![[Stories]](story.gif)
![[Mail Atanu]](mail.gif)
![[Guest Book]](gbook.gif)
![[Links]](links.gif)
![[Credits]](credit.gif)
Ulema Muslim
The learned class, interpreters of the Koran and the law. From them come
the mullahs, muftis, imams, etc.
Undine
One of the elemental spirits of Paracelsus, the spirit of water.
She was created without soul but could obtain a soul by marrying a mortal
and bearing him a child. And with the soul she would also get all the pains
and vagaries of the human race.
Unicorn
A mythical beast with the head and body of a horse, legs of
a buck, tail of a lion and having a single horn on its forehead. The horn
is white at the base, black in the middle and red at the tip. The body
is white, the head red and the eyes are blue.
It can only be captured by first having a young virgin lure and lull it.
Unitarians
Christians who denied the existence of the Trinity. They believed that
god existed in one person.
Upnishads Hindu
Part of the oldest Hindu texts. They form the Vedanta
and date from around 500 B.C.
Urania Greek
One of the muses who presides over astrology. Is usually represented pointing
at a celestial globe with a staff.
Uranus Greek
The personification of heaven, son and husband of Gaea
and father of the Titans, the Cyclops, etc. He hated his children and confined
them in the body of Gæa or Earth who begged them to avenge her. So
his son Kronos castrated him with a sickle.
See Venus
Uriel
One of the seven archangels, in rabbinical angelology, sent
by God to answer the questions of Esdras. (II Esdras iv).
Utgard Norse
The abode of giants where Loki had his castle.
Utnapishtim Babylonian
The Babylonian counterpart of Noah. This is one of the many similarities
between Gilgamesh Epic of the Babylonians and the Bible.
Uzziel
One of the principle angels in the rabbinical angelology. The
name means "Strength of God". He is next in command to Gabriel.
Valhalla Norse
The hall in heaven where the souls of warriors slain in battle are borne
away by Valkyries, to spent the eternity in joy and feasting.
Valkyries Norse
The nine (or seven or twelve) warlike handmaidens of Odin
who rushed into battle with drawn swords on swift horses to select those
warriors destined for death. They took these heroes' souls to Valhalla
and served them with mead and ale in the skulls of the vanquished.
Vampire
A being who returns from its grave at night to suck the blood
of living beings thus enabling him to live forever as undead. He can change
shapes - mostly to that of a bat. He can fly, seep thru the minutest of
cracks, has a great hypnotic power which he uses to lull the victim. The
victim usually becomes a vampire after dying. A vampire can not stand sunlight.
He can only be killed by a wooden stake driven thru his heart.
Vanir Norse
The group of gods with benevolent functions in contrast to the Æsir,
the war gods.
Varuna Hindu
The brother of Mitra, one of the Adityas.
Vasuki
The original Snake god. Vasuki was coiled around a mountain and used
as a rope to churn the ocean of milk. See Samudra Manthan
Vedanta Hindu
The last part of the Veds or after the veds. The Upanishads.
Veds Hindu
The word ved means knowledge. The four sacred books of the Hindus:
Venus (F) Roman
She is the goddess of beauty and sensual love. She was born from the foam
of the sea near the island of Cythera. Venus' Greek name Aphrodite
means "foam born". This foam arose from the genitals of Uranus,
which Cronus had flung into the sea after castrating him.Other accounts
say that she is the daughter of Jupiter
and Dione, a nymph. Vulcan is her husband but she
had amours with other gods and demi-gods, notably Mars.
By Mercury she is the mother of Cupid
and by the hero Anchises, the mother of Æneas.
Vertumnus Roman
God of seasons, gardens & orchards and the husband of Pomona
Vesta Roman
The virgin goddess of the hearth. She was the custodian of the sacred fire
brought by Æneas from Troy. Roman equivalent of the Greek Hestia.
See Vestals
Vestals Roman
The six virgins, chosen by lot from maidens aged between six and ten years,
to tend the sacred fire, brought from Troy. This fire was not allowed to
go out to prevent some national calamity from happening. In the event any
Vestal lost her virginity was buried alive. After thirty years of duty
they were free to marry.
Viraj Hindu
See Manu
Vishnu Hindu
He is the preserver, second in the hindu triad. See: Brahma,
Shiv
Visvakarma (M) Hindu
See Tvashtri
Visvarupa (M) Hindu
See Tvashtri
Vivasat Hindu
Also Visvasvat. He was married to the daughter of Tvashtri, Saranyu. Tvashtri
prepared a great wedding feast for the pair and all the gods assembled
with the whole world. After the marriage the wife disappeared and another
girl looking like her had to be created for Vivasat. From this second look-alike
substitute wife were born two pairs of twins - the Aswins and Yama
& Yami.
Vivien
The Lady of the Lake in Arthurian Legends. She is an enchantress.
Voodoo
A mixture of magic, witchcraft, serpent-worship,etc., derived
from African rites and some Christian beliefs. Prevalent in Haiti, West
Indies and the Americas.
