Bulfinch’s Mythology Thomas Bulfinch (intellectual books to read TXT) 📖

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(Arˈthur), king in Britain about the 6th century.

Aruns

(Aˈruns), an Etruscan who killed Camilla.

Asgard

(Asˈgard), home of the Northern gods.

Ashtaroth

(Ashˈta-roth), a cruel spirit, called by enchantment to bring Rinaldo to death.

Aske

(Asˈke), the first man, made from an ash tree.

Astolpho of England

(As-tolˈpho of England), one of Charlemagne’s knights.

Astraea

(As-traeˈa), goddess of justice, daughter of Astraeus and Eos.

Astyages

(As-tyˈa-ges), an assailant of Perseus.

Astyanax

(As-tyˈa-nax), son of Hector of Troy, established kingdom of Messina in Italy.

Asuras

(A-suˈras), opponents of the Braminical gods.

Atalanta

(At-a-lanˈta), beautiful daughter of King of Icaria, loved and won in a footrace by Hippomenes.

Ate

(Aˈte), the goddess of infatuation, mischief and guilt.

Athamas

(Athˈa-mas), son of Aeolus and Enarete, and king of Orchomenus, in Boeotia. See Ino.

Athene

(A-theˈne), tutelary goddess of Athens; the same as Minerva.

Athens

(Athˈens), the capital of Attica, about four miles from the sea, between the small rivers Cephissus and Ilissus.

Athor

(Aˈthor), Egyptian deity, progenitor of Isis and Osiris.

Athos

(Aˈthos), the mountainous peninsula, also called Acte, which projects from Chalcidice in Macedonia.

Atlantes

(At-lanˈtes), foster-father of Rogero, a powerful magician.

Atlantis

(At-lanˈtis), according to an ancient tradition, a great island west of the Pillars of Hercules, in the ocean, opposite Mount Atlas.

Atlas

(Atˈlas), a Titan, who bore the heavens on his shoulders, as punishment for opposing the gods; one of the sons of Iapetus.

(Atˈlas), Mount, general name for range in northern Africa.

Atropos

(Atˈro-pos), one of the Fates.

Attica

(Atˈti-ca), a state in ancient Greece.

Audhumbla

(Aud-humˈbla), the cow from which the giant Ymir was nursed. Her milk was frost melted into raindrops.

Augean stables

(Au-geˈan stables), cleansed by Hercules.

Augeas

(Au-geˈas), king of Elis.

Augustan age

(Au-gusˈtan age), reign of Roman Emperor Augustus Caesar, famed for many great authors.

Augustus

(Au-gusˈtus), the first imperial Caesar, who ruled the Roman Empire 31 BC−14 AD.

Aulis

(Auˈlis), port in Boeotia, meeting-place of Greek expedition against Troy.

Aurora

(Au-roˈra), identical with Eos, goddess of the dawn.

Aurora Borealis

(Au-roˈra Bo-re-aˈlis), splendid nocturnal luminosity in northern sky, called Northern Lights, probably electrical.

Autumn

(Auˈtumn), attendant of Phoebus, the Sun.

Avalon

(Avˈa-lon), land of the Blessed, an earthly paradise in the Western Seas, burial-place of King Arthur.

Avatar

(Avˈa-tar), name for any of the earthly incarnations of Vishnu, the Preserver (Hindu god).

Aventine

(Avˈen-tine), Mount, one of the Seven Hills of Rome.

Avernus

(A-verˈnus), a miasmatic lake close to the promontory between Cumae and Puteoli, filling the crater of an extinct volcano, by the ancients thought to be the entrance to the infernal regions.

Avicenna

(Av-i-cenˈna), celebrated Arabian physician and philosopher.

Aya

(Aˈya), mother of Rinaldo.

Aymon

(Ayˈmon), Duke, father of Rinaldo and Bradamante.

B Baal

(Baˈal), king of Tyre.

Babylonian River

(Bab-y-loˈni-an River), dried up when Phaëton drove the sun-chariot.

Bacchanalia

(Bacˈcha-naˈli-a), a feast to Bacchus that was permitted to occur but once in three years; attended by most shameless orgies.

