Non-Christian Religions
Religioni Non Cristiane · 426 articles · Principal contributors · All subjects-
Falasha (Falà) - Emigrant, from Ge'ez Falata (to migrate) (FALASCIA (FALÀ) - EMIGRATO, DAL GE'EZ FALATA (MIGRARE))
FALASHA (Falà). - Emigrant, from Ge'ez Falata (to migrate). - Small groups of Jewish religion in northern Ethiopia, in the area between… -
Fatiha (FÂTIHAH)
FATIHA. - In Arabic "the opening," "the initial." It is the first chapter (sûrah) of the Quran, and the only one that makes an exception to… -
Faunus (FAUNO)
FAUNUS. - A very ancient Italic deity, later identified with the Greek Pan. He was the beneficent spirit of the mountains, the countryside… -
Feng Shui (FENGS SHUI)
FENG SHUI. - The term f. s. (lit. "wind and water") designates in China a "pseudo-scientific system that is supposed to teach how and where… -
Feralia
FERALIA. - It was the last day of the Parentalia, which consisted of a week dedicated to the dead of the family, or it fell on February 21… -
Fetvá (FETVÀ)
FETVÁ. - Turkish pronunciation of the Arabic fatva, a technical term denoting a legal responsum issued by a mufti or jurist of repute, in… -
Feziali
FEZIALI. - In Rome they constituted a priestly association of Latin origin, composed of twenty members, which recognized Jupiter as its… -
Flamines (FLAMINI)
FLAMINES. - From flare "to blow," in the sense of feeding the sacrificial flame (cf. the Brahmins of ancient India, ministers of… -
Flora
FLORA. - An ancient Italic and Roman goddess; according to Varro of Sabine origin: in fact, her cult, independent of the Roman one, is… -
Flower (FIOR)
FLOWER. - An Arabic word that literally means "expedient," "reasonableness." In its oldest usage it indicated, in contrast to "ilm"… -
Fontinalia
FONTINALIA. - Feast of October 13 of the ancient Roman calendar, on which the fountains were crowned and flowers were thrown into the… -
Fordicidia
FORDICIDIA. - It is a Roman magical-agrarian festival, dedicated to Tellus, which was celebrated on April 15. In each of the thirty Curiae… -
Fornacalia
FORNACALIA. - It was a movable feast, falling in the first half of February, on a day fixed in advance by the head of the curiae, the chief… -
Fortune (FORTUNA)
FORTUNE. - An Italic and Roman goddess. Her three most important ancient centers of worship were Palestrina, Rome, and Anzio. While little… -
Fravashi
FRAVASHI: V. IRAN, RELIGIONE dell'. -
Furrina and Furrinalia (FURRINA E FURRINALIA)
FURRINA AND FURRINALIA. - Goddess, respectively, and festival of the Roman religion. The festival, which appears in the most ancient Roman… -
Gabrieli, Giuseppe
GABRIELI, GIUSEPPE. - Arabist and librarian of the Accademia dei Lincei, b. at Melendugno (Lecce) on 4 Apr. 1872, d. at Rome on 7 Apr.… -
Genealogies (Tà Geneàis) (GENÉSIE (ΤᾺ ΓΕΝΈΑΙΣ))
GENEALOGIES (Tà Geneàis). - A funerary commemoration, which was held in Athens on the anniversary of the birth (not of the death) of a… -
Genius (GENIO (GENIUS))
GENIUS. - An exclusively Roman religious concept. Unlike the classical independent divine figures, the Genius always belongs to persons,… -
Geonim (singular Gaon) (GĒ'ONIM (SING. GĀ'ŌN))
GE'ONIM (sing. Ga'on). - Title of the heads (cf. Ps. 47:5), "pride" of the house of Jacob) of the Talmudic academies of Sura and Pumbedita… -
Ginn
GINN. - An Arabic collective noun denoting a category of beings, spirits or goblins, forming part of the belief of pre-Islamic paganism,… -
Goblet D'alviella, Eugène
GOBLET D'ALVIELLA, EUGÈNE. - Belgian politician, a militant in the Liberal Party with an anticlerical coloring, and a historian of… -
Gorgon (GORGONE)
GORGON. - From the Greek Γοργά, Γοργόνη (Latin Gorgón and Gorgón). A female figure of Greek myth, originally single, later split into three… -
Graces (GRAZIE)
GRACES. - From Lat. Gratiae, Gk. χάριτες, they are a symbol of beauty, givers of joy and generally of all that gladdens life. Hesiod… -
Great Synagogue (SINAGOGA, GRANDE)
GREAT SYNAGOGUE - In the Mishnah (Avot, I, 1) it is stated that representatives of the genuine Jewish tradition were Moses, the elders… -
Habhdalah (« Separation ») (HABHDĀLĀH (« SEPARAZIONE »))
