Idomeneus(ī-dom´en-ūs).—King of Crete, and leader of the Cretans against Troy. He rashly vowed to Neptune that, if the god granted him a safe return, he would sacrifice to him whatever he should first meet on landing. He was met by his son, whom he accordingly sacrificed. A plague came in consequence, and the Cretans expelled Idomeneus.
Iduna, orIdun.—Daughter of the dwarf Svald, and wife of Bragi. She kept in a box the golden apples which the gods tasted as often as they wished to renew their youth. Loki on one occasion stole the box, but the gods compelled him to restore it. Iduna seems to personify that part of the year when the sun is north of the equator. Her apples indicate fruits generally. Loki carries her off to Giant-land when the sun descends below the equator, and he steals her apples. In time, Iduna makes her escape, in the form of a sparrow, when the sun again rises above the equator; and both gods and men rejoice in her return.
Ifing.—In Scandinavian mythology the great stream between the earth and the sacred lands, whose waters never froze.
Ilioneus(ī´li-o-nūs).—The youngest son of Niobe.
Ilium(ī´li-um).—A poetical name for Troy, derived from Ilus, the son of Tros, its founder. See “Troja.”
Indra.—In Hindu mythology the ever-youthful god of the firmament, and the omnipotent ruler of the elements. He is a most important personage in Indian fable. In the Vedic period of the Hindu religion, he occupied a foremost rank, and, though degraded to an inferior position in the Epic, he long enjoyed a great legendary popularity. In works of art he is represented as riding on an elephant.
Ino(ī´nō).—Daughter of Cadmus and Hermione, wife of Athamas, king of Thebes.
Io(ī´ō).—Daughter of a king of Argos; beloved by Jupiter, and through fear of Juno changed into a cow (see “Argus”). Juno now tormented her with a gadfly, and drove her from land to land, swimming the Bosphorus (i. e.ox-ford), until she found rest at length in Egypt, where she regained her original form. She was afterwards worshiped as an Egyptian divinity under the name of Isis.
Iolaus(ī-o-lā´us).—The faithful companion and charioteer of Hercules.
Iphigenia(if-i-jen-ī´a).—Daughter of Agamemnon and Clytæmnestra, who was to have been offered up by way of expiation for an offense committed by her father against Diana in killing a hart in her sacred grove; but the goddess put a hart in her place and conveyed her to Tauris, when she became the priestess of the goddess. Here she afterwards saved her brotherOrestes(q.v.).
Iris(ī´ris).—The swift-footed messenger of the gods, the personification of the rainbow. She was the sister of the Harpies.
Isis(ī´sis).—One of the chief Egyptian goddesses. See “Io.”
Isocrates(ī-sok´ra-tēz).—A celebrated orator and teacher of rhetoric at Athens. He acquired a large fortune by his profession. He put an end to his life B. C. 338, aged ninety-eight.
Israfil.—Known among Arabians as the angel of music, who possessed the most melodious voice of all God’s creatures. This is the angel who is to sound the resurrection trump, and make music for the saints in paradise. Israfil, Gabriel and Michael were the three angels that warned Abraham of Sodom’s destruction.
Ithaca(ith´ak-a).—An island in the Ionian Sea, celebrated as the birthplace and the kingdom of Ulysses.
Iulus(i-ūl´us).—Son of Ascanius and grandson of Æneas.
Ixion(iks-ī´on).—King of the Lapithæ, in Thessaly, and father of Pirithous. Jupiter purified him of a treacherous murder, yet he was sufficiently ungrateful to attempt to win the love of Juno. Jupiter then hurled him into Tartarus, where he was bound fast to a perpetually revolving wheel.
J
Jamshid.—King of the genii, famous for a golden cup full of the elixir of life. This cup, hidden by the genii, was discovered while digging the foundations of Persepolis.
Janus(jā´nus).—An old Latin deity, the sun-god. He presided over the beginning of everything; he opened the year, and hence the first month of the year was called after him. He was the porter of heaven. His temple in the Forum had two doors opposite each other, which in time of war were open and in time of peace were shut. The latter happened only thrice in Roman history. He is represented with a face at the back, as well as one at the front, of his head.
Japetus.—See “Iapetus.”
Jason(jā´son).—The famous leader of the Argonauts; was the son of Æson, king of Thessaly, who reigned at Iolcus. The principal part of his history is given under “Argonautæ.” During his absence, while on the Argonautic expedition, his uncle Pelias had slain his father. In order to avenge this deed Medea, the wife of Jason, persuaded the daughters of Pelias to cut their father to pieces and boil him, in the belief that he would thus be restored to youth and vigor. Medea, who was well versed in magic arts, had previously changed a ram into a lamb by similar treatment. In this way, then, Pelias perished miserably, and his son Acastus expelled Jason and Medea from Iolcus. They then went to Corinth, where they lived happily for several years, until Jason deserted her in favor of Creusa, the daughter of Creon, king of Corinth. Medea took fearful vengeance. She sent Creusa a poisoned garment, which burned her to death when she put it on; the palace also took fire, and her father, Creon, perished in the flames. Medea then killed her children, and fled to Athens in a chariot drawn by winged dragons.
Jinn.—A sort of fairies in Arabian mythology, the offspring of fire. They are governed by a race of kings named Suleyman, one of whom “built the pyramids.” Their chief abode is the mountain Kâf, and they appear to men under the forms of serpents, dogs, cats, monsters, or even human beings, and become invisible at pleasure. The evil jinn are ugly, but the good are beautiful. According to fable, they were created from fire two thousand years before Adam was made of earth.
Jord.—Daughter of Night and mother of Thor. In Scandinavian mythology the name given to primitive earth.
Juggernaut, orJaggernaut.—A Hindu god. The temple of this god is in a town of the same name in Orissa.
Juno(jū´no); called Hera (hē´ra) by the Greeks.—The sister and wife of Jupiter, and queen of heaven; daughter of Saturn and Rhea. She was the guardian deity of women, and presided over marriage. She specially watched over the birth of children, and was then invoked under the name of Lucina (lū-sī´na). Homer described her as being of a jealous, obstinate and quarrelsome disposition. In consequence of the judgment ofParis(q.v.), she was hostile to the Trojans, and accordingly sided with the Greeks in the Trojan war. The peacock was sacred to Juno. Juno was also regarded as the guardian of the finances, and had a temple on the Capitoline hill, which contained the mint. Mars, Vulcan and Hebe were her children.
