The verb blóta meant to "strengthen" and the intention was to strengthen the powers (gods and Elves). The most powerful means was the sacrificed object or being. It was usually animals and in particular pigs and horses. The meat was boiled in large cooking pits with heated stones, either indoors or outdoors. The blood was considered to contain special powers and it was sprinkled on the statues of the gods, on th ...

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Blót, Blót - Rites and beliefs, Blót - Dates for the blóts, Blót - Locations, Blót - Uppsala Sweden, Blót - Gotland, Blót - Lejre Denmark, Blót - Mære Norway, Blót - Elven blót, Blót - The Völse blót, Blót - Later times, Blót - Sources

Read more here: » Blót: Encyclopedia II - Blót - Rites and beliefs

The first process in the generation of lightning is the forcible separation of positive and negative charge carriers within a cloud or air. The mechanism by which this happens is still the subject of research, but one widely accepted theory is the polarisation mechanism. This mechanism has two components: the first is that falling droplets of ice and rain become electrically polarised as they fall through the atmosphere's natural electric field, and the second is that colliding ice particles become charged by electrostatic induction. Once ch ...

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Lightning, Lightning - Early lightning research, Lightning - Modern research, Lightning - How lightning is formed, Lightning - Types of lightning, Lightning - Intracloud lightning sheet lightning anvil crawlers, Lightning - Cloud-to-ground lightning anvil lightning, Lightning - Bead lightning ribbon lightning staccato lightning, Lightning - Cloud-to-cloud lightning, Lightning - Ground-to-cloud lightning, Lightning - Heat lightning or summer lightning, Lightning - Ball lightning, Lightning - Sprites elves jets and other upper atmospheric lightning, Lightning - Streak lightning, Lightning - Triggered lightning, Lightning - Lightning throughout the Solar System, Lightning - Lightning safety, Lightning - Facts and Trivia

Read more here: » Lightning: Encyclopedia II - Lightning - How lightning is formed

The first edition of Blood Bowl was released in 1987 and was a simple game that used many of the elements of Games Workshop's tabletop games such as a "wounds" allowances that permitted players to remain active until it reached zero, and psychology including fear and hatred. The representations of players contained in the first edition boxed set were small pieces of cardboard illustrated with the picture of the player it indicated. A second edition was released in 1988 that began to move Blood Bowl away from the battlefield mechanics ...

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Blood Bowl, Blood Bowl - Game basics, Blood Bowl - Fluff, Blood Bowl - History, Blood Bowl - Leagues and tournaments, Blood Bowl - Online Blood Bowl Leagues

Read more here: » Blood Bowl: Encyclopedia II - Blood Bowl - History

Desperate for pupils onto whom he could pass his knowledge, and unwilling to wait for the emergence of the Children of Ilúvatar, Aulë created his own race of beings, the Dwarves. However, he did not have a clear idea of what the Children of Ilúvatar would be like, and because of the presence of the chaos caused by Melkor, Aulë made the dwarves strong and unyielding, and not willing to endure the domination of others, as well as embodying some of his values and desires for Middle-earth. However Aulë did not have the power to give independent life to h ...

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Aulë, Aulë - Aulë and the Creation of the Dwarves, Aulë - Maiar Associated with Aulë

Read more here: » Aulë: Encyclopedia II - Aulë - Aulë and the Creation of the Dwarves

Dark elf - Middle-earth. In J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth, the Moriquendi—the Elves of Darkness—are, in essence, the Elves that did not join the Great Journey over the sea and behold the light of the Two Trees in Valinor. The term "Dark Elf" in Tolkien's writing seems to hold an additional special meaning, as it is given as a special title of Eöl of Nan Elmoth. Eöl wears dark black armor, carries a dark black sword, is dark hearted (a villain), and spends a lot of time with Dwarves, underground, in the dark. His title is therefore quite fitting. < ...

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Dark elf, Dark elf - Dark elves in mythology and folklore, Dark elf - Norse/Germanic mythology, Dark elf - Celtic mythology, Dark elf - British Isles folklore, Dark elf - Dark elves in fiction, Dark elf - Middle-earth, Dark elf - Dungeons & Dragons, Dark elf - Record of Lodoss War, Dark elf - Shadowrun, Dark elf - Warhammer Fantasy, Dark elf - WarCraft, Dark elf - The Elder Scrolls, Dark elf - Final Fantasy IV, Dark elf - Age of Wonders, Dark elf - Lineage, Dark elf - Sacred, Dark elf - Mega Man Zero, Dark elf - Arcanum, Dark elf - Midkemia, Dark elf - Famous Dark Elves in fiction, Dark elf - Malus Darkblade, Dark elf - Drizzt Do'Urden

Read more here: » Dark elf: Encyclopedia II - Dark elf - Dark elves in fiction

The book begins with the Ajihad's death, Murtagh and the Twins' capture (Murtagh and the Twins are captured and thrown into the pit of doom, supposedly dead,) and the election of a new leader of the Varden - Nasuada, to whom Eragon swears fealty. Meanwhile, in Carvahall, Roran is being pursued by Galbatorix who has sent the Ra'zac to capture him and thus lure Eragon out. After repelling many attacks, they manage to drive the army away but Katrina, Roran's fianceé, is captured. They decide to leave Carvahall and travel to Surda. By that time ...

