Non-Christian Religions
Religioni Non Cristiane · 337 articles · Principal contributors · All subjectsParticular Topics (Particolari)
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Acca Larentia (ACCA LARENZIA)
ACCA LARENTIA. - According to various ancient authors, but principally Macrobius, she was a woman who lived in the time of Ancus Marcius.… -
Acerra
ACERRA. - The ancients designate two instruments of sacrifice by this name: a small box for incense (ascula turaria; turalis) that was used… -
Adapa
ADAPA. - In Assyro-Babylonian mythology A. is the son of the god Ea and is "the seed of humanity," that is, the first man. From his father… -
Adi Granth
ADI GRANTH. - "The fundamental book," also called simply Granth, "Book" (par excellence, in a religious sense: Bible) or Granth Sahib, "The… -
Adone
ADONE. - Mythical hero, lover of Aphrodite, whose legend, despite various divergences, is summarized in the following cycle: 1) death… -
Aegean, Religion of (EGEA, RELIGIONE)
AEGEAN RELIGION. - The conventional name "Aegean" is given to the civilizations of the countries washed by the Aegean Sea (Greece, the… -
Aesma Daeva
AESMA DAEVA. - Among the Persians he is the spirit of wrath and strife, and has as his constant epithet "of the bloody club." He is given… -
Afiqomen (Hebrew rabbinic 'Afiqimōn "Food after the Meal"; perhaps from 'āfaq in hifil form: "Strengthening") (AFIQOMEN (EBR. RABBINO 'AFIQIMŌN «CIBO DOPO IL PASTO»; FORSE DA 'AFAQ IN FORMA HIFIL: «CORROBORANTE»))
AFIQOMEN (Heb. rabbinic 'afiqimōn "food after the meal"; perhaps from 'afaq in the hifil form: "strengthening"). - A special unleavened… -
Agli-Bol
AGLI-BOL. - A deity worshipped at Palmyra, where archaeology attests to the existence of a college of priests, of altars and of sacrifices… -
Agni
AGNI. - The god of fire, Agni (pron. agnni), shares with Indra the primacy among the gods of ancient India. The Rgveda dedicates ca. 200… -
Agonalia (Agonia) (AGONALI (AGONALIA, AGONIA))
AGONALIA (Agonia). - Roman festivals that recurred four times a year: on 9 January, 17 March, 21 May and 11 December. We derive these dates… -
Ahriman
AHRIMAN. - In the Mazdean religion he is the evil principle, the one from which every evil originates, also called in older forms angro… -
Ahura Mazda (AHURAMAZDÀ)
AHURA MAZDA. - It is the name of the supreme deity in the doctrine of Zarathustra (in recent times transcribed Ormazd), from which the… -
Aissaoua
AISSAOUA. - French form of the name of the Muslim brotherhood of the 'Isawiyya (in Maghrebi pronunciation Aisawiyya), founded in Morocco in… -
Allvater
ALLVATER. - This is an expression introduced into the proper language of ethnology and the history of religions by the English explorer A.… -
Aloe ('ΑΛῺΣ, from ἌΛΩΣ "Let it be") (ALÒE ('ΑΛῺΣ, DA ἌΛΩΣ «SIA»))
ALOE ('ΑΛῺΣ, from ἌΛΩΣ "Let it be"). - A festival of the Athenian calendar, which fell in the month of Posideon (December 15 – January 15),… -
Amaterasu
AMATERASU. - For Shintoists, she is the "great, august divinity that shines in the sky," that is, the sun goddess. At the time when Shinto… -
Amazzoni
AMAZZONI. - A mythical people of warrior women with customs and habits that the Greeks considered barbaric. Legend called them daughters of… -
Ambarvalia (Ambarvales) (AMBARVALI (AMBARVALIA))
AMBARVALIA (Ambarvales). - A Roman conceptiva festival, that is, one of those that were proclaimed year by year by the pontiffs in relation… -
Ambrosia
AMBROSIA. - Greek word meaning "immortal": it is used together with "nectar" to indicate the nourishment of the gods. In the Iliad it has a… -