Jupiter(jū´pit-er); called Zeus (zūs) by the Greeks.—King of heaven, and greatest of the Olympian gods; was a son of Saturn and Rhea. He dwelt on Mount Olympus, in Thessaly. He was the father and supreme ruler of gods and men. His first wife wasMetis(q.v.). By Juno, his second wife, he had two sons, Mars and Vulcan, and one daughter, Hebe. The eagle, the oak, and doves were sacred to Jupiter. He was armed with thunderbolts, and surrounded with thick clouds, the former being provided for him by the Cyclops who worked under the direction of Vulcan. Jupiter was regarded as the special protector of Rome, and had a temple on the Capitol. He was looked upon as the guardian of law and the protector of justice and virtue. He was also the ruler of the lower air, hence rain and storms were supposed to come from him. In this connection the Romans applied the surnamePluvius(i. e.the rain-bringer) to him, and special sacrifices were offered to him during long-protracted droughts.
Juventas(jū-ven´tas).—The Roman name forHebe(q.v.), the goddess of youth.
K
Kama.—The Hindu god of love. His wife is Rati (voluptuousness), and he is represented as riding on a sparrow, holding in his hand a bow of flowers and five arrows, each tipped with the bloom of a flower supposed to conquer one of the senses. His power is so much exalted that even the god Brahma is said to succumb to it.
Kami.—The gods of ancient Japan. The name, in modern times, designates any spiritual saint, and may also be applied to a prince.
Kaswa.—The camel admitted into Moslem paradise, the favorite camel of Mohammed which fell on its knees in adoration when “the prophet” delivered the last clause of the Koran to the assembled multitude at Mecca.
Kederli.—In Mohammedan mythology is a god corresponding to the English St. George, and is still invoked by the Turks when they go to war.
Kelpie.—In mythology of Scotland a spirit of the water seen in the form of a horse. Each lake has its kelpie.
Kobold.—A house-spirit in German superstition. In northern lands the name is sometimes used in place of elf or dwarf, representing an underground spirit. Probably the same as the Scotch brownie.
Koppelberg.—The hill which miraculously opened to receive the children who followed the Pied Piper. This belongs to mythology, as people in the middle ages considered Odin as the leader of disembodied spirits, and from this came the Pied Piper. The rats were the restless souls of the dead, which the Pied Piper released by drowning.
Krishna.—In Hindu mythology the eighth incarnation of Vishnu. According to some authorities, he is considered distinct from all the Avatars, as these had only a portion of the divinity, and Krishna was Vishnu himself in the form of “the Black One.”
L
Ladon(lā´don).—The dragon that guarded the apples of the Hesperides. It was slain by Hercules.
Laertes(lā-er´tēz).—King of the island of Ithaca and father of Ulysses. He took part in the Calydonian boar hunt, and in the Argonautic expedition. He lived to see the return of his son to Ithaca, after the fall of Troy.
Laius(lā´i-us).—King of Thebes and father of Œdipus.
Laocoon(lā-ok´o-on).—A Trojan, priest of Apollo, who strenuously opposed the admission of the wooden horse intoTroy(q.v.). As he was preparing to sacrifice a bull to Neptune, two fearful serpents swam out of the sea and strangled both him and his two sons.
Laodamia(lā-od-a-mī´a).—Daughter of Acastus and wife of Protesilaus.
Laodice(la-od´i-sē).—(i) Daughter of Priam and Hecuba. (ii) The name given by Homer to Electra, daughter of Agamemnon and Clytæmnestra.
Laomedon(lā-om´e-don).—King of Troy, father of Priam.
Lapithæ(lap´i-thē).—A mythical people inhabiting the mountains of Thessaly. They were ruled by Pirithous, who, as Ixion’s son, was half-brother of the Centaurs. When Pirithous married Hippodamia, and invited the Centaurs to the marriage feast, the latter, fired by wine, attempted to carry off the bride and the other women. Hence arose the celebrated fight between the Centaurs and the Lapithæ, in which the former were defeated. The Lapithæ are said to have invented bits and bridles for horses.
Lares(lār´ēz).—Household divinities—the divinities presiding over the hearth, and the whole house. In great houses the images of the Lares were placed in a separate compartment. At meal times some portion was offered to the Lares, and on festive occasions they were adorned with wreaths.
Latinus(la-tī´nus).—King of Latium, who gave Æneas his daughter Lavinia in marriage.
Latmus(lat´mus).—A mountain in Caria, on whichEndymion(q.v.) lay in perpetual sleep.
Latona(la-tō´na); called Leto (lē´tō) by the Greeks. The mother of Apollo and Diana, by Jupiter. She was persecuted by Juno, and wandered from place to place till she came to Delos, which was then a floating island, but which Jupiter fastened by adamantine chains to the bottom of the sea. Here Apollo and Diana were born.
Lavinia(la-vin´i-a).—Daughter of Latinus and wife of Æneas.
Leander(lē-an´der).—A young man of Abydos (a-bī´dos), who swam across the Hellespont every night to visit Hero, the priestess of Venus, in Sestus. One night, however, during a storm, he perished; and when his corpse was washed on the coast, on the following morning, Hero threw herself into the sea.
Leda(lē´da).—Wife of Tyndarus, king of Sparta. Jupiter visited her in the form of a swan, and she became the mother of Castor and Pollux, the celebrated Helen of Troy, and Clyæmnestra.
Lemnos(lem´nos).—One of the largest islands in the Ægean Sea; the abode of Vulcan, who was said to have fallen here when he was hurled down from Olympus. It is now called Stalimene.
Lemures.—The specters or spirits of the dead. They were said to wander about at night, as specters, and to torment and frighten the living. In order to propitiate them the Romans celebrated the festival of theLemuraliaorLemuria.
Lerna(ler´na).—A forest and marsh near Argos, through which flowed a stream of the same name. Here Hercules killed the famous Lernean hydra. See “Hercules.”
Lesbos(les´bos).—A celebrated island in the Ægean Sea, off the coast of Mysia. Its principal city was Mytilene. It was the birthplace of Sappho, Arion, Alcæus and Theophrastus.