HABHDALAH (« Separation »). - A Jewish religious ceremony at the end of the Sabbath (and, in a reduced form, of every feast day) and the… -
Hadad
HADAD. - Throughout ancient western Asia the god of the storm, of lightning and of rain was one of the most prominent deities of the… -
Haggadah (« Narration ») (HAGGĜDHĀH («NARRAZIONE»))
HAGGADAH (« Narration »). - Jewish ceremonial for the celebration of the evening of Passover. The texts are ancient and are found, with… -
Halakhah (from Halakh 'to walk') (HĀLĀKHĀH (DA HĀLAKH «CAMMINARE»))
HALAKHAH (from halakh, "to walk"). - In rabbinic language, it is the established norm that must be followed in religious-juridical… -
Hanbali, Rite (HANBALITA, RITO)
HANBALI, RITE. - One of the four great schools or rites or juridical systems of orthodox Islam, going back to the jurist and theologian… -
Haruspicy (ARUSPICINA)
HARUSPICY. - It is the body of doctrines of the haruspices, intended to interpret the will of the gods through the examination of the… -
Hasidism («Pietism») (HASIDHISMO («PIETISMO»))
HASIDISM («Pietism»). - A religious movement founded by Rabbi Yisra'el Ba'al Shem Tov (1699-1760). The epithet "master of the good name"… -
Hegira (EGIRA)
HEGIRA. - From the Arabic hijrah, "emigration." It designates the emigration of the prophet Muhammad (v.) from Mecca to Medina; with it the… -
Henotheism (Catenotheism) (ENOTEISMO (CATENOTEISMO))
HENOTHEISM (CATENOTHEISM). - It is the first stage of the idea of God according to Max Müller, "according to which the deity momentarily… -
Hephaestus (ἩΦΑΣΤΟΣ) (EFESTO (ἩΦΑΣΤΟΣ))
HEPHAESTUS (ἩΦΑΣΤΟΣ). - Greek god, son of Zeus and Hera. His nature and origin are debated: he would be either the thunderbolt of Zeus… -
Heracles ('Ηρακλῆς) (ERACLE ('ἩΡΑΚΛΗ͂Σ))
HERACLES ('Ηρακλῆς). - Hero of ancient Greece, son of Alcmene and of Zeus, who had appeared to her in the guise of her husband. Some… -
Hermes (Ἑρμῆς) (ERMETE (ἘΡΜΗ͂Σ))
HERMES (Ἑρμῆς). - Greek god, whose name has been derived from the piles of stones (ἐρμῶ) that were sacred to him, but others consider him… -
Hermeticism, Philosophical (ERMETISMO, FILOSOFICO)
HERMETICISM, PHILOSOPHICAL. - A narrow spiritual current of the late Hellenistic era (3rd century AD) that takes its name from the Greek… -
Hero (EROE)
HERO. - From the Greek ἥρως "lord, prince," of uncertain etymology, it denotes, in general, one who raises himself above others by… -
Hinduism (INDUISMO)
HINDUISM. - It is the common name for those religions of medieval and modern India that arose from the fusion of popular beliefs and forms… -
Hittites (HITTITI)
HITTITES. - A people today well known after the texts of el-Amarna and of Boghazköy, often mentioned in the Bible (Hebr. Hēth, plur.… -
Hōro (Horus)
HORUS. - Egyptian deity [Egyptian Hr (w); Gk. Ὡρος] originating in the Delta; his original iconographic form was that of a falcon. The cult… -
Horoscope (ὨΡΑΚΆΠΗΣ) (OROSCOPO (ὨΡΑΚΆΠΗΣ))
HOROSCOPE (ὨΡΑΚΆΠΗΣ). - The term h. designates in astrology the precise moment (ὥρα) at which one observes (σκοπεῖν) the position of the… -
Ilitia (Greek Eileíthōs) (ILITIA (ΕἸΛΕΊΒΩΣ))
ILITIA (Greek Eileíthōs). - In Crete Ἐλεύθυια, in Laconia Ἐλέθυια, in literature Ἐλεύθυια, perhaps from the root ελυθ meaning "to come (to… -
Incubation (INCUBAZIONE)
INCUBATION. - From Latin in-cubare "to lie within" (with the implied object being a temple or other sacred place; German Tempelschlaf), it… -
Indigetes (of the Indigetes) (INDIGETI (DI INDIGETES))
INDIGETES (of the Indigetes). - The term, which evidently indicates a category or a group of divinities, occurs, for example, in a Roman… -
Indigitamenta
INDIGITAMENTA. - From the Latin a(g)io, aio ("I say, I beseech, I invoke"), these are lists of deities of an animistic type who are invoked… -
Ishtar (ISTAR)
ISHTAR. - Principal female divinity of the pantheon of the Babylonians and Assyrians, as well as of numerous other stocks of ancient… -
ISIS (ISIDE (ISIS; EGIZ. I.T [« SEGGIO »]; GR. 'IΣΙΣ))
ISIS. - I. GENERALITIES. - The best-known Egyptian female deity. Her original cult center was the Delta, perhaps the city of Buto. Ancient… -
Islam (ISLÂM)