Amenti (Egypt. Jmn.tj.t «The Western District», Coptic Amenti, Greek Ἀγένδρα) (AMENTI (EGIZ. JMN.TJ.T « LA CONTRADA OCCIDENTALE », COPTO AMENTI, GRECO ἈΓΈΝΔΡΑ))
AMENTI (Egypt. Jmn.tj.t «The Western District», Coptic Amenti, Greek Ἀγένδρα). - It is the name borne by the region of the dead in ancient… -
Amesha Spenta (AMEŠA SPENTA)
AMESHA SPENTA. - Under the Persian name A. is understood a group of entities, which appear frequently, now one, now another, or several… -
Ammon (also Amôn; Coptic Amûn from Egyptian [A]men or Jmn; Greek 'Αμμων) (AMMONE (MEGLIO AMÔN; COPTO AMÛN DALL'EGIZ. [A]MEN O JMN; GR. 'ΑΜΜΩΝ))
AMMON (also Amôn; Coptic Amûn from Egyptian [A]men or Jmn; Greek 'Αμμων). - Egyptian deity, worshipped at Thebes (v.). The name was… -
Amphidromies (Ἀμφι-Ἄβρωμα) (ANFIDROMIE (ἈΜΦΙ-ἌΒΡΩΜΑ))
AMPHIDROMIES (Ἀμφι-Ἄβρωμα). - An Attic family festival, whose purpose was to purify the newborn child and all those who had come into… -
Amphitrite (ANFITRITE ('ΑΜΦΙΤΡΊΤΗ))
AMPHITRITE. - Greek sea deity. The name must be the same as that of other marine beings in which the element trit appears: the etymologies… -
Amrta
AMRTA. - The a., which in the Rgveda (v.) is the drink of the gods, able to confer immortality, has its earthly counterpart in soma, "the… -
Amulet (AMULETO)
AMULET. - A word of uncertain etymology (from Latin amoliri "to remove"?; from Arabic himālah "pendant, hanging ornament"?) that refers to… -
Anna Perenna
ANNA PERENNA. - Ancient Roman divinity, about whose festival, which fell on the Ides of March, we are amply informed by the Fasti (V,… -
Antenati, Cult of the (ANTENATI, CULTO DEGLI)
ANTENATI, CULT OF THE. - The cult of the a. is distinguished from the simple cult of the dead, in that it is directed to the progenitors of… -
Antesteria ('Ανθεστῆρια) (ANTESTÈRIE ('ΑΝΘΕΣΤΗ͂ΡΙΑ))
ANTESTERIA ('Ανθεστῆρια). - Festivals common to all Ionian peoples; about the Attic ones we are, naturally, better informed. They lasted… -
Anu
ANU. - Babylonian deity who personifies the sky, as his name also indicates (Sumerian An "sky"). In any case his domain is the sky, and the… -
Anubis (Egyptian Inp.w, "Jackal") (ANUBI (EGIZ. INP.VO « SCIACALLO »))
ANUBIS (Egyptian Inp.w, "Jackal"). - He is the jackal, often confused with the warlike wolf of Asyut, which the Greeks believed to be a… -
Apaturia (Ἀπατούρια) (APATURIE (ἈΠΑΤΣΎΡΙΑ))
APATURIA (Ἀπατούρια). - The etymology is certainly from ἀ copulative and πάτορες, that is, festival of those who have ancestors in common.… -
Aphrodite (AFRODITE)
APHRODITE. - Greek goddess of love. Various scholars derive her name from the Indo-European languages and see in A. a Thessalian goddess… -
Api
APIS. - The bull Apis (in Egyptian h'p'j, meaning "the runner") was the most popular sacred animal of the Egyptians. It was honored above… -
Apollo
APOLLO. - God of Greece, among the most popular of the Hellenic religion. His origin is uncertain and the name resists the efforts of… -
Apollonius of Tyana (APOLLONIO DI TIANA)
APOLLONIUS OF TYANA. - What relates to this figure is the product of the reaction that Eastern-Hellenistic religious syncretism opposed to… -
Apsaras (APSÀRAS)
APSARAS. - This name means "she who moves in the water" and designates an Indian divinity of the waters, akin to the Greek Nereid. Already… -
Apsu
APSU. - It is a Semitized Sumerian word, which in Sumerian was written ZU-AB and read abzu, with the meaning of "house of wisdom" (?). This… -
Aquaelicium
