Mithila

The capital of the kingdom of Videha, since ancient times a center of learning and brahminical culture.

(See also: Mithila, Bhakti, Bhakti Yoga, Bhakti Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

KELTOI: The Greek name for the ancient Celts. Greek writings give us our first glimpse into the culture of the Celtic people dating from around 700 BCE.

(See also: KELTOI, Witchcraft, Wicca, Paganism, Pagan Dictionary)

CELTIC RECONSTRUCTIONISM: A more culturally specific and historically based path which seeks to recreate the religion of the ancient Celtic peoples of Western Europe and the British Isles. It embodies a strong reverence for nature.

(See also: CELTIC RECONSTRUCTIONISM, Pagan Organisations, Paganism, Pagan Dictionary, Wicca, )

KABALA, KABBALA: A body of occult philosophy, doctrines, and magickal and mystical lore derived from certain Jewish rabbinical texts, probably originating in early Chaldean and other Mesopotamian cultures, possibly including ancient Egypt. Also known as Cabala, Cabbala, Qabala, Qabbalah.

(See also: KABALA, KABBALA, Magickal Traditions, Magickal Paths, Paganism, Pagan Dictionary)

CABALA, CABBALA: A body of occult philosophy, doctrines, and magickal and mystical lore derived from certain Jewish rabbinical texts, probably originating in early Chaldean and other Mesopotamian cultures, possibly including ancient Egypt. Also known as Kabala, Qabala, Qabbalah.

(See also: CABALA, CABBALA, Magickal Traditions, Magickal Paths, Paganism, Pagan Dictionary)

CELTIC RECONSTRUCTIONISM: A culturally specific and historically based pagan path that attempts to recreate the religion of the ancient Celtic peoples of Western Europe and the British Isles. It embodies a strong reverence for nature.

(See also: CELTIC RECONSTRUCTIONISM, Magickal Traditions, Magickal Paths, Paganism, Pagan Dictionary)

QABALA, QABBALAH: A body of occult philosophy, doctrines, and magickal and mystical lore derived from certain Jewish rabbinical texts, probably originating in early Chaldean and other Mesopotamian cultures, possibly including ancient Egypt. Also known as Cabala, Cabbala, Kabala.

(See also: QABALA, QABBALAH, Magickal Traditions, Magickal Paths, Paganism, Pagan Dictionary)

Eridu One of the oldest seats of religious culture in ancient Babylonia, located a few miles SSW of Ur in Chaldea, and mentioned in ancient records as the city of the deep. In it was a temple of Ea, god of the sea and of wisdom. Rediscovered in 1854, it is now about 120 miles from the Persian Gulf, though spoken of in old records as being on the shore; calculations based on the rate of alluvial deposition places its date in the seventh millennium BC. Sayce, by comparing the Akkadian calendar with the present position of the vernal equinox, gives a date going back to 4700 BC.

(See also: Eridu, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

Etruscans An ancient Italian people predating the Romans. Among the older Greek historians there is mention of Tyrrhenoi or Tyrsenoi, and of a king of Lydia named Tyrrhenos who led a Pelasgian colony to Umbria. Roman history describes a mixed population, Etrusci, Tusci, or (by their own name) Rasenna, formed by immigrants from Asia and from over the Alps, still preserving much of their ancient culture amid corrupted habits, and diffusing it to other Italian peoples.

Throughout Roman history Etruria and the Etruscans were looked upon by virtually all classes of peoples under the sway of Rome as being the seat and the exponents of magic, profound mystical thought, and esoteric philosophy; and as the Romans knew much more about those so close to their own time than modern scholarship does, this manner of viewing the ancient Etruscans cannot be set aside lightly.

(See also: Etruscans, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

Poseidonis Plato's Timaeus gives a story related to Solon by Egyptian priests, that a great island called Atlantis with a numerous population and a high culture, once existed west of the Pillars of Hercules and opposite Mt. Atlas.

The name Poseidonis is given to this island in The Secret Doctrine, and it is said to have sunk in 9564 BC (ML 151). This last remnant in the Atlantic Ocean of the originally vast Atlantean continent, was said by ancient Mediterranean writers such as Plato to have been approximately the size of Ireland and, due to the wickedness of its otherwise highly civilized inhabitants, to have been swallowed up and submerged by the ocean in a night and a day.

Stories in ancient Sanskrit literature about Sankha-dvipa refer to the catastrophe which befell the great Atlantean continent, as well as its last island-remnant.

(See also: Poseidonis, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

Numa Second of the so-called legendary kings of ancient Rome who, with Romulus, belongs to the class of eponymous ancestors, heroes, and instructors seen by us but dimly, which are met with in the traditional history of so many peoples.

In Numa's case there has undoubtedly been considerable adaptation, even among the ancients themselves, as to dates, localities, and other accessories, due to the requirements of historians who were compiling a consecutive account of their people's ancestry and beginnings. It may even be that Numa is a generic name, standing for a dynasty or class of teachers, much as the names Solomon and Zoroaster did.