ISLAM. - Religion founded by Muhammad (v.) in Arabia in the 7th century A.D. The name i. means in Arabic "dedication" to God. From it… -
Jainism (JAINISMO)
JAINISM. - J. is a philosophical-religious movement that formed, it seems, around the 8th century B.C. in northeastern India, as a reaction… -
Jano (Ianus) (GIANO (IANUS))
JANO (Ianus). - Ancient Roman god. Although his name does not appear in the oldest Roman calendar, it is proven that the festival of… -
Jevons, Frank Byron
JEVONS, FRANK BYRON. - English philologist especially of classical literature, student of the philosophy and comparative history of… -
Judaism (GIUDAISMO)
JUDAISM. - Religion and institutions of the people of Israel, which took definitive form from the time of the Babylonian exile (6th century… -
Juno (Iuno) (GIUNONE (IUNO))
JUNO (Iuno). - Italic and Roman goddess. The classic figure of Jupiter's spouse, familiar from Latin poetry, is merely a historical product… -
Jupiter (Juppiter) (GIOVE (IUPPITER))
JUPITER (Juppiter). - Supreme god of the Roman religion. His name, linguistically identical to the Vedic Dyäus Pită (v.), is of… -
Ka'bah
KA'BAH. - A building of gray stone, situated in the middle of the sacred enclosure of Mecca, having the form of a cube (k. = "die"). Two… -
Karman (Karma)
KARMAN (KARMA). - In the Rgveda (v. VEDA) the word k., "the work" par excellence, designates the sacrificial rite and the fruit derived… -
Kršna
KRŠNA. - Before being identified with the god Vishnu and raised to the honors of worship, K. was a valiant prince of the lineage of the… -
Lamaism (LAMAISMO)
LAMAISM. - It is the Buddhism of the "great vehicle" (mahāyāna), in the particular ritual form that it assumed in Tibet. The name derives… -
Larentalia
LARENTALIA. - A festival of the Roman religion which the oldest calendar already fixes on 23 December. On that date a rite of a funerary… -
Lari (Lares)
LARI (Lares). - Lar in the singular, Lares in the plural, with or without specific epithets, are deities of the most ancient Roman… -
Larvae (Larvae) (LARVE (LARVAE))
LARVAE (Larvae). - Among the Romans these were the souls of those who had died in sin and who, in their ceaseless wandering, exercised a… -
Latin Feriae (LATINE FERIE)
LATIN FERIAE. - An ancient festival celebrated on the Mons Albanus (present-day Monte Cavo) in honor of Jupiter Latiaris. The testimonies… -
Latona (Ἀγτώ) (LATONA (ἈΓΤΩ͂))
LATONA (Ἀγτώ). - Greek goddess, daughter of the Titan Koios and of Phoebe; loved by Zeus, to escape the fury of Hera she took refuge on… -
Lemuria (LEMURIE (LEMURIA))
LEMURIA. - On May 9, 11 and 13 of the Roman calendar fell the festival of the Lemuria, that is, of the Lemures, the souls of the dead,… -
Lenee
LENEE. - A festival celebrated in Athens in the month of Gamelion (= January-February) in honor of Dionysus Lenaios (Ἀῆναις), and it was… -
Lettisternio (Lectisternium)
LETTISTERNIO (Lectisternium). - A ritual form of the ancient Roman religion, consisting in preparing a couch (lectum sternere) and offering… -
Liber, Liberalia
LIBER, LIBERALIA. - According to tradition, when in 495 B.C., following a famine, the Sibylline Books ordained the introduction into Rome… -
Lucariae (LUCARIE)
LUCARIAE. - In the oldest Roman festival calendar, two days separated by the shortest possible interval (July 19 and 21) appear under the… -
Lucina
LUCINA. - An epithet of Juno, who under this name had a sanctuary on the Esquiline. This sanctuary, whose feast day was March 1st, occupied… -
Luperci and Lupercalia (LUPERCI E LUPERCALIA)
LUPERCI AND LUPERCALIA. - Festival of 15 February in the ancient Roman religion. The performance of its rites was entrusted to the luperci… -
Lustration (LUSTRAZIONE)
LUSTRATION. - From Lat. lustro "I make bright again" and hence "I purify," it is the purification of things and persons. This may be… -
Magic (MAGIA)
MAGIC. - I. IN NON-CHRISTIAN RELIGIONS. - It is the art of dominating the forces of nature and of life. The name derives from the Magi… -
Mahabharata (MAHĀBHĀRATA)
MAHABHARATA. - The M., "the great epic of the Bharatiḍi," is not only the most extensive epic poem in world literature, but also an… -
Mahavira (MAHÀVIRA)