AQUAELICIUM. - A Roman sacro-magical ceremony, public, since the pontiffs and magistrates took part in it in expiatory attire, that is,… -
Ara
ARA. - It is a limited space, at least ideally, on which sacrifice is offered to the deity, that is, on which the offerings destined for… -
Arallu
ARALLU. - Among the Mesopotamians it was equivalent to the Sheol of the Hebrews and the Hades of the Greeks; an infernal dwelling, called… -
Archigallus (ARCIGALLO)
ARCHIGALLUS. - Priest of Cybele, of a rank superior to the simple galli. From the rather abundant epigraphic material that has come down to… -
Ares
ARES. - "Αρς, Greek god of war. For some the name would mean "the destroyer," but the etymology is disputed. For the ancients he was… -
Argei
ARGEI. - In Roman worship this name denoted two different things: 1) shrines, 27 (or 24) in number, distributed throughout the Rome "of the… -
Arinna, Goddess of (ARINNA, DEA DI)
ARINNA, Goddess of. - A. was a great city of the kingdom of the Hittites, identified with the present-day Kara-Sehir-Hujuk, near the… -
Armilustrium (Armilustrium) (ARMILUSTRIO (ARMILUSTRIUM))
ARMILUSTRIUM (Armilustrium). - A festival of the oldest Roman calendar, which fell on 19 Oct. The name defines it as a festival of… -
Arpocrates (ARPOCRATE)
HARPOCRATES. - One of the numerous forms under which the Egyptian god Horus was worshipped, and specifically Horus the child: A. is in fact… -
Artemis (Ἀρτεμις) (ARTEMIDE ('ΑΡΤΕΜΙΣ))
ARTEMIS (Ἀρτεμις). - A Greek goddess who had a very widespread cult, as is also shown by the quite frequent use of the month name… -
Arval Brothers (ARVALI, FRATELLI)
ARVAL BROTHERS. - A Roman religious sodality of a collegial type, composed of 12 members, headed by a magister; patrician in recruitment,… -
Asclepius (Ἀσκληπιός) (ESCULAPIO (ἈΣΚΛΗΚΤῸΣ))
ASCLEPIUS (Ἀσκληπιός). - Greek god of medicine. Numerous etymologies have been proposed to explain his name, both from Greek and from the… -
Ashura (AŠURA)
ASHURA. - In the most ancient religious texts of India, the word A., which has its counterpart in the Iranian Ahura, means spirit, god… -
Ašipu
AŠIPU. - The A. ("conjurer, exorcist") is one of the major priests of the Babylonian-Assyrian religion. His task is, by means of magical… -
Assur (AŠŠUR)
ASSUR. - 1. DEITY. - National god of the Assyrians, who gave his name to the capital of the kingdom. He is one of the few gods who did not… -
Astarte
ASTARTE. - It is the Greek name of the principal goddess of the Chaldeans. In the Hebrew text of the Old Testament she is called 'Aštoreth… -
Astral Deities (ASTRALI, DIVINITÀ)
ASTRAL DEITIES. - The natural tendency to animate things has also populated the sky, in its planetary and astral manifestations, with… -
Astrology (ASTROLOGIA)
ASTROLOGY. - It is the art of knowing the future by observing the aspect, position and influences of the planets and the constellations. 1.… -
Aśvaghoṣa (AŠVAGHOŠA)
AŚVAGHOṢA. - Indian poet — lyric, epic, dramatic — as well as philosopher and, according to his Tibetan biographer, musician, musical… -
Aśvin (AŠVIN)
AŚVIN. - To the "lords of horses" (Aśvin) and horsemen, who, awakened by the Dawn, appear together in the morning sky, the Rgveda (v.)… -
Atargatis
ATARGATIS. - She is the principal goddess of the Arameans (Syrians). The name is composed of two elements: the Semitic… -
Athena (Ἀθήνη) (ATENA ('ΑΘΉΝΗ))
ATHENA (Ἀθήνη). - Goddess of Greece. The name, probably pre-Hellenic, must perhaps be connected with that of the Greek city that venerated… -
Aton