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Eldest, Eldest - Plot synopsis, Eldest - Publishers in other countries, Eldest - Characters, Eldest - List of chapters

Read more here: » Eldest: Encyclopedia II - Eldest - Plot synopsis

When Snorri Sturluson composed the Prose Edda in 13th century Iceland the pagan gods were still remembered despite more than two centuries of Christianity. Snorri introduces Freyr as one of the major gods. Njörðr í Nóatúnum gat síðan tvau börn, hét sonr Freyr en dóttir Freyja. Þau váru fögr álitum ok máttug. Freyr er hinn ágætasti af ásum. Hann ræðr fyrir regni ok skini sólar, ok þar með ávexti jarðar, ok á hann er gott at heita til árs ok friðar. Hann ræðr ok fésælu mann ...

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Freyr, Freyr - Adam of Bremen, Freyr - The Prose Edda, Freyr - The Poetic Edda, Freyr - Skírnismál, Freyr - Skaldic poetry, Freyr - Heimskringla, Freyr - Icelanders' sagas, Freyr - Gesta Danorum, Freyr - Other traditions, Freyr - Ballad of Veraldur, Freyr - Possible Later Survivals, Freyr - Notes

Read more here: » Freyr: Encyclopedia II - Freyr - The Prose Edda

Author J. R. R. Tolkien created many languages for Elves to complement his books set in the fictional universe of Middle-earth. His interest was primarily philological, and he said his stories grew out of his languages. Indeed, the languages were the first thing Tolkien ever created for his mythos, starting with "Qenya", the first primitive form of elvish. This is now one of the two most complete - Quenya (High-elven) and Sindarin (Grey-elven). In addition to t ...

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Elvish languages, Elvish languages - Elvish languages of Middle-earth, Elvish languages - Pronunciation, Elvish languages - Other Elvish languages, Elvish languages - Trivia

Read more here: » Elvish languages: Encyclopedia II - Elvish languages - Elvish languages of Middle-earth

Theurgist. The first school of practical theurgy (from qeod, god, and ergon work,) in the Christian period, was founded by Iamblichus among certain Alexandrian Platonists.

The priests, however, who were attached to the temples of Egypt, Assyria, Babylonia and Greece, and whose business it was to evoke the gods during the celebration of the Mysteries, were known by this name, or its equivalent in other tongues, from the earliest archaic period. Spirits (but not those of the dead, the evocation of which was called Necromancy) were made visible to the eyes of mortals.

Thus a theurgist had to be a hierophant and an expert in the esoteric learning of the Sanctuaries of all great countries. The Neo-platonists of the school of Iamblichus were called theurgists, for they performed the so-called "ceremonial magic", and evoked the simulacra or the images of the ancient heroes, "gods", and daimonia (daimovia, divine, spiritual entities). In the rare cases when the presence of a tangible and visible " spirit " was required, the theurgist had to furnish the weird apparition with a portion of his own flesh and blood - he had to perform the thepœa or the "creation of gods", by a mysterious process well known to the old, and perhaps some of the modern, Tantrikas and initiated Brahmans of India. Such is what is said in the Book of Evocations of the pagodas. It shows the perfect identity of rites and ceremonial between the oldest Brahmanic theurgy and that of the Alexandrian Platonists.

The following is from Isis Unveiled: "The Brahman Grihasta (the evocator) must be in a state of complete purity before he ventures to call forth the Pitris. After having prepared a lamp, some sandal-incense, etc., and having traced the magic circles taught him by the superior Guru, in order to keep away bad spirits, he ceases to breathe, and calls the fire (Kundalini) to his help to disperse his body."

He pronounces a certain number of times the sacred word, and " his soul (astral body) escapes from its prison, his body disappears, and the soul (image) of the evoked spirit descends into the double body and animates it". Then "his (the theurgist’s) soul (astral) re-enters its body, whose subtile particles have again been aggregating (to the objective sense), after having formed from themselves an aerial body for the deva (god or spirit) he evoked And then, the operator propounds to the latter questions "on the mysteries of Being and the transformation of the imperishable ".

The popular prevailing idea is that the theurgists, as well as the magicians, worked wonders, such as evoking the souls or shadows of the heroes and gods, and other thaumaturgic works, by super natural powers. But this never was the fact. They did it simply by the liberation of their own astral body, which, taking the form of a god or hero, served as a medium or vehicle through which the special current preserving the ideas and knowledge of that hero or god could be reached and manifested. (See "Iamblichus".)

(See also: Theurgist , Theosophy, Spirituality, Body mind and Soul, Spiritual Dictionary,)

For more dictionary entries, see » Elves Dictionary

Born at the refuge of the Mouths of Sirion soon before its destruction by the sons of Fëanor, Elrond and his brother, Elros, are captured alive. Their parents fear that they will be killed, but instead they are taken up by the brothers Maedhros and Maglor. Maglor eventually releases them out of pity. Elrond goes to Lindon with the household of Gil-galad, the last High King of the Ñoldor, when Beleriand is destroyed at the end of the First Age, choosing (like his parents but unlike his brother) to be counted among the Elves when the cho ...