MAHAVIRA. - M., "Great Hero," is the title given by his co-religionists to Vardhamàna, considered the founder of Jainism (v.), although he… -
Malikite Rite (MÀLIKITA, RITO)
MALIKITE, RITE. - One of the four schools, or systems or rites of orthodox Islam. Its founder is the imam or Medinese doctor Malik ibn… -
Manism (MANISMO)
MANISM. - From Lat. manes "good," a euphemistic epithet referring to the deceased, m. is the theory that explains the origins of religions… -
Mannhardt, Wilhelm
MANNHARDT, WILHELM. - Mythographer of the ethnological school, b. at Friedrichstadt on March 26, 1831, d. at Danzig on Dec. 26, 1880. A… -
Manu
MANU. - Demigod, progenitor of the human race, who appears for the first time in the Rgveda (v. VEDISM) under the name of "father M." (I,… -
Marduk
MARDUK. - The national god of Babylon bore the name M., of Sumerian origin, since in the most ancient period of the country he had been the… -
Mars (Marte) (MARTE (MARS))
MARS (Marte). - Italic and Roman deity. The spread of his cult, which predates Roman hegemony and is therefore independent of it, can be… -
Mater Matuta and Matralia (MATER MATUTA E MATRALIA)
MATER MATUTA AND MATRALIA. - Mater Matuta is an ancient goddess of the central-Italic and Roman religion. One of her important sanctuaries… -
Maya, Religion of the (MAYA, RELIGIONE DEI)
MAYA, Religion of the. - At the time of the Spanish conquest, the M. occupied southern Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras. Their civilization,… -
Meditrinalia
MEDITRINALIA. - A festival of the Roman religion, fixed by the oldest calendar on October 11. Although the tradition of the grammarians… -
Mēghillath Ta'Ānīth (« Scroll of the Fasts ») (MĒGHILLATH TA'ĀNĪTH (« ROTOLO DEI DIGIUNI »))
MĒGHILLATH TA'ĀNĪTH ("Scroll of Fasts"). - A list of 35 days of the year on which it was forbidden to fast and to deliver funeral orations,… -
Melqart
MELQART. - Phoenician deity (Gk. Μελκάθρος). The Phoenician melqart, from melek-Qart, according to the still most probable opinion today,… -
Mercury (MERCURIO)
MERCURY. - An ancient Roman divinity, who appears in the earliest lists of the twelve gods. The very name Mercurius (from merx, mercari)… -
Me Zu Zah (« Stipite della porta ») (MĒ ZŪ ZĀH («STIPITE DELLA PORTA»))
ME ZU ZAH (« Stipite della porta »). - A parchment scroll in a glass or metal capsule that is affixed to the doorpost; it contains in… -
Minerva
MINERVA. - An ancient divinity belonging to the cult of various Italic peoples. M., in fact, before Rome, where she had her greatest… -
Mishnah (MIŠNĀH)
MISHNAH. - Collection of rabbinic treatises from the 1st-3rd centuries AD, which constitute the "oral" law, that is, the deductions drawn… -
Moksa
MOKSA. - M., from the root muc, "to liberate, to release," means liberation from saṃsāra, from the continuous passage of souls from one… -
Money (MONETA)
MONEY. - Cultic epithet of Juno, who under this name had a temple on the Capitoline, dedicated by Camillus in 345 B.C. Her festival fell on… -
Mother Earth (TERRA MADRE)
MOTHER EARTH. - The concept of T. M., that is, of the earth as the origin and mother of all things, is found widely both among various… -
Muhammad (MAOMETTO)
MUHAMMAD. - Founder of Islam, b. at Mecca in an uncertain year, between 570 and 580 A.D., from the respectable but no longer rich and… -
Müller, Friedrich Maximilian (Max Müller)
MÜLLER, Friedrich Maximilian (Max Müller). - Philologist and mythologist, b. at Dessau on 6 Dec. 1823, professor at Oxford, where he d. on… -
Mundus
MUNDUS. - By this term was indicated, in Rome, a small pit, dug in the Palatine, with a vaulted ceiling "in the likeness of the world that… -
Munichie (Μουηχία)
MUNICHIE (Μουηχία). - Festivals celebrated in Attica on the 16th of Munichion in honor of Artemis Munichia, on the homonymous peninsula of… -
Mysteries of Andania (ANDANIA, MISTERI DI)
MYSTERIES OF ANDANIA. - The existence of mysteries that were celebrated in Andania, a small city of northern Messenia, is attested by… -
Mysteries (Τὰ Μυστήρια) (MISTERI (ΤᾺ ΜΥΣΤΉΡΙΑ))
MYSTERIES (Τὰ Μυστήρια). - From the Greek μύειν = to close (the eyes or the mouth), whence μυεῖν = to initiate (into secret cults) and… -
Mystic Chest (CISTA MISTICA)