Lethe(lē´thē)—lit.“forgetfulness” (Gr.).—A river in the lower world, the water of which was drunk by the shades, who thus obtained forgetfulness of the past.
Leto.—See “Latona.”
Liber(lī´ber).—An old Italian deity who presided over planting and fructification. Subsequently the name was applied to Bacchus.
Libera(lī´ber-a).—Another name for Proserpine, daughter of Ceres, and sister of Liber.
Libitina(lib-i-tī´na).—The goddess of the dead, in whose temple at Rome everything pertaining to burials was sold or hired out.
Lidskialf.—The throne of Alfadir, whence he can view the whole universe.
Lif.—In Norse mythology the name given to a man who is to occupy the purified earth when goodness resumes its sway.
Lilinau.—In American Indian folk-lore Lilinau was wooed by a phantom. She followed his green waving plume through the forest, and was never seen again.
Lilith.—In Hebrew mythology a female specter who lies in wait for children in order to destroy them. The older traditions tell of Lilith as a former wife of Adam and the mother of demons. Amulets were worn as protection from her powers.
Lobaircin.—In Irish mythical tales a fairy shoemaker resembling an old man, who resorts to out-of-way places where he is discovered by the noise of his hammer. He is rich, and, while anyone keeps his eye fixed upon him, cannot escape, but the moment the eye is withdrawn he vanishes.
Lofu.—The Scandinavian god who guards friendship.
Lofua.—The Scandinavian goddess who reconciles lovers.
Loki.—The great god of fire in Norse mythology.
Lorelei.—In German legend a siren who haunted a rock of the same name on the right bank of the Rhine. She combed her hair with a golden comb, and sang a wild song which enticed fishermen and sailors to destruction on the rocks and rapids at the foot of the precipice. In northern mythology Lorelei is represented as immortal, a daughter of the Rhine, and dwelling in the river bed.
Lotis(lō´tis).—A nymph who, to escape from Priapus, son of Bacchus, was changed into the lotus tree.
Lotophagi(lō-tof´a-jī)—i. e.lotus-eaters.—A people visited by Ulysses during his voyage homewards from Troy. The lotus was a fruit the taste of which was so delicious that all who ate it lost all desire to return to their native land.
Lua(lu´a).—A goddess to whom were devoted the arms taken in battle.
Lucifer(Lat.), orPhosphorus(Gr.)—i. e.the light-bringer. The planet Venus when it appears as the morning-star.
Lucina(lū-sī´na).—The goddess that presides over the birth of children. It was used as a surname for Juno.
Lud.—In ancient British mythology the king of the Britons.
Luna(lū´na).—Goddess of the moon, called by the Greeks Selene (sel-ē´nē), and identified with Diana.
Lupercus(lu-per´kus).—A deity who protected the flocks from wolves.
Lycæus(li-sē´us).—A lofty mountain in Arcadia, where Jupiter and Pan were worshiped.
Lycaon(li-kā´ōn).—King of Arcadia, who impiously placed a dish of human flesh before Jupiter when the god visited him. He and all his sons were metamorphosed into wolves.
Lyceum(li-sē´um).—A gymnasium at Athens, outside of the city; celebrated as the place where Aristotle and the Peripatetics taught. It derived its name from the temple of Apollo Lyceus (li-sē´us) in the neighborhood.
Lycomedes(li-ko-mē´dēz).—King of Scyros, to whose court Achilles was sent, disguised as a maiden, by his mother Thetis, in order to prevent him going to the Trojan war.
Lycurgus(li-sur´gus).—Son of Dryas, and king of the Edones in Thrace. He prohibited the worship of Bacchus, and was hence driven mad by the gods, and subsequently killed.
Lynceus(lin´sūs).—One of the Argonauts, famous for the keenness of his sight.
Lyncus(lin´sus).—A Scythian king, who was changed by Ceres into a lynx.
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Machaon(ma-kā´on).—Son of Æsculapius, a famous surgeon of the Greeks before Troy.
Maia(mā´i-a)—Daughter of Atlas and Pleione, and the eldest and most beautiful of the several Pleiades. She became, by Jupiter, the mother of Mercury.
Manes(mā´nēz)—lit.“the good, benevolent.”—The name given by the Romans to the souls of the dead, who were worshiped as gods.
Mani.—Name given in ancient Norse mythology to the moon. Later known as the son of Mundilfori; taken to heaven by the gods to drive the moon-car. He is followed by a wolf, which, when time shall be no more, will devour both Mani and his sister Sol.
Manitou.—The great spirit of American Indians.
Marica(ma-rī´ka).—A Latin nymph, the mother of Latinus.
Mars(märz); called by the Greeks Ares (ā´rē).—The god of war, of husbandry, of shepherds, and seers, who, as father of Romulus, was the progenitor of the Roman people. He was the son of Jupiter and Juno. He loved, and was beloved by Venus. The wolf and the woodpecker were sacred to Mars.
Marsyas(mar’si-as).—A satyr who, having found the flute which Minerva had thrown away because it distorted her features whilst playing it, rashly challenged Apollo to a musical contest. Apollo played upon the cithara and Marsyas upon the flute, and the Muses were the umpires. They decided in favor of Apollo, who then bound Marsyas to a tree and flayed him alive in accordance with the conditions of the contest—namely, that the victor should do what he pleased with the vanquished.
Medea(mē-dē´a).—Daughter of Æëtes, king of Colchis; celebrated for her skill in magic. She assisted Jason in obtaining the Golden Fleece (see “Argonautæ”), and accompanied him to Greece. She effectually stopped her father’s pursuit by killing her brotherAbsyrtus(q.v.), and strewing his body cut in pieces on the seashore. See “Jason.”
Medusa(me-dū´sa).—See “Gorgons.”
Megæra(me-gē´ra).—See “Furiæ.”
Megin-giord.—A magic belt worn by the god Thor. He once proposed to show his strength by lifting great weights, but when challenged to pick up the giant’s cat, he tugged and strained, only to succeed in raising one paw from the floor, although he had taken the precaution to enhance his strength as much as possible by tightening his belt Megin-giord.
Meleager(mel-e-ā´ger).—Son of Œneus, king of Calydon; was one of the Argonauts, and also the leader of the heroes who took part in the celebrated Calydonian boar hunt. See “Calydon.”