ATON. - From itu "the disk," this was the proper name of the sun disk, which Amenhotep IV (v. AMENOPHIS IV) adopted as the sole divinity of… -
Atum (ATŪM)
ATUM. - In ancient Egyptian: jtm. vocalized as 'atōm, for now without etymology, was the primordial god of Heliopolis: the "Heliopolitan."… -
Augurium Canarium
AUGURIUM CANARIUM. - One of the feriae conceptivae (movable feasts) of Roman paganism. It was fixed from year to year by the pontiffs at a… -
Augurs (ÀUGURI)
AUGURS. - Roman priests expert in divination, who from the species, flight, number and song of birds interpreted the divine will, both for… -
Auspicio
AUSPICIO. - From Latin auspicium, from avis bird and spe(i)cio I see. Among the Romans the announcers of the divine will were above all… -
Avalokiteśvara
AVALOKITEŚVARA. - He is one of the great Bodhisattvas, that is, a Buddha in potency, who has renounced entering Nirvāṇa (v.) until all… -
Avatāra
AVATĀRA. - Sanskrit term from the root tar with the prefix ava "to descend": literally "descent," used particularly to indicate the… -
Avesta
AVESTA. - The collection of the sacred and canonical books of the Mazdeans, that is, of the followers of the religion of Ahuramazda, is… -
Avidyā
AVIDYĀ - A-vidyā is non-knowing, ignorance, but not in the sense commonly given to this word, rather in the philosophical-religious sense… -
Axe, Cult of the (ASCIA, CULTO DELL')
AXE, Cult of the. - The axe, whether simple or double-bladed, has influenced the religious beliefs of humanity. From ancient and modern… -
Ba
BA. - Name that the ancient Egyptians gave to the soul understood as the capacity to survive by assuming different forms and which in the… -
Baal (Ba'al = 'Lord, Master, Owner') (BAAL (BA'AL = «SIGNORE, PADRONE, POSSESSORE»))
BAAL (Ba'al = 'Lord, Master, Owner'). - A deity worshiped by almost all the peoples of the Near East and in Africa. In the Bible it is… -
Babism (BABISMO)
BABISM. - A new religion, arisen in a Shiite Islamic milieu through the work of Sajjid 'Alī Mohammed of Širāz, called the Bāb. The word bāb… -
Bacchanalia (BACCANALI)
BACCHANALIA. - Name of a cult that was celebrated in Rome (Livy, XXXIX, 8 ff.), in the lucus Similae (Livy XXXIX, 12, 4; cf. CIL, VI, 9897;… -
Bacchantes (BACCANTI)
BACCHANTES. - Minor Greek female divinities in the retinue of Dionysus. They were represented with loose hair, a fawnskin (nebrid) over a… -
Bajram (Bayram) (BAJRĀM (BAYRAM))
BAJRAM (BAYRAM). - In Turkish, "feast". The Muslim religious calendar knows two great feasts: the 'id al-adhā, which falls on the 10th of… -
Bărů
BĂRŮ. - Name of an important class of Babylonian and Assyrian priests, whose main function was to establish the will of the gods, that is,… -
Bellona
BELLONA. - Originally connected with Mars, by the middle of the 4th century she was already a war deity in her own right (Livy, VIII, 9,… -
Bendis (Bendis) and Bendidie (Bendidēto) (BENDIS (ΒΕΝΔΊΣ) E BENDIDIE (ΒΕΝΔΊΔΕΤΟ))
BENDIS (Bendis) and Bendidie (Bendidēto). - Bendis is a Thracian goddess, identified by the Greeks with Artemis; Thracian women offered her… -
Berberi, Religion of the (BERBERI, RELIGIONE DEI)
BERBERI, Religion of the. - The present-day B., on whose origin scientists do not agree (Asiatic origin according to some, African or mixed… -
Betilo (BETĪLO)
BETILO. - Current etymology from the Hebrew bēth-ēl "house of El (God)," rendered in Greek as βατθαός, βατθάλον, in Latin as baetilos. This… -
Bhakti
BHAKTI. - From the Sanskrit root bhaj ("to adore"), it is in Brahmanical and Hinduistic India the attitude of mystical devotion toward a… -
Blood (SANGUE)