MYSTIC CHEST. - A container of woven wicker in the shape of a cylindrical box, with a lid. Originally it was not a cult object; only in… -
Mysticism (MISTICISMO)
MYSTICISM. - With this name, derived from "mystic," a word proper to the mysteries (v.), are designated those philosophical-religious… -
Myth and Mythology (MITO E MITOLOGIA)
MYTH AND MYTHOLOGY. - The myth (Gk. μύθος from the verb μύθειο "I speak, converse, narrate") is the narration of deeds of the divine,… -
Nabû (NĀBŪ)
NABU. - It is the Semitic name of the son of Marduk, god of Babylon, and means the "announcer." He was the planet Mercury and god of… -
Nagualism (NAGUALISMO)
NAGUALISM. - It is a belief, based on the conception of an individual totemism, widespread in Mexico and Central America. The term derives… -
Nemesis (Némisos) (NEMESI (ΝΈΜΙΣΟΣ))
NEMESIS (Némisos). - The idea, widespread in the ancient religions, of the hostility of the gods toward the excessive fortune or pride of… -
Neomenia (Neomnēsía) (NEOMÉNIA (ΝΕΟΜΝΗΣΊΑ))
NEOMENIA (Neomnēsía). - From Gk. νέος = new and μήνη = moon. It is the new moon (Heb. hōdheš, translated in the Latin Bible as kalendae).… -
Neopythagoreanism (NEOPITAGORISMO)
NEOPYTHAGOREANISM. - A philosophical-mystical current tracing its origin back to Pythagoras and remaining alive, after the violent… -
Neptune and Neptunalia (NETTUNO E NEPTUNALIA)
NEPTUNE AND NEPTUNALIA. - Neptunus, an ancient Roman divinity, already appears with his festival, the Neptunalia (23 July), in the oldest… -
New Year's Day (CAPODANNO)
NEW YEAR'S DAY. – The feast of New Year's Day closes, among all human groups, a period of time, generally calculated on the astronomical… -
Nirvana (NIRVĀNA)
NIRVANA. - N., in Pāli "nibbāna", means "extinction", in both a proper and a figurative sense. In this latter acceptation it is a word of… -
Nuṣayrī (NUȘAJRĪ)
NUṢAYRĪ. - The N. are a sect which, numbering over 300,000 souls, occupies the regions between Tripoli of Syria and Antioch, with its… -
Nymphs (NINFE)
NYMPHS. - In Greek religion, divine maidens (νύμφαι), daughters of Zeus, who animate with their invisible presence every aspect and… -
Opi, Opalia, Opiconsivia
OPI, OPALIA, OPICONSIVIA. - Ops, an ancient Roman goddess, is often identified in literary testimonies with the Greek Rhea and thus appears… -
Oracle (ORACOLO)
ORACLE. - A divine communication given in specific places (cave, grove, sanctuary and the like) by a person consecrated to the sacrifice of… -
Orcus (ORCO)
ORCUS. - The use of the word Orcus in Latin is manifold: it can indicate a place (the Underworld), a god, or the personification of death.… -
Orientation (ORIENTAZIONE)
ORIENTATION. - In its sacred meaning, orientation is not the art of determining the cardinal points for practical purposes, but is: 1) the… -
Orphic Mysteries (ORFICI, MISTERI)
ORPHIC MYSTERIES. - Orphism is the greatest religious phenomenon of a mystical character to appear in the history of Greece in the 6th… -
Oscophore (OSCOFORIE)
OSCOPHORE. - An Athenian harvest festival, sacred to Dionysus and Athena Skiras, celebrated on the 7th or 18th of the month Pyanepsion… -
Otto, Rudolf
OTTO, RUDOLF. - Protestant theologian and philosopher of religion, b. at Peine (Hanover) on 25 Sept. 1869, d. at Marburg on 7 March 1937.… -
Paganalia
PAGANALIA. - Festival of the pagi (rural districts) of ancient Rome, mentioned by Varro (paganicae feriae) and by later authors. It cannot… -
Paganism (PAGANESIMO)
PAGANISM. - From pagus, village, that is, a grouping of farms whose association constitutes a vicus. The Paganalia (v.) were the… -
Pales and Parilia (PALE E PARILIA)
PALES AND PARILIA. - The Parilia festival of April 21 already appears in the most ancient Roman festal calendar. According to all the best… -
Palingenesis (PALINGENESIA)
PALINGENESIS. - The word, from the Greek παλιγγενεσία, "rebirth", "renewal", as a technical term belongs to the philosophy of history (von… -
Palmyra (PALMIRA)
PALMYRA. - Oasis and ancient city in the Syrian desert, an important center of the trade route that led from the East, through the Persian… -
Panathenaea (Panathēnaia) (PANATENEE (GR. ΠΑΝΑΘΉΝΑ))