The fables and mythoi that have come down to us about Numa show him to be one of those early initiated founders of civilizations and culture. Among all Romans, ancient and later, he was universally respected and regarded almost as the father of Latin civilization. As Romulus represents conquering might, so Numa stands for a succeeding period of consolidation and instruction. He is the teacher, not only of religion but of scientific arts.

Tradition connects him with Pythagoras and the Etruscan hierophants. Romulus suggests the attributes of Aries, the first sign of the zodiac and the house of Mars; while Numa suggests the next sign, Taurus, a quiet sign under Venus and the Moon. He was the lawgiver, representing the second stage in the formation of a culture.

(See also: Numa, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary)

OSIRIS

 King, judge and reincarnator of the dead (via the metamorphosis of earth). That he is a "Dark God" is one of the ancient mysteries. One of his aspects is the jackal god of the dead, Anubis. With Set he completes the universal pair of conflicting brothers, representing culture and freedom. It is important to realize that these things take place away from the sun. For these and other reasons, Osiris is generally thought of as the God of "Black Magic" and "The Occult," who has been cut up into many pieces and buried (i.e., "hidden"). Only Isis is able to put him back together again.

(See also: OSIRIS, Magick, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul, )

Demigods One of the orders of semi-divine instructors, spiritual beings in human form. Herodotus, among other Greek writers, speaks of humanity being ruled successively by gods, demigods, heroes, and men. The Lemuro-Atlanteans were among the first who had a dynasty of spirit-kings, highly evolved living devas or demigods.

There are the Chinese demigods, Chin-nanga and Chan-gy, the Peruvian Manco-Capac, the Hindu rishis, and the demigods popularized among the ancient Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians. In the Golden Age of Saturnus all people were said to have been demigods, and many of the figures in mythology who seem at one moment historical characters and at another gods or symbols, were actually demigods who once dwelt among mankind, founding new cultures, instructing and guiding humanity, and revealing all the arts and sciences.

As examples of demigods who actually descended and taught the human race in historic and prehistoric times, one may cite Osiris, the first Zoroaster, Krishna, and Moses.

(See also: Demigods, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

Definition and meaning of Renaissance:

Renaissance

The Renaissance was the major cultural movement in Europe during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries that began in the city-states of Italy and spread to other parts of the continent. Sharing a "rebirth" of interest in the classical civilizations of ancient Greece and Rome, many artists of the period produced notable works in painting, sculpture, architecture, writing, and music.

(Source: Madrid Waddington High School )

Also see these pages:  American History, American History Sitemap, History, History Sitemap

Pali The language spoken in the north of India from and before the 7th century BC to about the 5th century AD. It is still the literary sacred language of Burma, Thailand, and Ceylon. There were two factors which made Pali one of the most important literary languages of the world: first, with the rise of the Kosalas into a kingdom, the language of its capital (Savatthi, in Nepal) become the form of speech almost universally adopted. Secondly, Gautama Buddha, being of Kosalan by birth, probably used the Pali language in giving forth his teachings, and therefore the subsequent philosophical writings of his disciples were similarly couched in this language.

Sanskrit, on the other hand, "was really the sacred language of the Brahmanas and held more or less private or secret by them. The Sanskrit even in those ancient times was the vehicle for the archaic Wisdom-teachings of the Aryan peoples of India, such as the Vedas, and the Puranas, and the Upanishads, and the great epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. But Pali was one of several other languages of culture in ancient India, all which were of so-called Prakrit character, although very little is known about these other literary languages. Pali has survived to the present time because . . . it became the linguistic vehicle in which were enshrined the teachings of Buddhism, i.e., of Southern Buddhism, much as Latin has survived because enshrining the teachings of early medieval Christianity. Just as there were in ancient Italy many other Italic tongues, each one having its literary or cultured form, and likewise its popular idiom, so was it in ancient India.

"Pali is not a 'washed-out Sanskrit.' Sanskrit was rather a mystery-language which was 'composed' or 'builded up' to perfection by initiates of the Sanctuaries; and because it was thus constructed into an almost perfect expression of human thought, at least for that day, it was called samskrita, which means 'composed,' 'constructed.' Thus Pali is not a true child of Sanskrit, but is and was the literary form of one of the ancient languages of India popularly spoken over an apparently wide stretch of the Indian Peninsula, . . ." (SOPh 694-5).

In the 3rd century BC the language used throughout Northern India was practically one, and it was derived directly from the speech of the Vedic Aryans, retaining many Vedic forms lost in the later classical Sanskrit. The basis of the language used in the Buddhist canon was that used in Ujjayini, the capital of the Avanti district. The chief doctrines of Buddhism are recorded in the works known as the Suttas (Sutras in Sanskrit) -- there being four Nikayas consisting of 16 volumes; the fifth Nikaya being the Jatakas (birth stories).

(See also: Pali, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

Ur 'ur (Chaldean?) Light, city of light; a town famous in ancient times as one of the chief seats of lunar worship in Babylonia, being an important center of the worship of the masculine god of the moon. It was commonly called among the Chaldeans 'ur khasdim (Ur of the Chaldeans).