Melicerta(mel-i-ser’ta), orMelicertes.—Son of Ino and Athamas. When Athamas was seized with madness he pursued Ino and Melicertes, who in order to escape had to throw themselves into the sea, whereupon both were changed into marine deities. Ino becoming Leucothea, and Melicertes a sea-god, called by the Greeks Palaemon, and by the Romans Portunus.
Melos(mē´los).—An island in the Ægean Sea, and the most southwesterly of the Cyclades. It is now called Milo, and here was found the celebrated statue known as the “Venus of Milo.” See “Venus.”
Melpomene(mel-pom’en-ā).—The muse of tragedy. See “Musæ.”
Memnon(mem’nōn).—The handsome son of Tithonus and Aurora; was king of the Ethiopians. He went to the aid of Priam, king of Troy, towards the end of the Trojan war, but was slain by Achilles. His colossal marble statue at Thebes (which, however, in reality represented the Egyptian king Amenophis) when struck by the first rays of the rising sun was said to emit a sound resembling that of a plucked string.
Menelaus(men-e-lā´us).—Son of Atreus, the husband of the beautiful Helen and father of Hermione; king of Lacedæmon (or Sparta), younger brother of Agamemnon.Paris(q.v.), having been promised the most beautiful woman in the world for his wife, sailed to Greece under the protection of Venus, and was hospitably received in the palace of Menelaus at Sparta. Here he succeeded in carrying off Helen, and thus arose the Trojan war, the object of which was to recover Helen. In the Trojan war Menelaus met Paris in single combat, and would have killed him had he not been carried off in a cloud by Venus. After the death of Paris, Helen married his brother Deiphobus, who was barbarously put to death by Menelaus at the taking of Troy. Helen secretly introduced Menelaus into the chamber of Deiphobus, and thus became reconciled to him. Menelaus and Helen then sailed away from Troy, and after eight years’ wandering about the shores of the Mediterranean finally reached Sparta, where they passed the rest of their lives in peace and wealth.
Mentor(men’tor).—The faithful friend of Ulysses.
Mephistopheles.—One of the seven chief devils in the old demonology, the second of the fallen archangels, and the most powerful of the infernal legionaries after Satan. He figures in the old legend ofDr. Faustusas the familiar spirit of that magician. To modern readers he is chiefly known as the cold, scoffing, relentless fiend of Goethe’sFaust, and the attendant demon in Marlowe’sFaustus.
Mercurius(mer-kū´ri-us), orMercury(mer´kū-ri), called Hermes (her´mēz) by the Greeks.—Son of Jupiter and Maia; the messenger of the gods, and the god of commerce and gain. As the herald of the gods, he was the god of eloquence. He was the god of prudence and cunning, also of fraud and theft. Being the messenger of the gods, he was likewise looked upon as the god of roads who protected travelers; and was the god of music and of chemistry, hence the wordshermetic,hermetically(sealed). He was employed by the gods to conduct departed souls to the lower world. He invented the lyre, which he first made by stretching strings across the shell of a tortoise. The palm tree, the tortoise, the number 4, and several kinds of fish were sacred to him. He is generally represented with a hat having two wings; a pair of winged sandals, which carried him with the speed of wind across land and sea; and, as messenger of the gods, he carries in his hand a wand orcaduceus(ka-dū´se-us), having two serpents intertwined at one end of it.
Meriones(mē´ri-o-nēz).—The charioteer of Idomeneus, and one of the bravest heroes in the Trojan war.
Mermaids.—Wave maidens of northern mythology and classed with nymphs in Grecian and Roman. They were generally represented as young and beautiful virgins, partially covered with a veil or thin cloth, bearing in their hands vases of water, or shells, leaves, or grass, or having something as a symbol of their appropriate offices. They were attendants of the gods.
Meru.—In Hindu mythology a sacred mountain, eighty thousand leagues high, situated in the center of the world. It is the abode of Indra, and abounds with every charm that can be imagined. The Olympus of the Indians.
Merope(mer´o-pē).—Daughter of Atlas, one of the Pleiades.
Metis(mē´tis)—lit.wisdom, prudence (Gr.).—Daughter of Oceanus and Tethys, and the first wife of Jupiter. Fearing that she might give birth to a child who should become more powerful than himself, Jupiter swallowed her. Afterwards Minerva sprang from his head.
Midgard.—In Scandinavian mythology the name given to the earth. Out of the giant’s flesh they fashioned Midgard (middle garden), as the earth was called, which was placed in the exact center of the vast space, and hedged all around with Ymir’s eyebrows, which formed its bulwarks or ramparts. The solid portion of Midgard was surrounded by the giant’s blood or sweat, which now formed the ocean, while his bones made the hills, his flat teeth the cliffs, and his curly hair the trees and all vegetation.
Midgard Sormen(earth’s monster).—The great serpent that lay in the abyss at the root of the celestial ash. Child of Loki.
Milo.—The modern name for the island ofMelos(q.v.).
Mimir.—In Scandinavian mythology the god of wisdom. Also god of the ocean, which is called “Mimir’s well,” in which wit and wisdom lay hidden, and of which he drank every morning from the horn Gjallar.
Minerva(min-er´va); called Athena (a-thē´na), Pallas Athene (pal´las), or simply Pallas, by the Greeks.—The goddess of wisdom, of the arts and sciences, of poetry and of spinning and weaving, and the protectress of agriculture. She was also a goddess of war. She was the daughter of Jupiter andMetis(q.v.). She was the protective deity of Athens, which was so named in honor of her (Athena): see “Athenæ.” The owl, serpent, cock and olive tree were sacred to her.
Minos(mī´nos).—(i) Son of Jupiter and Europa, brother of Rhadamanthus, king and lawgiver in Crete, and after death one of the three judges of the shades in the infernal regions (the other two being Rhadamanthus and Æacus). (ii) Grandson of the former, likewise king of Crete, the husband of Pasiphaë and the father of Ariadne and other children. His sonAndrogeos(q.v.) having been shamefully treated by the Athenians, he made war against the latter and compelled them to send every year to Crete, as tribute, seven young men and seven maidens to be devoured by the Minotaur. This Minotaur was a terrible monster, with the head of a bull and the body of a man, the offspring of Pasiphaë and a bull. It was kept in a labyrinth constructed by Dædalus, but was slain byTheseus(q.v.), with the help of Ariadne, the daughter of Minos.