PANATHENAEA (Panathēnaia). - Among the Athenian festivals the P. were the most ancient, celebrated in honor of Athena Polias, protectress… -
Pan (Pán) (PAN (ΠΆΝ))
PAN (Pán). - In Arcadia, where theriomorphism was pronounced, the cult of this deity originated, whom tradition depicts as the son of… -
Parca
PARCA. - Par(i)ca, from Latin pario = I give birth (the etymologies from parco and partior are to be rejected), is the goddess, conceived… -
Parentalia
PARENTALIA. - In the ancient Roman religion this was the name of a series of days that began on February 13 and ended on the 21st of the… -
Parsism (PARSISMO)
PARSISM. - This is the name given to that small group of Persians who were followers of Zarathustra (v. PERSIANS, religion of) and who, not… -
Penati
PENATI. - From penates, the household gods, a term in which P. functions as an adjective, it means literally the gods "of the interior"… -
Pianopsia (Πυανόψια) (PIANOPSIE (ΠΥΑΝΌΨΙΑ))
PIANOPSIA (Πυανόψια). - From πύανος "bean" and ἔψω "I eat." A festival celebrated in Athens on the seventh day of the month Pyanepsion… -
Pilgrimage (PELLEGRINAGGIO)
PILGRIMAGE. - From the Latin peregrinatio "journey in a foreign land", it is a devotional practice consisting in going collectively or… -
Plant, Cult of the (PIANTA, CULTO DELLA)
PLANT, CULT OF THE. - The sacred value of the plant, whether herb or tree, is documented among all peoples, whether the plant is part of a… -
Pluntēria (Πλυντήρια) (PLINTERIE (ΠΛΥΝΤΉΡΙΑ))
PLUNTĒRIA (Πλυντήρια). - From πλύνω "I wash," a purification festival celebrated - probably on 25 Thargelion (May-June) - in honor of… -
Pompa
POMPA. - From the Greek πομπή "procession" (from πέμπω "I send," "I accompany"), it is the solemn procession that in Greece and Rome… -
Pontifex Maximus (PONTEFICE MASSIMO)
PONTIFEX MAXIMUS. - The college of pontiffs, in the religious constitution of ancient Rome, was charged with overseeing the entire body of… -
Poplifugia
POPLIFUGIA. - A festival of July 5 in the most ancient Roman calendar, the only one that preceded the Nones of a month. Separated by the… -
Popol Vuh
POPOL VUH. - The P. V. (= national book) can be considered the Bible of the Quiché Maya (v. MAYA, religion of). It treats subjects… -
Portunalia
PORTUNALIA. - Festival on 17 Aug. in the oldest Roman calendar, dedicated to the god Portunus, about whose character literary testimonies… -
Poseidon (ΠΟΣΕΙΔΏΝ) (POSEIDONE (ΠΟΣΕΙΔΏΝ))
POSEIDON (ΠΟΣΕΙΔΏΝ). - God of the waters, whose prerogative seems to be symbolized by the root common to his name (πόσις, ποντίζω,… -
Prehistory (Religious Manifestations) (PREISTORIA (MANIFESTAZIONI RELIGIOSE))
PREHISTORY (Religious Manifestations). - By prehistory is meant the most ancient phases of human civilizations for which written evidence… -
Priesthood (SACERDOZIO)
PRIESTHOOD. - From sacra dare, "to furnish, to perform the sacred action," it is the religious-social office and function that an… -
Purāṇa (PURĀŅA)
PURĀṆA. - The P., "ancient stories," are encyclopedic works which, according to a notice handed down by the most important P., should treat… -
Purification (PURIFICAZIONE)
PURIFICATION. - It has the same general meaning as lustration (v.) and, like that, its purpose is to make things and persons fit to enter… -
Pūrīm (from Pûr «lot»: Esther 9, 26) (PŪRĪM (DA PÛR « SORTE »: ESTH. 9, 26))
PURIM (from pûr "lot": Esth. 9:26). - A semi-feast celebrated by the Jews on the 14th of the month of 'ādhār in memory of Israel's… -
Qiddūš
QIDDŪŠ. - "Sanctification" of the entry of the Sabbath and festival day with a blessing over a cup of wine. It was recited at the end of… -
Quinquatrus
QUINQUATRUS. - Festival of March 19 in the most ancient Roman calendar. According to calendrical data, it is a festival of Mars at which… -
Quirinius (QUIRINO)
QUIRINIUS. - An ancient and important Roman divinity: his particular priest, the flamen Quirinalis, is the third of the flamines maiores… -
Qur'an (CORANO)
QUR'AN. - The most common name of the sacred book of the Muslims. SUMMARY: I. Name. - II. The Qur'an as the work of God. - III. Author. -… -
Ramayana (RĀMĀYAṆA)
