(Encyclopedia) YmirYmirēˈmĕr [key], in Norse mythology, primeval giant and progenitor of a race of giants. Odin and his brothers slew Ymir; from his skull they fashioned the sky, from his flesh the…
(Encyclopedia) Robin Hood, legendary hero of 12th-century England who robbed the rich to help the poor. Chivalrous, manly, fair, and always ready for a joke, Robin Hood reflected many of the ideals…
(Encyclopedia) Dollard des Ormeaux, AdamDollard des Ormeaux, AdamädäNˈ dôlärˈ dāzôrmōˈ [key], 1635–1660, garrison commander of the fort at Ville-Marie (Montreal), b. France. He probably went to…
(Encyclopedia) Pied Piper of Hamelin, legendary figure of Hameln, Germany. He rid the town of its rats and mice by charming them away with his flute playing. When the citizens refused to pay him the…
(Encyclopedia) HypatiaHypatiahīpāˈshə [key], d.415, Alexandrian Neoplatonic philosopher and mathematician, a woman renowned for her learning, eloquence, and beauty. Little is known of her writings.…
Bandannas Bandanna is the Hindu word for tie-dye. In the 1700s bandannas were imported to England from India. They were square cloths with dark red or blue backgrounds sprinkled with white or…
(Encyclopedia) wombat, shy marsupial of Australia and Tasmania, related to the koala. The wombat is a thick-set animal with a large head, short legs (giving it a shuffling gait), and a very short…
(Encyclopedia) Whiteman, Paul, 1891–1967, American conductor, b. Denver. Whiteman played viola in the Denver Symphony Orchestra and in 1915 joined the San Francisco Symphony. During World War I he…