Minotaur(mī´no-tawr)—i.e.the bull of Minos (Lat.).—See “Minos.”
Minyæ(min´i-ē).—The Minyans, an ancient Greek race dwelling in Thessaly. The Argonauts, being mainly Minyans, are called Minyæ.
Mithras(mith´ras).—The sun-god of the Persians.
Mjolnir.—From mythology of northern lands. The name of Thor’s celebrated hammer—a type of the thunderbolt—which, however far it might be cast, was never lost, as it always returned to his hand; and which, whenever he wished, became so small that he could put it in his pocket.
Mnemosyne(nē-mos´i-nē)—i. e.memory (Gr.).—The mother of the Muses.
Moakkibat.—A class of angels, according to the Mohammedan mythology. Two angels of this class attend every child of Adam from the cradle to the grave. At sunset they fly up with the record of the deeds done since sunrise. Every good deed is entered ten times by the recording angel on the credit or right side of his ledger, but when an evil deed is reported the angel waits seven hours, “if happily in that time the evil-doer may repent.”
Moloch.—A god of the Phœnicians to whom human victims, principally children, were sacrificed. Moloch is figurative of the influence which impels us to sacrifice that which we ought to cherish most dearly.
Momus(mō´mus).—The god of mockery and censure.
Mona(mon´a).—The isle of Anglesey; sometimes supposed to be the isle of Man. It was one of the chief seats of the Druids.
Moneta(mon-ē´ta).—A Roman surname of Juno as the protectress of money.
Mopsus(mop´sus).—The name of two soothsayers, one being the prophet of the Argonauts, and the other the son of Apollo and Manto. He contended in prophecy withCalchas(q.v.), whose superior he proved himself to be.
Morpheus(mor´fe-us).—The son of sleep and the god of dreams. The name signifies (Gr.) the fashioner, moulder, so called from the shapes he calls up before the sleeper.
Mowis.—The bridegroom of Snow, who (according to American Indian tradition) wooed and won a beautiful bride; but when morning dawned, Mowis left the wigwam, and melted into the sunshine. The bride hunted for him night and day in the forests, but never saw him more.
Musæ(mū´zē).—The Muses, daughters of Jupiter and Mnemosyne, were nine in number, and presided over the different kinds of poetry, the arts and sciences. Their names and special attributes were as follows: (i) Calliope (kal-lī´o-pē), the muse of epic poetry; (ii) Clio (klī´ō), of history; (iii) Erato (er´a-tō), of erotic poetry and mimic imitation; (iv) Euterpe (ū-ter´pē), of lyric poetry; (v) Melpomene (mel-pom´en-ē), of tragedy; (vi) Polyhymnia (pol-i-him´ni-a), of the sublime hymn; (vii) Terpsichore (terp-sik´o-rē), of choral song and dancing; (viii) Thalia (tha-li´a), of comedy; and (ix) Urania (ū-rā´ni-a), of astronomy. The favorite haunt of the Muses was Mount Helicon in Bœotia, where were the sacred fountains of Aganippe and Hippocrene. Mount Parnassus was also sacred to them.
Myrmidones(mer-mid´on-ēz), orMyrmidons(mer´mid-ons).—A people of Thessaly, under the rule of Achilles, whom they accompanied to Troy.
Myrtilus(mer´til-us).—Son of Mercury, and charioteer of Œnomaus. See “Pelops.”
Mysterious Three, The.—In Scandinavian mythology were Har “the Mighty,” the “Like-Mighty,” and the “Third Person,” who sat on three thrones above the rainbow. Then came the Æsir, of which Odin was chief, who lived in Asgard (between the rainbow and earth); next came the Vanir, or gods of the ocean, air, and clouds, of which deities Niörd was chief.
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Naiades(nā´i-a-dēz), orNaiads(nā´yadz).—The nymphs of freshwater. See “Nymphæ.”
Naraka.—The hell of the Hindus. It has twenty-eight divisions, in some of which the victims are mangled by ravens and owls; in others they are doomed to swallow cakes boiling hot, or walk over burning sands.
Narcissus(nar-sis´us).—A beautiful youth, inaccessible to the feeling of love. The nymph Echo fell in love with him, but, her love not being returned, she pined away in grief (see “Echo”). In order to punish him, Nemesis made him see his own reflected image in a fountain, whereupon he became so enamored of it that he gradually pined away until changed into the flower that bears his name.
Nausicaa(naw-sik´a-a).—Daughter of Alcinous, who conducted Ulysses, when shipwrecked on the coast of Scheria (an island), to her father’s court.
Neleus(nē´lūs).—Son of Neptune and the nymph Tyro; king of Pylos, in Peloponnesus, and father ofNestor(q.v.).
Nemea(ne-mē´a).—A city in Argolis, near which Hercules slew the Nemean lion.
Nemesis(nem´e-sis)—i. e.vengeance (Gr.).—The goddess of retribution, who brings down all immoderate good fortune. She was also regarded as the goddess who punished crimes. She was the daughter of Night, and was represented as a crowned virgin, of great beauty and grace, with a whip in one hand and a pair of scales in the other.
Neoptolemus(ne-op-tol´em-us).—Son of Achilles and Deidamia. He was also called Pyrrhus (pir´us), on account of his reddish hair (Gr.); his other name, Neoptolemus, which signifiesNew-to-war(Gr.), having been given to him because hecame late to Troy. He displayed great valor at Troy, and was one of the heroes concealed in the wooden horse (see “Troy”). He slew Priam and his daughter Polyxena. At the distribution of captives Andromache, the widow of Hector, fell to his lot, and he took her to Epirus. He married Hermione, the beautiful daughter of Menelaus and Helen, but was slain by Orestes, to whom she had been previously promised.
Neptunus(nep-tū´nus), orNeptune; called Poseidon (po-sī´don) by the Greeks.—The god of the sea and other waters, the brother of Jupiter, and husband of Amphitrite. His palace was in the depth of the sea, near Ægæ, in Eubœa, where he kept his horses with brazen hoofs and golden manes, which drew his chariot over the waves of the sea. His celebrated contest with Minerva for the possession of Athens is narrated under “Athenæ.” In the Trojan war he sided with the Greeks. He not only created the horse, but also taught men the art of managing horses by the bit and bridle. The symbol of his power was a trident, or spear with three prongs, with which he called forth or hushed storms, shook the earth, etc. Besides the trident, his attributes are the dolphin and the horse.