RAMAYANA. - Vālmīki, the author of the R., was the first Indian poet who composed an artistic poem (kāvyā) on themes from popular epic, in… -
Regifugium
REGIFUGIUM. - A festival of the ancient Roman religion, on February 24, a singular date insofar as it is an even day and immediately… -
Religion of the Germans (GERMANI, RELIGIONE DEI)
RELIGION OF THE GERMANS. - On the religious beliefs of the ancient Germanic peoples prior to their contact with the Roman world, that is,… -
Religions, Comparative Study Of (RELIGIONI, STUDIO COMPARATO DELLE)
RELIGIONS, COMPARATIVE STUDY OF. - Many scholars, especially over the past century, believe that only an in-depth comparison of all… -
Rhomboid (ROMBO)
RHOMBOID. - It is a thin wooden tablet, oval or oblong in shape, with a hole at one end, to which a cord is fastened: by making this spin… -
Rite of Devotion (DEVOTIO, RITO DELLA)
RITE OF DEVOTION. - It was a particular kind of votum in which an individual devoted himself and immolated himself in advance to the… -
Robigalia
ROBIGALIA. - Feast of April 25 in the Roman religion. The deity to whom it is dedicated is Robigus or Robigo, masculine according to… -
Rohde, Erwin
ROHDE, ERWIN. - Classical philologist, b. in Hamburg on 5 Oct. 1845, d. in Heidelberg on 11 Jan. 1898. He taught at Kiel (1872), Jena… -
Sabazius, Mysteries of (SABAZIO, MISTERI DI)
SABAZIUS, Mysteries of. - A Thraco-Phrygian god, a hypostasis of Dionysus (Diodorus Siculus, IV, 4, 1), whose cult, having begun in Greece… -
Sabeism (SABEISMO)
SABEISM. - Name applied in old treatises to the religion of the pre-Islamic Arabs, especially of the southern region, where already in the… -
Sacred Formula (FORMOLA SACRA)
SACRED FORMULA. - In non-Christian religions the s. f. is bound to the sacred-magical value attributed to the word; this is not regarded as… -
Sacred Numbers (NUMERI SACRI)
SACRED NUMBERS. - For the primitive mentality the number assumes a sacral meaning insofar as it is bound up with the image of objects that… -
Sacrifice (SACRIFICIO)
SACRIFICE. - From sacra facere "to perform the sacred action", sacrifice in its most general sense is that religious act by which the… -
Sacro
SACRED. - From the ancient Latin sakros, later sacer, from sancire, by religion or by law, it is that which is held to be inviolable and… -
Šafitta, Rite (ŠAFITTA, RITO)
ŠAFITTA, RITE. - One of the four great schools, or rites or juridical systems, of orthodox Islam, founded in the 9th century by the imām… -
Salii
SALII. - Priests of the Roman religion, who are also found in various centers of Latium (Alba, Lavinium, Tusculum, Anagni, Aricia, Tibur),… -
Salutary Gods (Salutares) (SALUTARI, DÈI (SALUTARES DI))
SALUTARY GODS (Salutares). - These are the gods who protect physical health. They belong directly or indirectly to the sphere of Apollo… -
Samothrace, Mysteries of (SAMOTRACIA, MISTERI DI)
SAMOTHRACE, Mysteries of. - After those celebrated at Eleusis, the m. of S. were among the most famous in the Greek world. There were… -
Sanusiyyah (SANŪSIJJAH)
SANUSIYYAH. - The most recent of the great ṭarīqah or Muslim mystical brotherhoods; it is the least mystical of all, in the most precise… -
Saoshyant
SAOSHYANT. - From the Old Persian verb sav, meaning to benefit (whence the future participle saoshyant "benefactor"), in the most ancient… -
Sassanids (SASSANIDI)
SASSANIDS. - The progenitor of the dynasty of Persia or Īrān is said to have been a certain Sassan, of whom nothing is known with… -
Saturn and the Saturnalia (SATURNO E SATURNALIA)
SATURN AND THE SATURNALIA. - For the Roman literary tradition there is no doubt about the identity between the Roman god Saturnus and the… -
Satyrs and Sileni (Σάτυροι, Σάλοι) (SATIRI E SILENI (ΣΆΤΥΡΟΙ, ΣΆΛΥΟΙ),)
SATYRS and SILENI (Σάτυροι, Σάλυοι), - Mythological figures of secondary importance, but among the most widespread in the art, literature… -
Schierophoria (Σειροφορία) (SCHIROFORIE (ΣΕΙΡΟΦΌΡΙΑ))
SCHIEROPHORIA (Σειροφορία). - An ancient Athenian festival in honor of Athena Skiras (with whom Demeter and Kore were associated) to obtain… -
Semo Sanco
SEMO SANCO. - Semo Sancus Dius Fidius, an Italic deity of the sky of Jupiter whose name recalls a) the Semones of the Arval cult; b) the… -