BLOOD. - The contact of blood, which the experience of primitive peoples considers as the organic element closely bound to life (cf. Lev.… -
Bon
BON. - Also Bonpo: it is the name of the autochthonous religion of the Tibetans, before the introduction of Buddhism into the country. It… -
Bona Dea
BONA DEA. - Originally an epithet of a goddess who protected pastures and woods, she was identified, after the conquest of Taranto (271… -
Book of the Dead (LIBRO DEI MORTI)
BOOK OF THE DEAD. - Name by which the first Egyptologists designated a collection of formulas, prayers and religious hymns written on… -
Brahma (BRAHMĀ)
BRAHMA. - The faith in B., the masculine personification of Brahman (v.), after having been alive in India throughout the entire epic age… -
Brahman
BRAHMAN. - The word occurs in the Veda, with different gender and accent, in two different meanings. Brahman, neuter, is first the… -
Brauronia (BRAURONIE (ΒΡΑΥΡΌΝΙΑ))
BRAURONIA. - Festivals in honor of Artemis, celebrated at Brauron on the eastern coast of Attica and particularly intended for women. The… -
Breasted, James Henry
BREASTED, JAMES HENRY. - Egyptologist, b. 27 Aug. 1865 in Rochford (U.S.A.), d. 2 Dec. 1935. From 1905 to 1925 he was professor of… -
Buddha
BUDDHA. - The historical reality of the B., contested by E. Senart, who sought to make of him a solar god, ceased to be called into doubt… -
Bushidō (BUSHIDÔ)
BUSHIDŌ. - The name means "the way of the knights." Chivalry was held in honor in Japan from the earliest times. Already from the Middle… -
Cabiri
CABIRI. - Minor Greek divinities, according to some of Phoenician origin, according to others Phrygian. Their nature is debated: sea gods… -
Callinteria (Καλλυντήρια) (CALLINTERIE (ΚΑΛΛΥΝΤΉΡΙΑ))
CALLINTERIA (Καλλυντήρια). - Ancient Athenian festivals in honor of Athena, generally mentioned together with the Plinteria (v.). Nothing… -
Carmenta
CARMENTA. - C., or Carmentis, is an ancient Roman goddess: her two festivals, the Carmentalia, on January 11 and 15, appear in the oldest… -
Carna
CARNA. - C. is a Roman goddess who had a sanctuary on the Caelian Hill; her festival fell on June 1st, a day sacred to Juno and popularly… -
Casta
CASTA. — From Latin castus in the sense of "(pure) breed"; a term adopted in the 15th century by the Portuguese colonizers of Malabar and… -
Catasterism (CATASTERISMO)
CATASTERISM. - It is the transformation of human beings or mythological heroes into stars. Catasterism is therefore part of astrological… -
Celeste
CELESTE. - The name Caelestia designates, in the Roman religion, the principal goddess of Carthage who, evoked from the enemy city, appears… -
Celts (CELTI)
CELTS. - With this name the Greek sources designate a group of peoples of the Aryan-European family, who, settled probably as early as the… -
Cerealia
CEREALIA. - Festivals in honor of Ceres, celebrated on April 19. It is not known how they were conducted in the primitive indigenous cult,… -
Ceres (CERERE)
CERES. - Roman divinity of cereal vegetation, akin to Tellus; with whom she is associated both in the feriae sementivae, celebrated in… -
Chronos
CHRONOS. - He is the personification of time among the ancient Greeks. He had no importance either in mythology or in cult; he was instead… -
Chronos (CRONO)
CHRONOS. - A Greek god, for some pre-Hellenic, or originating from Asia Minor where he would be identified with Baal, but every hypothesis… -
Chthonic Deities (CTONICHE, DIVINITÀ)
CHTHONIC DEITIES. - In Greek religion the epithet chthonic was given to numerous deities who, in contrast to the Olympian gods who dwell in… -