Nereides(nē´re-i-dēzornē-rē´id-ēz); the Nereids (nē´-re-ids).—The fifty daughters of Nereus and Doris. They were the marine nymphs of the Mediterranean (see “Nymphæ”). Thetis, the mother of Achilles, was a Nereid.
Nereus(nē´rūs).—Son of Pontus and Gæa, and husband of Doris, father of the fifty Nereids. He dwelt at the bottom of the sea, and was regarded as the wise old man of the sea. Like other marine divinities, he was supposed to have the power of prophesying the future, and of appearing to mortals in various shapes. The Ægean Sea was his empire—possibly the whole of the Mediterranean.
Nessus(ness´us).—A Centaur who was slain with a poisoned arrow byHercules(q.v.).
Nestor(nes´tor).—Son of Neleus and king of Pylos. He was famous among the heroes before Troy for his wisdom, justice and eloquence. In early life he was a distinguished warrior, and took part in the fight between the Centaurs and the Lapithæ, and was one of the Calydonian hunters and one of the Argonauts. He is said to have lived through three generations of men. He safely reached Pylos again after the fall of Troy.
Nicneven.—A gigantic and malignant female spirit of the old popular Scottish mythology. The hag is represented as riding at the head of witches and fairies at Hallowe’en.
Nidhogg.—The dragon that gnaws at the root of Yggdrasil, the tree of the universe in Scandinavian mythology.
Niflheim.—Mist-home of old Norse mythology. The region of endless cold and everlasting night, ruled over by Hela. It consists of nine worlds, to which are consigned those who die of disease or old age. This region existed “from the beginning” in the north, and in the middle thereof was the well Hvergelmir, from which flowed twelve rivers.
Niobe(nī´o-bē).—Daughter of Tantalus and wife of Amphion, king of Thebes. Having seven sons and seven daughters, she imprudently boasted of her superiority to Latona, who had but two children—Apollo and Diana. The latter, indignant at her presumption, slew all her children with their arrows. Niobe herself was changed into a stone.
Niord.—The Scandinavian sea-god. He was not one of the Æsir. Niord’s son was Frey (the fairy of the clouds), and his daughter was Freyja. His home was Noatun. Niord was not a sea-god like Neptune, but the spirit of water and air. The Scandinavian Neptune was Ægir, whose wife was Skadi. His temples were near the seashore and all aquatic plants belonged to him.
Nisus(nī´sus).—A friend of Euryalus (ū-rī´a-lus).—The two accompanied Æneas to Italy, and perished in a night attack on the Rutulian camp.
Nix.—Little creatures not unlike the Scotch brownie and German kobold. They wear a red cap, and are ever ready to lend a helping hand to the industrious and thrifty.
Nokomis.—Daughter of the moon, American Indian myths. Sporting one day with her maidens on a swing made of vine canes, a rival cut the swing, and Nokomis fell to earth, where she gave birth to a daughter named Wenonah.
Nornir, orNorns.—The three fates of Scandinavian mythology, past, present, and future. They spin the events of human life, sitting under the ash-tree Yggdrasil which they carefully tend. Their names are Urda (the past), Verdandi (the present), and Skuld (the future). Besides these three Norns, every human creature has a personal Norn or fate. The home of the Norns is called in Scandinavian mythology Doomstead.
Notus(nō´tus) (Gr.); called Auster by the Romans.—The south or southwest wind.
Nox(noks); called Nux (nūks) by the Greeks.—Night, daughter of Chaos.
Numitor(nū´mi-tor).—A king of Alba, grandfather of Romulus and Remus.
Nymphæ(nim´fē), orNymphs.—Lesser female divinities supposed by the Greeks to dwell in the sea, springs, rivers, grottoes, trees and mountains. They had distinctive names, according to their habitat, as follows:
(i) The sea-nymphs, which were divided into two classes—the Oceanides (ō-se-an´id-ēz), or Nymphs of the Ocean, who were daughters of Oceanus (ō-sē´an-us); and the Nereides (nē´re-id-ēzornē-rē´id-ēz), or Nereids (nē´re-ids), the nymphs of the Mediterranean, who were the daughters of Nereus.
(ii) The nymphs of fresh-water (rivers, lakes, brooks or springs); called Naiades (nā´i-a-dēz), or Naiads (nā´yads).
(iii) Oreades (o-rē´ad-ēz), the nymphs of mountains and grottoes.
(iv) Napææ (na-pē´ē), the nymphs of glens.
(v) Dryades (drī´ad-ēz), or Dryads, and Hamadryades (ham-a-dri´ad-ēz), the nymphs of trees; these nymphs died with the trees that had been their abode, and with which they had come into existence.
Nysa(nī´sa).—A city in India, where Bacchus was brought up.
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Oceanus(ō-sē´an-us).—Son of Heaven and Earth, the god of the water that was supposed to surround the whole earth, the husband of Tethys, and the father of all the river-gods and water-nymphs of the whole earth. The ancient Greeks imagined the earth to be flat and circular, and to be surrounded by a river, which flowed perpetually around it, and which they called Oceanus. It was the great Outward Sea, opposed to the Inward or Mediterranean.
Odhærir.—In Scandinavian mythology the mead or nectar made of Kvasir´s blood, kept in three jars. The second of these jars is called “Sohn,” and the third “Bohn.” Probably the nectar is the “spirit of poetry.”
Odin.—The king of gods and men, and the reputed progenitor of the Scandinavian kings. He corresponds both to the Jupiter and the Mars of classical mythology. As god of war, he holds his court in Valhalla, surrounded by all warriors who have fallen in battle, and attended by two wolves, to whom he gives his share of food; for he himself lives on wine alone. On his shoulders he carries two ravens, Hugin (mind) and Munin (memory), whom he dispatches every day to bring him news of all that is doing throughout the world. He has three great treasures, namely, Sleipnir, an eight-footed horse of marvelous swiftness; Gungnir, a spear, which never fails to strike what it is aimed at; and Draupnir, a magic ring, which every ninth night drops eight other rings of equal value. The German tribes worshiped Odin under the name of “Woden.” The fourth day of the week, Wednesday, was sacred to him.