Vulcan (M) Roman
The god of fire and metal working. Son of Jupiter
and Juno.
He was hurled out of heaven by Jupiter when he went against him. He fell
for nine days and was saved from crashing to earth by the people of Lemnos
but one leg was broken, hence his lameness.
Because of his wife Venus' extramarital affairs with
other Gods, he came to be regarded as the patron of cuckolds. His Greek
equivalent is Hephaestus. Also called Mulciber - the softener.
Vulgate
A Latin version of the bible prepared in the 4th Century serving
as the authorized version of the Roman Catholic Church.
Waking a witch
A method for obtaining confessions from alleged witches during
medieval witch-hunts. An iron birdle was bound across a witch's face with
prongs thrust into her mouth. This was then fastened to the wall by a chain
in such a way that the victim was unable to lie down and men were constantly
near by to keep her awake till she would "confess", which, would,
sometimes take several days.
Walhalla Norse
See Valhalla
Walpurgis Night
The eve of May Day when the witch world hold revelry on certain
high places.
Wantley
The dragon of Wantley whose backside was the only vulnerable part of its
body. More of More Hall slew this dragon by kicking it on the behind.
Warlock
An evil spirit; a wizard. But not a male-witch as is commonly
believed.
Werewolf; Werwolf
A man who is turned, or can at will turn himself, into wolf.
Mostly during full moon nights. The werewolf devours infants and exhumed
corpses. It is invulnerable against any weapon except those blessed in
a chapel dedicated to St. Hubert. Alternatively it can be killed by a silver
bullet.
Wicca
Witch
Wish Hounds
Also Yell Hounds. Spectral hounds which haunt, on moonless nights,
along with a spectral hunter, on a huge horse which breaths fire. If the
baying of these hounds are heard by anyone then that person dies within
a year.
Witch of Endor
The woman through whom Saul sought to communicate with dead
Samuel. She did so only after extracting a promise from Saul that he would
not prosecute her as a witch.
Witches' Sabbath
A midnight meeting of witches, demons,etc headed by a coven
- a group of 12 members and a Devil. This sabbath was held, during medieval
times, on Candlemas, Roodmas, Lammas and All Hallow's Eve.
Wivern ; Wyvern
A heraldry figure of a winged dragon ending in a barbed serpent's
tail.
Wizard
A magician adept in black arts. Supposedly the male counterpart
of a witch, though the present day witches are both male and female and
deny the black arts or the concept of wizard, as commonly used.
Woden
See Odin
Xanthus; Xanthos
Achilles' horse, brother of Balios (Achilles' other horse) and
offspring of Zephyr and the harpy, Podarge.
Xerxes
Xerxes I, the persian King who invaded Greece. He is indentifiable
with Ahasuerus of the Bible.
Yahweh(M)
See Jehovah
Yamaraja (M)
Hindu meaning Lawkeeping King. Son of the rising sun, Visvasvat
and Saranyu, the goddess of clouds. Yama and his twin sister Yami, later
his wife, were the first couple to inhabit the earth (a sort of Hindu parallel
of Adam and Eve). After death they became the king and the queen of the
realm of the dead. Yama is the supreme, kind ruler of the hereafter, the
gaurantor of bliss and heavenly peace. Also known as Dharmaraja.
Yami (F) Hindu
See Yamaraja
Yggdrasil Norse
The world tree which with its roots and branches holds togather heaven,
earth and hell. At the root is a fountain of wonderful virtues. It is the
tree of life and knowledge, and of time and space.
Ymir Norse
He is the father of all the giants. He was nourished by the four milky
streams flowing from the cow Audhumla. From his body the world was made
and his skull became the vault of the heavens.
Yugs Hindu
The four ages: Satyug, Dwapar Yug, Treta Yug and Kalyug into which one
cycle of universal existence is divided.
Zadkiel
In Rabbinical angeology, the angel of the planet Jupiter.
Zen
A Japanese Buddhist sect that seeks enlightment through meditation
and intuition rather than in traditional scriptures.
Zend-Avesta Zoroastrian
The sacred writings of the Zoroastrians.
Zephyr; Zephyrus (M)
Greek
The west wind. Son of Astræus and Aurora. Lover of Flora. Identified
with the Roman Favonius.
Zeus (M) Greek
The supreme god of all greek gods. He is the son of Cronus and Rhea. Identifiable
with roman Jupiter.
Zion
The city of David stood on mount Zion hence figuratively means
the chosen people, the Israelites.
Zipporah (F)
Moses' wife and daughter of Jethro.
Zombie
The python god of certain West African tribes. Its worship still
survives in Voodoo ceremonies in Haiti and in southern USA.
Zoroaster(M)
Also Zarathustra. 6th/7th BC Persia. Prophet/founder of Zoroastrianism
Zu Sumer
Dragon.
See Ninurta
| LinkExchange Member | Free Home Pages at GeoCities |