her head, and a sceptre in her hand.

Ju′piter, son of Saturn and Cybele (or Ops), was born on Mount Ida, in Crete, and nourished by the goat Amalthæa. When quite young Jupiter rescued his father from the Titans; and afterwards, with the help of Hercules, defeated the giants, the sons of earth, when they made war against heaven. Jupiter was worshipped with great solemnity under various names by most of the heathen nations. The Africans called him Ammon; the Babylonians, Belus; and the Egyptians, Osiris (see Jove). He was represented as a majestic personage seated on a throne, holding in his hands a sceptre and a thunderbolt; at his feet stood a spread eagle.

“By Jupiter, this shall not be revoked.”Shakespeare.

“By Jupiter, this shall not be revoked.”

Shakespeare.

Justice, see Astrea, Nemesis.

Kali.A Hindoo goddess, after whom Calcutta is named.

Ka′loc.One of the chief of the Mexican gods.

Kam′a.The Hindoo god of love.

Keb′la.The point of the compass which worshippers look to during their invocations. Thus the Sol or Sun worshippers turn to the east, where the sun rises, and the Mohammedans turn towards Mecca.

Ke′derli, in Mohammedan mythology, is a god corresponding to the English St. George, and is still invoked by the Turks when they go to war.

Ki′un.The Egyptian Venus.

Kneph.An Egyptian god, having a ram’s head and a man’s body.

Krish′na.An Indian god, the revenger of wrongs; also called the Indian Apollo.

Kro′do.The Saxon Saturn.

Ku′ma′ra.The war-god of the Hindoos.

Ku′vera.The Hindoo god of riches.

La′be.The Arabian Circe, who had unlimited power of metamorphosis.

La′bour, see Atlas, Hercules.

Labyrinth, see Theseus.

Lach′esis.One of the three Fates or Parcæ. She spun the thread of life.

Lacin′ia.A name of Juno.

Lactura.One of the goddesses of growing corn.

La′don.The dragon which guarded the apples in the garden of the Hesperides. Also the name of one of Actæon’s hounds. Also the river to which Syrinx fled when pursued by Pan, where she was changed into a reed, and where Pan made his first pipe.

Læ′laps.One of Diana’s hunting dogs, which, while pursuing a wild boar, was petrified. Also the name of one of Actæon’s hounds.

Laks′mi.Hindoo goddess of wealth and pleasure. One of the husbands of Vishnu.

Lamentation, see Cocytus.

Lam′ia.An evil deity amongst 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.

Lam′pos.One of Aurora’s chariot horses, the other being Phæton.

Laoc′oon.One of the priests of Apollo, who was, with his two sons, crushed to death by serpents, because he opposed the admission of the wooden horse to Troy.

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.

Lap′is.The oath stone. The Romans used to swear by Jupiter Lapis.

Lap′ithus, son of Apollo. His numerous children were called Lapithæ, and they are notorious for their fight with the centaurs at the nuptial feast of Perithous and Hippodamia.

La′resandPen′ateswere 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.

Lato′na, daughter of Cœus and Phœbus, mother of Apollo and Diana. Being admired so much by Jupiter, Juno was jealous, and Latona was the object of the goddess’s constant persecution.

Laughter, see Momus and Venus.

Lau′rel, see Daphne.

Laver′na.The goddess of thieves.

Law, see Menu.

Lawgiver, see Nomius.

Laws, see Themis.

Lean′der, see Hero.

Leather Bottle, see Ascolia.

Le′dawas 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.

Lem′nius.One of the names of Vulcan.

Lem′ures.The spectres 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.

Lenæ′us.One of the names of Bacchus.

Ler′na.The lake near Argos where Hercules conquered the Hydra.

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 ofeverything they did or knew while alive on the earth.

“A slow and silent stream,Lethe, the river of oblivion, rollsHer watery labyrinth, whereof who drinksForthwith his former state and being forgets,Forgets both joy and grief, pleasure and pain.”Milton.

“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.

Leucoth′ea.The name of Ino after she was transformed into a sea-nymph.

Leva′na.The deity who presided over new-born infants.

Level, The, see Dædalus.

Liak′ura.Mount Parnassus.

Liberal Arts, see Minerva.

Lib′er Pat′er.A name of Bacchus.

Liberty, see Bacchus.

Lib′issa.Queen of fays and fairies.

Libiti′na.The chief of the funeral deities.

Licentiousness, see Belphegor.

Lige′a.A Greek syren or sea-nymph.

Lightning, see Agni.