Circumambulation (CIRCUMAMBULAZIONE)
CIRCUMAMBULATION. - A rite consisting in walking around the boundaries of a piece of land, a building, or an object. This circuit is… -
Compitalia (COMPITALI)
COMPITALIA. - The Compitalia, one of the three conceptive festivals celebrated at the close of the sowing cycle, fell between December 17… -
Confarreatio
CONFARREATIO. - Among the Romans this was the sacred nuptial rite par excellence (Pliny, Nat. hist., XVIII, 14), which originally must have… -
Confucianism (CONFUCIANESIMO)
CONFUCIANISM. - This is the name given to the whole body of religious, ethical and political doctrines that Confucius (v.) gathered from… -
Consenti, Dei
CONSENTI, OF THE. - Although it differs in part from the Greek one, where Poseidon or Hermes is associated with Athena, and is not as… -
Consus (CONSO)
CONSUS. - Ancient Roman god: his two festivals, called Consualia, on August 21 and December 15, are marked in the oldest Roman calendar.… -
Corybantes (CORIBANTI)
CORYBANTES. - Minor Greek divinities, perhaps pre-Hellenic, originally from Phrygia. The Greeks called them either autochthonous, or sons… -
Cosmogony (COSMOGONIA)
COSMOGONY. - It is the body of doctrines that explain the origin and formation of the universe. The problem of the origin of the world and… -
Cronie
CRONIE. - Festivals in honor of Cronus in which social distinctions were abolished. We know of them in Attica, in Thebes, with a musical… -
Cult Of Fire (FUOCO, CULTO DEL)
CULT OF FIRE. — The importance of fire for human life explains the formation and development, among many ancient and modern peoples, of a… -
Cult of Stones (PIETRA, CULTO DELLA)
CULT OF STONES. - The cult of the stone is universal and is found either in practice or in a state of survival in every latitude. A stone… -
Cult of the Sovereign (SOVRANO, CULTO DEL)
CULT OF THE SOVEREIGN. - In primitive groupings the head of the community holds the double function of king and priest (magician,… -
Cumont, Franz-Valéry-Marie
CUMONT, FRANZ-VALÉRY-MARIE. - Archaeologist and historian of religions, b. at Alost (Belgium) on 3 Jan. 1868, d. at Woluwe (Brussels) on 20… -
Curetes (CURETI)
CURETES. - Minor Greek deities; believed to be autochthonous or sons of Zeus, worshipped especially in Crete, where they were said to have… -
Cybele (CIBELE)
CYBELE. - Under the name Κυβέλη, Κυβήβη, Κυβηλίς and similar forms, there appears in Greece, as early as the times of Hipponax of Ephesus… -
Dactyli (DATTILI)
DACTYLI. - Divinità minori della religione greca, al seguito di Cibele e di Rea, probabilmente preellenici, frigi o cretesi. Erano mitici… -
Damia (Δαμιά) (DÀMIA (ΔΑΜΊΑ))
DAMIA (Δαμιά). - Greek goddess worshipped together with Auxesia. They had a cult at Aegina, at Troezen, where the festival of the… -
Daphnephoria (DAFNEFORIE)
DAPHNEPHORIA. - Festivals in honor of Apollo, celebrated in various cities of Greece. At Thebes a procession was held, preceded by a boy… -
Day of Atonement (ESPIAZIONE, GIORNO DELL')
DAY OF ATONEMENT. - Solemn day of penance in the religion of Israel, called hippâr. There is disagreement of views on the meaning of the… -
Dea Dia
DEA DIA. - A very ancient Roman divinity, as can be deduced from certain elements of her cult, such as the absolute prohibition against… -
Dedication of the Temple (Heb. Hānuk-Kāh) (DEDICAZIONE DEL TEMPIO (EBR. HĀNUK-KĀH))
DEDICATION OF THE TEMPLE (Heb. Hānuk-Kāh). - A Jewish feast, which takes place on the 25th of the month of casleu, corresponding to… -
