Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

203 results found

Blount, James Henderson

(Encyclopedia)Blount, James Henderson blŭnt [key], 1837–1903, American public official, b. Jones co., Ga. U.S. Representative from Georgia (1873–93), he was chosen by President Cleveland as a special commissio...

Nanda Devi

(Encyclopedia)Nanda Devi nŭnˈdə dāˈvē [key], peak, 25,645 ft (7,817 m) high, Uttarakhand state, N India, in the Himalayas. Except for some peaks in Kashmir, it is the highest point in India. Hindus believe th...

soccer

(Encyclopedia)CE5 soccer, outdoor ball and goal game, also called association football or simply football. The first recorded game probably was that on a Shrove Tuesday in Derby, England, part of a festival to c...

Maia

(Encyclopedia)Maia māˈə, mīˈə [key]. 1 In Greek mythology, oldest of the Pleiades. She was the mother of Hermes by Zeus. 2 In Roman mythology, goddess of fertility; also called Maiesta. She was often identifi...

Asherah

(Encyclopedia)Asherah -rŏth [key], Canaanite fertility goddess and the wooden cult symbol that represented her. She is the consort of El in the Ugaritic texts. Several passages in the Bible may refer to the planti...

Ashtaroth

(Encyclopedia)Ashtaroth ăshˈtərŏth [key], Hebrew plural form of Ashtoreth, the name of the Canaanite fertility goddess and consort of Baal. Her name is vocalized in Greek as Astarte. She was worshiped at variou...

Huitzilopochtli

(Encyclopedia)Huitzilopochtli wēˌtsēlōpōchtˈlē [key], chief deity of the Aztec, god of war. He is said to have guided the Aztecs during their migration from Aztlán. Usually represented in sculptured images ...

Semele

(Encyclopedia)Semele sĕmˈĭlē [key], in Greek mythology, mother of Dionysus, daughter of Cadmus and Harmonia. Zeus, who loved her, appeared to her as a man. Semele asked him to come to her in his divine form, bu...

Nike

(Encyclopedia)Nike nīˈkē [key], in Greek religion and mythology, goddess of victory, daughter of Pallas and Styx. Often an attendant of Zeus or Athena, she also presided over all contests, athletic as well as mi...

Liliuokalani

(Encyclopedia)Liliuokalani lēlēo͞oˌōkäläˈnē [key], 1838–1917, last reigning queen of the Hawaiian Islands. She ascended the throne in 1891 upon the death of her brother, King Kalakaua. Her refusal to rec...

Browse by Subject