Odur.—In Scandinavian mythology, husband of Freyja, whom he deserted. He abandoned his wife on her loss of youth and beauty, and was punished.
Odysseus(od-is´sūs).—The Greek form of Ulysses, king of Ithaca, whose return from Troy to Ithaca forms the subject of the Odyssey. See “Ulysses.”
Œneus(ē´nūs).—King of Pleuron and Calydon, in Ætolia, husband of Althæa, and father of Meleager, Deianira, and other children. During his reign the boar that laid waste the lands of Calydon gave rise to the celebrated Calydonian boar hunt.
Œnone(ē-nō´nē).—Wife of Paris of Troy, before he carried off Helen.
Oileus(o-ī´lūs).—King of the Locrians, father of the lesser Ajax, and one of the Argonauts.
Olympia(o-lim´pi-a).—A plain in Elis, where the Olympian games were held. In the plain was the sacred grove of Jupiter, which contained the masterpiece of Greek art—the colossal statue of Jupiter by Phidias. The Olympic games were held every four years, this interval being called an Olympiad.
Olympus(o-lim´pus).—A mountain range on the boundary of Macedonia and Thessaly, of great height, and consequently regarded as the abode of the gods. Once the giants tried to reach heaven, and to do so piled Mount Pelion on Mount Ossa (both being high mountains in the neighborhood of Olympus); but Jupiter used his thunderbolts against them, and, with the assistance of Hercules, destroyed them all, and buried them under Mount Ætna.
Omphale(om´fa-lē).—A queen of Lydia, whom Hercules served as a slave a short time. She put on his lion´s skin, and carried his club, whilst he donned woman´s attire and spun wool.
Ops.—Wife of Saturn, the goddess of plenty and fertility, and especially the patroness of husbandry.
Oreades.—See “Nymphæ.”
Orestes(o-res´tēz).—Son of Agamemnon and Clytæmnestra, who, on the murder of Agamemnon, after his return from Troy, by Clytæmnestra and her paramour Ægisthus, was saved from the same fate by his sister Electra. He went to Strophius, king of Phocis, who was the husband of his aunt Anaxibia. Here he formed a memorable friendship with Pylades (pī´la-dēz), the king’s son. Later he avenged his father’s death by slaying his mother and Ægisthus; but was, in consequence, seized with madness and wandered from place to place. Apollo told him he could recover from his madness only by bringing the statue of Diana from the Tauric Chersonesus. Accordingly he set out, in company with his friend Pylades; but on their arrival they would have been sacrificed by the Tauri (q.v.) to Diana had not Orestes’ sister Iphigenia, who was the priestess of Diana, recognized him and intervened in time to save their lives. All three then escaped with the statue of the goddess. After this Orestes became king of Mycenæ, his father’s kingdom, and married the beautiful Hermione, daughter of Menelaus and Helen (of Troy), after slayingNeoptolemus(q.v.).
Orion(o-rī´on).—A handsome giant and hunter. He was beloved by Diana, which so displeased Apollo that he asserted that she was unable to hit, with one of her arrows, a distant point he showed her in the sea. This point was the head of Orion, who was swimming in the sea. Thus Orion perished, and he was placed among the stars, where he appears as a giant with a girdle, sword, a lion’s skin, and a club.
Orlog.—A god of Norse fable personifying the eternal law of the universe, from whose decree there was no appeal.
Ormuzd.—The name of the supreme deity of the ancient Persians, and of their descendants, the Parsees and Ghebers. He is an embodiment of the principle of good, and was created by the will of the great eternal spirit, Zervan-Akharana, simultaneously with Ahriman, the principle of evil, with whom he is in perpetual conflict. Ormuzd is the creator of the earth, sun, moon, and stars, to each of which he originally assigned its proper place, and whose various movements he continues to regulate.
Orpheus(or´fe-us).—A pre-Homeric poet, son of Œagrus and Calliope, lived in Thrace, and accompanied the Argonauts in their celebrated expedition. He played so skillfully on the lyre, which had been presented to him by Apollo, and which he had been taught to play by the Muses, that not only were wild beasts made tame, but even the rocks and trees moved from their places to follow him. He married the nymph Eurydice (ū-rid´is-ē), who died from the bite of a snake. He followed her into the lower world, where his beautiful strains of music even suspended the punishment of the wicked. Pluto promised to yield back his wife to him on the condition that he did not look back until he arrived in the upper world again. At the very moment, however, of passing the fatal bounds, Orpheus glanced back to see if she were following him, and just beheld her snatched back into the infernal regions. His grief for the loss of Eurydice was such that he treated all the Thracian women with contempt, and they in revenge, during the Bacchanalian orgies, tore him to pieces.
Ortygia(or-tij´i-a).—The ancient name of Delos, where Apollo and Diana were born.
Osiris(o-sī´ris).—A great deity of the Egyptians, husband of Isis. The ancients differ in opinion concerning this celebrated god, but they all agree that as ruler of Egypt he took care to civilize his subjects, to improve their morals, to give them good and salutary laws, and to teach them agriculture. He was worshiped under the form of an ox.
Ossa(os’sa).—A celebrated mountain in the northeast of Thessaly, near Mount Olympus. When the giants tried to scale heaven, they heaped Pelion, another mountain, on Ossa in order to reach the lofty mount Olympus, on the top of which Jupiter and the other gods dwelt.
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Pæan(pē´an)—lit.“physician” (Gr.).—The name of the physician of the gods. Later the name was transferred to Apollo, and afterwards it was applied to a choral song, hymn or chant addressed to Apollo, and also to a war song before battle or after a victory.
Pagasæ(pag´a-sē), orPagasa.—A maritime town of Thessaly, where the Argo (see “Argonautæ”) was built.
Paimosaid.—In American Indian myths a walking thief, especially one who walks through cornfields about harvest time to pluck the ears of maize or corn.
Palæmon(pal-ē´mon).—A sea-god; originally calledMelicerta(q.v.).