Deet (Deet) (DÉET (DÉET))
DEET (DEET). - An archaic Egyptian form (d.t.; Coptic tē) designating the underworld. In the primitive age the Egyptians, seeing the stars… -
Defissione
DEFIXIO. - From de-figere "to fasten down" (in Greek κατάδεσμος from καταδεῖν "to bind down") it is the magical action that intends to… -
Delphi, Oracle of (DELFI, ORACOLO DI)
DELPHI, Oracle of. - It is the principal oracle of Greece, situated in Phocis, at 573 m. above sea level, on the southern slope of… -
Demetra
DEMETRA. - Greek goddess. For Homer and Hesiod she is the goddess of farmers, of fields and of harvests; bread is her gift, and… -
Demonology (DEMONOLOGIA)
DEMONOLOGY. - D. studies the beliefs concerning spirits or demons. Primitive peoples imagine that everything lives insofar as it is endowed… -
Dharma
DHARMA. - This Sanskrit word, etymologically connected with the Latin firmu-s, is one of the richest in meanings: statute, custom, law,… -
Dharma-Śāstra
DHARMA-ŚĀSTRA. - These are "treatises of law," sacred and profane, composed in verse, ordinarily śloka. They derive for the most part from… -
Diana
DIANA. - Goddess of the ancient Roman and Italic religion. A large number of scholars hold that she is an originally Italic divinity who… -
Diasie
DIASIE. - An ancient Athenian popular festival celebrated on the 23rd of Anthesterion (March) in honor of Zeus Meilichios. The victims… -
Dikr
DIKR. - In Arabic "mention"; it is the glorification of Allah carried out through the litanic repetition of certain words or phrases. The… -
Dionysus (Diónysos, Diónysos) (DIONISO (ΔΙΌΝΥΣΟΣ, ΔΙΌΝΥΣΟΣ))
DIONYSUS (Diónysos, Diónysos). - Greek divinity: "the god of ecstasy and terror, of frenzy and exhilarating intoxication, the mad god whose… -
Dioscuri (Didachúra) (DIOSCURI (ΔΙΔΑΧΟΎΡΑ))
DIOSCURI (Didachúra). - Greek divinities: they were twins, Castor and Pollux, young and very beautiful, sons of Zeus and of Leda, brothers… -
Dipolie (Διπύλια) (DIIPOLIE (ΔΙΠΎΛΙΑ))
DIPOLIE (Διπύλια). - A festival of the Athenian calendar that fell on the 13th day of the month Scirophorion (= June 29). It was dedicated… -
Dis Pater
DIS PATER. - A figure of Roman religion of very slight interest. Son of Saturn and Ops, he received as his lot the underground kingdom,… -
Divalia
DIVALIA. - It is the name of the festivals, known to the most ancient calendar, in honor of the very ancient goddess Angerona, which fell… -
Dodona (ΔΩΔΏΝΗ), Oracle of (DODONA (ΔΩΔΏΝΗ), ORACOLO DI)
DODONA (ΔΩΔΏΝΗ), Oracle of. - In Epirus, in the present-day valley of Olytsika. Certainly the most ancient oracle of Greece. From the… -
Doppio
DOPPIO. - With this term the Egyptologist G. Maspero designated an incorporeal entity, called ka by the ancient Egyptians, which… -
Druids and Druidism (DRÚIDI E DRUIDISMO)
DRUIDS AND DRUIDISM. - From the Celtic druis (dru- intensive and "vids" seer: "he who is very wise"; cf. Irish sui, Welsh syw with the same… -
Dryads (DRIADI)
DRYADS. - Minor Greek divinities. They are the nymphs of trees; they play with Pan, the satyrs and the fauns. Generally they were not… -
Dupuis, Charles-François
DUPUIS, CHARLES-FRANÇOIS. - French scholar and politician, b. at Trie-Château (Oise) on 16 Oct. 1742, d. at Is-sur-Tille (Côte d'Or) on 29… -
Durga (DURGÀ)
DURGA. - D. "the Inaccessible," is one of the most common names of Umā, the consort of the god Śiva, also called Devī, the goddess par… -
Dusares (Arabic Dā Šarā) (DUSARES (ARABO DÁ ŠARÁ))
DUSARES (Arabic Dā Šarā). - A deity of the ancient Arabs, especially venerated by the Nabataeans of Petra: the inscriptions of Petra and of… -
