(Encyclopedia) sphinxsphinxsfĭngks [key], mythical beast of ancient Egypt, frequently symbolizing the pharaoh as an incarnation of the sun god Ra. The sphinx was represented in sculpture usually in a…
(Encyclopedia) Robinson, Edwin Arlington, 1869–1935, American poet, b. Head Tide, Maine, attended Harvard (1891–93). At his death, many critics considered Robinson the greatest poet in the United…
(Encyclopedia) elf, in Germanic mythology, a type of fairy. Usually represented as tiny people, elves are said to dwell in forests, in the sea, and in the air. Although they can be friendly to man,…
(Encyclopedia) Derby, James Stanley, 7th earl ofDerby, James Stanley, 7th earl ofdärˈbē [key], 1607–51, English nobleman. He sat in the House of Commons (1625–28), took his seat in the House of Lords…
(Encyclopedia) Coon, Carleton Stevens, 1904–81, American anthropologist, archaeologist, and educator, b. Wakefield, Mass., grad. Harvard 1925, Ph.D. 1928. From 1925 to 1939 he was engaged in…