Palamedes(pal-a-mē´dēz).—Son of Mauplius, and one of the Greek heroes who sailed against Troy. Having exposedUlysses(q.v.) when he feigned madness in order to avoid going to Troy, the latter, who was famous for his craft, revenged himself by contriving to get a letter, purporting to be written by Priam, king of Troy, concealed under Palamedes’ bed. Ulysses then accused Palamedes of treachery, the fatal letter apparently established the charge, and Palamedes was stoned to death by the Greeks. Palamedes is credited with having added four letters—θ, ξ, χ, φ—to the original Greek alphabet of Cadmus, and also with the invention of quoits, dice, lighthouses, measures, scales, etc.
Pales(pal´ēz).—The Roman protecting deity of flocks and shepherds.
Palici(pal-ī´sī).—Twin sons of Jupiter and the nymph Thalia. They were worshiped in Sicily, in the neighborhood of Mount Ætna.
Palinurus(pal-i-nū´rus).—The pilot of Æneas, who fell into the sea off the west coast of Lucania.
Palladium(pal-lad´i-um).—Properly any statue of Pallas—i. e.Minerva; but the Palladium was an ancient image of the goddess at Troy, on the preservation of which the safety of the city was supposed to depend. Ulysses and Diomedes succeeded in carrying it off and afterwards took it to Greece. See “Troy.”
Pallas(pal´las).—The Greek name ofMinerva(q.v.).
Pan.—The chief god of shepherds and flocks; son of Mercury, and the inventor of the syrinx or shepherd’s flute. He was also god of woods, in which he dwelt, and occasionally appeared suddenly before travelers, whose consequent fright was hence called “Panic fear.” Pan is usually represented as a being with horns, puck-nose and goat’s legs and feet.
Pandarus(pan´da-rus).—A celebrated archer in the Trojan army.
Pandora(pan-dō´ra)—lit.“giver of all” (Gr.).—A beautiful woman, made by Vulcan at Jupiter’s command,who received presents from the gods—hence her name. She was the first woman on earth, and was designed to work the ruin of man in revenge for Prometheus having stolen fire from heaven and thus benefited mankind against the will of Jupiter. Venus adorned her with beauty, Mercury endowed her with boldness and cunning, and the gods, each and all, provided her with a combination of destructive powers wherewith to work out the ruin of man. Thus provided, Mercury took her to Epimetheus (i. e.afterthought), who made her his wife, forgetting, tilltoo late, that his brother Prometheus (i. e.forethought) had strictly enjoined him not to receive any gifts from the gods. Pandora brought with her from heaven a box containing every human ill, which, with feminine curiosity, she opened, and out of it they all flew, to afflict mankind, Hope alone remaining.
Paphos(paf´os).—A town in Cyprus; the chief seat of the worship of Venus.
Parcæ(par´sē).—The Fates; called by the Greeks Moiræ (moy´rē).—They were three in number; and their names were:
(i) Clotho (klō´tho), the spinner of the thread of life.
(ii) Lachesis (lak´e-sis), the disposer of lots in life.
(iii) Atropos (at´ro-pos)—lit.“the inflexible”—the fate that cannot be avoided. To these mighty goddesses both gods and men must submit. Sometimes Atropos is represented as cutting the thread of life spun by Clotho.
Paris, usually called Alexander (lit.“defending men”) in theIliad. The second son of Priam, king of Troy, and Hecuba. He was brought up on Mount Ida by a shepherd, who gave him the name Paris. He was afterwards called Alexander on account of the bravery he displayed in defending the flocks and shepherds. He married Œnone (ē-nō´nē), the daughter of the river-god Cebren. He soon deserted her, however, in the following manner: At the marriage of Peleus and the Nereid Thetis all the gods, with the single exception of the goddess of Discord, were invited. Annoyed at being thus passed over, she threw among the guests a golden apple—usually called the Apple of Discord—with the inscription, “To the fairest.” Three were claimants for it—Juno, Venus and Minerva. Jupiter ordered Mercury to take the three goddesses to Mount Ida, and submit the matter to the judgment of the shepherd Paris, hence giving rise to the celebrated “Judgment of Paris,” which has formed the subject of so many masterpieces of art. In order to influence him in their favor severally, Juno promised him the sovereignty of Asia, Minerva renown in war, and Venus the most beautiful woman in the world for his wife. Paris decided in favor of Venus, and awarded her the golden apple. He then, under the guidance of Venus, sailed for Greece, to the court of Menelaus, king of Sparta, whose wife, Helen, was the most beautiful of women. He succeeded in carrying Helen off, and so gave rise to the famous Trojan war, as all the chiefs in Greece joined with Menelaus in an expedition to fetch her back from Troy (see “Helena”). Paris fought with Menelaus before the walls of Troy, and would have been slain by him, had not Venus interposed and carried him off in a cloud. He was killed by the celebrated archer Philoctetes, who shot him with one of the poisoned arrows of Hercules. When wounded he returned to his long-neglected wife Œnone, and requested her to heal the wound; but she refused, and he died in consequence. Œnone soon repented, however, and put an end to her own life. During the Trojan war Paris killedAchilles(q.v.).
Parnassus(par-nas´sus).—A high mountain in Phocis (Greece), with two peaks, sacred to Apollo and the Muses. Near it was the town of Delphi; and on the mountain was the famous Castalian spring, also sacred to Apollo and the Muses, in which the Pythia, the priestess, at Delphi, used to bathe.
Parthenopæus(par´then-o-pē´us).—Son of Meleager and Atalanta, and one of the “Seven against Thebes.”
Parthenope(par-then´o-pē).—One of theSirens(q.v.), and the name of an ancient city forming the site of the present city of Naples (Neapolis).
Pasiphae(pā-sif´a-ē).—Daughter of the Sun and Perseis, wife of Minos and mother of Androgeos, Ariadne and Phædra; also of the Minotaur (see “Minos”).
Patroclus(pa-trok´lus).—The beloved friend of Achilles. Whilst Achilles remained inactive during part of the Trojan war, Patroclus was allowed by Achilles to lead the latter’s Myrmidons against the Trojans at a critical time. Achilles, in order to enhance the effect, equipped him with his own armor and arms. Patroclus, whom the Trojans supposed to be Achilles himself, drove them back to the walls of Troy, where, however, he was slain by Hector. To avenge his death, Achilles quickly reappeared in the field, and slew Hector in single combat.