Serpent, in Ancient Religions (SERPENTE, NELLE RELIGIONI ANTICHE)
SERPENT, IN ANCIENT RELIGIONS. - The cult of the serpent is quite widespread in the ancient religions and in those of primitive peoples,… -
Shamanism (SCIAMANISMO)
SHAMANISM. - From the Tungusic shaman, a word perhaps imported from the Pali "samana," shamanism is a magico-religious phenomenon,… -
Shaykh al-Islām (SHAJH AL-ISLAM)
SHAYKH AL-ISLĀM. - One of the many Islamic appellations (alqāb) that appear around the middle of the 4th century A.H. (= 10th century A.D.)… -
Shintō
SHINTŌ. - From Sino-Japanese shin = god and tō = way, whence our "Shintoism"; with this term the Japanese designated their indigenous… -
Sibyl (SIBILLA)
SIBYL. - The S. (etymology unknown) is in classical tradition a virgin, young, but sometimes also thought of as decrepit, who when inspired… -
Sikh
SIKH. - A community that was originally religious and later also military and political, of northern India. Nanak (1469-1538), its founder,… -
Silvano
SILVANO. - God of the Roman religion. His name, although attempts have been made to explain it differently as well (Etruscan selvans),… -
Söderblom, Nathan
SÖDERBLOM, NATHAN. - Lutheran bishop of Uppsala and primate of the Swedish Lutheran Church, b. at Trönö (Söderhamn) on 15 January 1866, d.… -
Solar Theology (TEOLOGIA SOLARE)
SOLAR THEOLOGY. - Solar theology is the last form that the religious thought of Greek-Roman paganism assumes before its definitive decline.… -
Sufism (SŪFISMO)
SUFISM. - From the woolen (Arabic sūf) camel-hair cloak worn by the followers of the movement, the "spirituality" of Muslims is called S.… -
Sumerians (SUMERI)
SUMERIANS. - The first people of the ancient Middle East of whom written documents have survived to us. They had a very high culture, born… -
Syncretism (SINCRETISMO)
SYNCRETISM. - A universal phenomenon, connected with the most serious religious problems, especially with regard to Judaism and… -
Synoichia (Συνοικία) (SINOICHIA (ΣΥΝΟΛΙΑ))
SYNOICHIA (Συνοικία). - An Athenian festival celebrated on the 16th of Hecatombaion (July-Aug.) in honor of Athena, protectress of the… -
Syria Dea (Syria Theos) (SYRIA DEA (ΣΥΡΊΑ ΘΕΌΣ))
SYRIA DEA (Syria Theos). - The Syrian goddess par excellence, popularly Diasura, Iasura, is Atargatis, whose name seems to derive from… -
Tabu (Tapu) (TÀBU (TÀPU))
TABU (TAPU). - A Polynesian word resulting from two elements: ta "to mark, to note," bu an intensifying particle, each retaining its own… -
Talmud (Talmūdh, «Study») (TALMUD (TALMŪDH «STUDIO»))
TALMUD (Talmūdh, «Study»). - Great corpus of rabbinic traditions, constituted by the development that the Mishnah (v.) underwent in the… -
Tannaim ("Repeaters" or "Teachers") (TANNAITI (« RIPETITORI » O « INSEGNANTI »))
TANNAIM ("Repeaters" or "Teachers"). - Jewish doctors, earlier than the 3rd century, whose teaching is preserved in the official collection… -
Taoism (TAOISMO)
TAOISM. - Under this name are designated the doctrines of a philosophical and mystical character set forth in the works of Lao Tzu, Chuang… -
Targhelie
TARGHELIE. - A festival celebrated in Athens and in some Ionian cities in honor of Apollo on the 6th and 7th of the month Thargelion (=… -
Tattooing (TATUAGGIO)
TATTOOING. - From the word tatu of the Polynesians of Tahiti, tattooing belongs to the category of artificial deformations (of the nose,… -
Taurobolium (TAUROBOLIO)
TAUROBOLIUM. - A ceremony originating in Asia Minor, where it was connected with the cult of the great female deity, and which from Phrygia… -
Tauropolia (TAUROPÓLIA)
TAUROPOLIA. - A Greek festival celebrated in the Attic deme of Halae in honor of Artemis Tauropolos, the ancient bull goddess whose cult… -
Temple (TEMPIO)
TEMPLE. - From a root tem (cf. the Greek τέμνω) meaning "to cut, to delimit", it was among the Ro- > (photo Alinari) > TEMPESTA, ANTONIO -… -
Terminalia
TERMINALIA. - Festival of the god Terminus in Roman religion. Terminus means, in Latin, the boundary and, more specifically, the stone that… -
Tesee
TESEE. - An Athenian festival celebrated on the 8th of the month Pyanopsion (= October 21) in honor of Theseus (to whom the 8th of every…