Dyāuṣ Pitā (DYĀUŠ PITĀ)
DYĀUṢ PITĀ. - The idea of Heaven as father, d. p., which anticipates that of the heavenly Father, goes back to Indo-European unity, as is… -
Écaté
ÉCATÉ. - Minor divinity of Greek religion; according to some, of Carian origin. Homer does not know her; Hesiod calls her daughter of the… -
Eleusinian Mysteries (ELEUSINI, MISTERI)
ELEUSINIAN MYSTERIES. - They were celebrated at Eleusis (today Lefsina), a village 22 km. north-west of Athens. They were dedicated to… -
Enlil
ENLIL. - Second god of the Mesopotamian divine triad, composed of Anu, god of the sky, of E., and of Ea, god of water. He was the principal… -
Eos
EOS. - For the Greeks she was the personification of dawn. She dwelt in the Ocean or in the unknown and distant East. She is represented as… -
Equirria (EQUIRRIE)
EQUIRRIA. - Due feste del più antico calendario romano, il 27 febbr. e il 14 marzo, portano questo nome a sono rispettivamente l'ultima e… -
Era
HERA. - Wife of Zeus, one of the most important Greek divinities. Her nature is debated: a chthonic goddess, or of the lunar light, or of… -
Eretteo
ERETTEO. - Eroe attico, mitico re d'Atene, nato dalla Terra a allevato da Atena nel proprio tempio. Gli antichi ed alcuni moderni lo hanno… -
Erinnyes (ERINNI)
ERINNYES. - Minor Greek divinities, whose nature and the etymology of whose name are obscure and uncertain: they would be personifications… -
Eschatology (ESCATOLOGIA)
ESCHATOLOGY. - From ἔσχατος, "last," and λόγος, it is the doctrine concerning the final end of humanity. It is generally distinguished into… -
Eshmon (ESMÓN)
ESHMON. - Dio principale della città fenicia di Sidone, identificato dai Greci costantemente con il loro Asclepio. L'etimologia del nome E.… -
Etruscans, Religion of the (ETRUSCHI, RELIGIONE DEGLI)
ETRUSCANS, RELIGION OF THE. - The religion, and in particular the religious thought, of the Etruscan people - which flourished in central… -
Eumenides (EUMENIDI)
EUMENIDES. - Minor Greek divinities identified with the Erinyes (v.), although some of the ancients considered them different. They are… -
Evil Eye (MALOCCHIO)
EVIL EYE. - A superstitious popular belief suggested by instinctive impression or by chance unfortunate coincidences, by which it is held… -
Evocation (EVOCAZIONE)
EVOCATION. - From Lat. evocatio: a magical rite by means of which either a soul from the underworld or a deity from its seat is summoned.… -
Exorcism (ESORCISMO)
EXORCISM. - I. AMONG PRIMITIVE PEOPLES. - A lustratory rite by which, using formulas, gestures and objects, and the invocation of a being… -
Faunus (FAUNO)
FAUNUS. - A very ancient Italic deity, later identified with the Greek Pan. He was the beneficent spirit of the mountains, the countryside… -
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… -
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… -
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… -
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… -
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,… -
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… -
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… -
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… -
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… -
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… -
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… -
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… -
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…