Bacchanals

(Bacˈcha-nals), devotees and festal dancers of Bacchus.

Bacchus Dionysus

(Bacˈchus (Dionysus)), god of wine and revelry.

Badon

(Baˈdon), battle of, Arthur’s final victory over the Saxons.

Bagdemagus

(Bag-de-maˈgus), King, a knight of Arthur’s time.

Baldur

(Balˈdur), son of Odin, and representing in Norse mythology the sun-god.

Balisardo

(Bal-i-sarˈdo), Orlando’s sword.

Ban

(Ban), King of Brittany, ally of Arthur, father of Launcelot.

Bards

(Bards), minstrels of Welsh Druids.

Baucis

(Bauˈcis), wife of Philemon, visited by Jupiter and Mercury.

Bayard

(Bayˈard), wild horse subdued by Rinaldo.

Beal

(Beˈal), Druids’ god of life.

Bear

Bear (Constellation of).

Bedivere

(Bedˈi-vere), Arthur’s knight.

Bedver

(Bedˈver), King Arthur’s butler, made governor of Normandy.

Bedwyr

(Bedˈwyr), knightly comrade of Geraint.

Belisarda

(Bel-i-sarˈda), Rogero’s sword.

Bellerophon

(Bel-lerˈo-phon), demigod, conqueror of the Chimaera.

Bellona

(Bel-loˈna), the Roman goddess of war, represented as the sister or wife of Mars.

Beltane

(Belˈtane), Druidical fire-festival.

Belus

(Beˈlus), son of Poseidon (Neptune) and Libya or Eurynome, twin brother of Agenor.

Bendigeid Vran

(Benˈdi-geid Vran), King of Britain.

Beowulf

(Beˈo-wulf), hero and king of the Swedish Geats.

Beroë

(Berˈo-e), nurse of Semele.

Bertha

(Berˈtha), mother of Orlando.

Bifrost

(Biˈfrost), rainbow bridge between the earth and Asgard.

Bladud

(Blaˈdud), inventor, builder of the city of Bath.

Blamor

(Blaˈmor), a knight of Arthur.

Bleoberis

(Ble-obˈer-is), a knight of Arthur.

Boeotia

(Boe-oˈti-a), state in ancient Greece, capital city Thebes.

Bohort

(Bo-hortˈ), King, a knight of Arthur.

Bona Dea

(Boˈna Deˈa), a Roman divinity of fertility.

Boötes

(Bo-oˈtes), also called Arcas, son of Jupiter and Calisto, changed to constellation of Ursa Major.

Boreas

(Boˈre-as), North wind, son of Aeolus and Aurora.

Bosporus (Bosphorus)

(Bosˈpo-rus (Bosphorus)), the Cow-ford, named for Io, when as a heifer she crossed that strait.

Bradamante

(Brad-a-manˈte), sister to Rinaldo; a female warrior.

Brademagus

(Brad-e-maˈgus), King, father of Sir Maleagans.

Bragi

(Bragˈi), Norse god of poetry.

Brahma

(Brahˈma), the Creator, chief god of Hindu religion.

Branwen

(Branˈwen), daughter of Llyr, King of Britain, wife of Matholch.

Brazen Age

Bronze Age.

Breciliande

(Bré-cilˈi-ande), forest of, where Vivian enticed Merlin.

Brengwain

(Brengˈwain), maid of Isoude the Fair.

Brennus

(Brenˈnus), son of Molmutius, went to Gaul, became King of the Allobroges.

Breuse

(Breuse), the Pitiless, a caitiff knight.

Briareus

(Bri-aˈre-us), hundred-armed giant.

Brice

(Brice), Bishop, sustainer of Arthur when elected king.

Brigliadoro

(Brig-li-a-doˈro), Orlando’s horse.

Briseis

(Bri-seˈis), captive maid belonging to Achilles.

Britto

(Britˈto), reputed ancestor of British people.

Bruhier

(Bruhˈier), Sultan of Arabia.

Brunello

(Bru-nelˈlo), dwarf, thief, and king.

Brunhild

(Brunˈhild), leader of the Valkyrie.

Brutus

(Bruˈtus), great-grandson of Aeneas, and