Li′lith.A Jewish myth who is a great enemy to new-born children. She was said to have been Adam’s first wife, but, refusing to submit to him, was turned from Paradise and made a spectre.

Li′na.The goddess of the art of weaving.

Lin′dor.A lover in the shape of a shepherd, like Corydon; a love-sick swain.

Lion, see Atalanta, Chimæra.

Liver, see Tityus and Prometheus.

Locks, see Janus.

Lo′fen.The Scandinavian god who guards friendship.

Lof′ua.The Scandinavian goddess who reconciles lovers.

Loke.The Scandinavian Satan, the god of strife, the spirit of evil.

Lo′tis.A daughter of Neptune, who fled from Priapus, and only escaped from him by being transformed into a lotus-plant.

Lo′tus-Plant, see Lotis.

Love, see Cupid, Eros, Venus.

Lu′cian.The impersonation of folly, changed into an ass.

Lu′cifer.The morning star.

Luci′na.The goddess who presides at the birth of children. She was a daughter of Jupiter and Juno.

“Lucina, hail! So named from thine own grove,Or from the light thou giv’st us from above.”Ovid.

“Lucina, hail! So named from thine own grove,

Or from the light thou giv’st us from above.”

Ovid.

Lud.In ancient British mythology the king of the Britons.

Lu′na.The name of Diana as a celestial divinity. See Diana and Hecate.

Lu′percus, or Pan. The Roman god of fertility; his festival day was 15th February, and the festivals were called Lupercalia.

Lycaon′ian Food.Execrable viands, such as were supplied to Jupiter by Lycaon. To test the divine knowledge of the god he served up human flesh, which Jove discovered, and punished Lycaon by turning him into a wolf.

Lycian Clownswere turned into frogs by Latona or Ceres.

Lymni′ades.Nymphs who resided in marshes.

Lyn′ceus.One of the Argonauts. The personification of sharpsightedness.

Lyre.This musical instrument is constantly associated with the doings of the ancient deities. Amphion built the walls of Thebes by the music of his lyre. Arion charmed the dolphins in a similar way. Hercules broke the head of Linus, his music master, with the lyre he was learning to use; and Orpheus charmed the most savage beasts, and even the Harpies and gods of the infernal regions, with the enchanting music of the lyre. See Mercury.

Mæn′ades.Priestesses of Bacchus.

Magicians, see Telchines.

Mag′na De’a, a name of Ceres.

Magpies, see Pierides.

Ma′ha′soor.The Hindoo god of evil.

Ma′ia.The mother of the Grecian Mercury.

Mam′mon.The money-god.

Ma′nes.The souls of the departed. The god of funerals and tombs.

“All have their Manes, and their Manes bear.The few who’re cleansed to those abodes repair,And breathe in ample fields the soft Elysian air.”

“All have their Manes, and their Manes bear.

The few who’re cleansed to those abodes repair,

And breathe in ample fields the soft Elysian air.”

Manuring Land, see Picumnus.

March 24, Bellona’s Day. See Bellona.

Mari′na.A name of Venus, meaning sea-foam, from her having been formed from the froth of the sea. See Aphrodite.

Marriage, see Cama, Hymen, Juno, Jugatinus.

Mars, the god of war, was the son of Jupiter and Juno. Venus was his favourite goddess, and amongst their children were Cupid, Anteros, and Harmonia. In the Trojan War Mars took the part of the Trojans, but was defeated by Diomedes.

Marshes, see Lymniades.

Mar′syas.The name of the piper who challenged Apollo to a musical contest, and, being defeated, was flayed to death by the god. He was the supposed inventor of the flute.

Ma′rut.The Hindoo god of tempestuous winds.

Matu′ra.One of the rural deities who protected the growing corn at time of ripening.

Max′imus.One of the appellations of Jupiter, being the greatest of the gods.

MeasuresandWeights, see Mercury.

Mede′a.Wife of Jason, chief of the Argonauts. See Jason.

“Now to Medæa’s dragons fix my reins.”F. Lewis.

“Now to Medæa’s dragons fix my reins.”

F. Lewis.

“Let not Medea draw her murdering knife,And spill her children’s blood upon the stage.”Lord Roscommon.

“Let not Medea draw her murdering knife,

And spill her children’s blood upon the stage.”

Lord Roscommon.

Medicine, see Apollo.

Meditation, see Harpocrates.

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, says he wished to see more of the inhabitants of Hades, but was afraid, as he says—

“Lest Gorgon, rising from the infernal lakesWith horrors armed, and curls of hissing snakes,Should fix me, stiffened at the monstrous sight,A stony image in eternal night.”Pope.

“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.

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