The meaning of city of light is not merely that it was a town which revered the light of the moon, but refers to ceremonials of occult instruction and initiation which evidently were conducted in this ancient place. Ur is supposed to be the capital of the Sumerian civilization, situated on the south bank of the Euphrates near the Persian Gulf. More than 5,000 years ago it had reached a highly advanced cultural and commercial prominence.

Positive proof was found at Ur of a flood which completely broke up the continuity of the history of the Mesopotamian plain dwellers, and which confirms the Babylonian, Sumerian, and Biblical traditions of a devastating flood, though of course it was only a local catastrophe. Christian Biblical scholars generally believe that Abraham's birth in "Ur of the Chaldees" took place about 1900 or 2000 BC, but the excavations have produced nothing referable to him.

(See also: Ur 'ur, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Body mind and Soul)

White hair

 White-haired characters are archetypal figures of wisdom in most cases. This includes most cultural imagery. It is one of the few dream symbols that seems universal.

 A 42-year-old woman reports dreaming: Three old women enter my room to tell me Methuselah [a legendary 969-year-old man of great wisdom] is coming to see me. I am interested, but fall asleep. They wake me later and scold me, telling me I missed him. I am crushed, because I?ve always been fascinated with Methuselah.

 In this dream, the old women have particular knowledge about an ancient, wise figure that they offer to share. However, the dreamer does not fulfil her obligation to the knowledge that was offered to her, and so it was not received. She felt responsible for missing the chance to gain wisdom by giving in to laziness.

Source: iVillage, http://www.ivillage.co.uk

(See also: Dream Archives, Meaning of Dreams, Dream Interpretation, Dream Dictionary, Dream Dictionary - White hair, Meaning of Dreams about White hair, Dream Interpretation White hair)

White hair

 White-haired characters are archetypal figures of wisdom in most cases. This includes most cultural imagery. It is one of the few dream symbols that seems universal.

 A 42-year-old woman reports dreaming: Three old women enter my room to tell me Methuselah [a legendary 969-year-old man of great wisdom] is coming to see me. I am interested, but fall asleep. They wake me later and scold me, telling me I missed him. I am crushed, because I?ve always been fascinated with Methuselah.

 In this dream, the old women have particular knowledge about an ancient, wise figure that they offer to share. However, the dreamer does not fulfil her obligation to the knowledge that was offered to her, and so it was not received. She felt responsible for missing the chance to gain wisdom by giving in to laziness.

Source: iVillage, http://www.ivillage.co.uk

(See also: Dream Archives, Meaning of Dreams, Dream Interpretation, Dream Dictionary, Dream Dictionary - White hair, Meaning of Dreams about White hair, Dream Interpretation White hair)

Definition and meaning of European Renaissance and Reformations

European Renaissance and Reformations - [World History]

The Renaissance in Europe began about 1350 and continued through 1600 A.D. The era was a revival of the art, architecture, thought, and culture of ancient Greece and Rome. Buildings, ideology, sculpture, education, and philosophy reflected the influences of Greece and Rome. In contrast to the Middle Ages, the Renaissance was an era when scientific, artistic, and intellectual thought expanded. Reform movements challenged political or ecclesiastical authority. The reform efforts of Martin Luther in 1517 contributed to the split of the Roman Catholic Church and the development of Protestantism. The effort to reform the church was called the Protestant Reformation. A Counter Reformation, or Catholic Reformation, was launched by those loyal to Roman Catholicism. The church revived the Inquisition, a court established in the 13th century to try cases of heresy, in an attempt to limit the spread of Protestantism by destroying the opposition. The Inquisition was most active in Spain, Portugal, and Italy, and it continued in Spain until the 19th century.

(Source: The Social Studies Center at Texas University )

Also see these pages:  Social Studies, Social Studies Sitemap, History, History Sitemap

Definition and meaning of European Renaissance and Reformations

European Renaissance and Reformations - [World History]

The Renaissance in Europe began about 1350 and continued through 1600 A.D. The era was a revival of the art, architecture, thought, and culture of ancient Greece and Rome. Buildings, ideology, sculpture, education, and philosophy reflected the influences of Greece and Rome. In contrast to the Middle Ages, the Renaissance was an era when scientific, artistic, and intellectual thought expanded. Reform movements challenged political or ecclesiastical authority. The reform efforts of Martin Luther in 1517 contributed to the split of the Roman Catholic Church and the development of Protestantism. The effort to reform the church was called the Protestant Reformation. A Counter Reformation, or Catholic Reformation, was launched by those loyal to Roman Catholicism. The church revived the Inquisition, a court established in the 13th century to try cases of heresy, in an attempt to limit the spread of Protestantism by destroying the opposition. The Inquisition was most active in Spain, Portugal, and Italy, and it continued in Spain until the 19th century.

(Source: The Social Studies Center at Texas University )

Also see these pages:  Social Studies, Social Studies Sitemap, History, History Sitemap