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Elrond, Elrond - Books, Elrond - Line of the Half-elven, Elrond - Portrayal in adaptations, Elrond - External link

Read more here: » Elrond: Encyclopedia II - Elrond - Books

Most critical observers, and the scientific mainstream, are convinced that crop circles are sniggles or hoaxes engineered by humans. This explanation, supported by the documentation produced by some crop-circle hoaxers, has the advantage of not requiring us first to assume the existence of flying saucers or other as-yet-unobserved phenomena. However, there are many contending hypotheses which assume that at least some crop circles are not the products of mundane hoaxers; these hypotheses vary in their degree of scientific rigor, b ...

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Crop circle, Crop circle - History of crop circles, Crop circle - Crop circle designs, Crop circle - Contending beliefs, Crop circle - Hoaxed circles, Crop circle - Response to these claims, Crop circle - Advertising, Crop circle - Conclusions, Crop circle - Similar phenomena, Crop circle - In fiction

Read more here: » Crop circle: Encyclopedia II - Crop circle - Contending beliefs

There are numerous Elvis impersonators, some of the most notable are: Elvis impersonator - Andy Kaufman. Andy Kaufman was one of the first (if not the first) Elvis impersonator. In his act he would use his famous "Latka" voice while dressed in the 1970s Elvis style jumpsuits to discourage guests and attendants only to reveal that he has singing and guitar playing talents. As Kaufman gained fame, the act was used less and less. Elvis impersonator - Bruce Atkinson. Bruce "Elvis Senior" Atkinson is both a professional poker player ...

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Elvis impersonator, Elvis impersonator - Contests Festivals and Events, Elvis impersonator - North America, Elvis impersonator - Europe, Elvis impersonator - Australia, Elvis impersonator - Elvis Tribute Radio, Elvis impersonator - Notable impersonators, Elvis impersonator - Andy Kaufman, Elvis impersonator - Bruce Atkinson, Elvis impersonator - Deke Rivers, Elvis impersonator - Eilert Pilarm, Elvis impersonator - Elvis For Peace, Elvis impersonator - Elvis Phuong, Elvis impersonator - Extreme Elvis, Elvis impersonator - Francis Lane, Elvis impersonator - Kevin Doyle, Elvis impersonator - Marco Tulio Sánchez B., Elvis impersonator - Martin Fox, Elvis impersonator - Mike Albert, Elvis impersonator - Tagish Elvis, Elvis impersonator - Terry Buchwald, Elvis impersonator - Tortelvis

Read more here: » Elvis impersonator: Encyclopedia II - Elvis impersonator - Notable impersonators

Main articles: Old Uppsala and Temple at Uppsala. The German chronicler Adam of Bremen has described how it was done at the Temple at Uppsala at Old Uppsala in Sweden, ca 1070: Thor was the most powerful god and ruled over thunder and lightning, wind and rain, sunshine and crops. He sat in the centre with a sceptre (Mjolnir) in his hand, and on each side were Odin, the god of war, in full armour and Frey, the god of peace and love, attributed with an enormous erected phallus. All the pagan gods have their priests w ...

See also:

Blót, Blót - Rites and beliefs, Blót - Dates for the blóts, Blót - Locations, Blót - Uppsala, Sweden, Blót - Gotland, Blót - Lejre, Denmark, Blót - Mære, Norway, Blót - Elven blót, Blót - The Völse blót, Blót - Later times, Blót - Sources

Read more here: » Blót: Encyclopedia II - Blót - Uppsala, Sweden

Like most RPG games, characters in MU can use many different kinds of magic and special abilities. Each character has its own set of spells and some weapons may be enchanted in order to provide the character with a specific spell. Casting a spell costs MP (mana, or magic point) and sometimes AG. Dark Knight character skills include Twisting Slash Skill, Impaling Skill, Inner Strength or Life Swelling, Blow, Rageful Blow, Combo Skill, and Raid (which can only be used when riding on a dinorant). There is only one shield skill that can be used called Defend. Dark Knight weapon skills include H ...

See also:

Mu Online, Mu Online - Payment, Mu Online - Story, Mu Online - Gameplay, Mu Online - Character Classes, Mu Online - Spells and Skills, Mu Online - Game World, Mu Online - Items, Mu Online - Armor Sets, Mu Online - Weapons, Mu Online - Shields, Mu Online - Wings, Mu Online - Rings and Pendants, Mu Online - Guardian Items, Mu Online - Usable Items, Mu Online - Jewels, Mu Online - Boxes, Mu Online - Events, Mu Online - Blood Castle, Mu Online - Devil Square, Mu Online - Chaos Castle, Mu Online - Valley of Loren, Mu Online - Golden Troop Invasion, Mu Online - Server Specific Events

Read more here: » Mu Online: Encyclopedia II - Mu Online - Spells and Skills

Snorri Sturluson relates of a meeting between the peasants of Trøndelag and king Haakon I of Norway, a meeting which ended in a religious feud centered around the blót. Haakon was raised at the Christian English court and had returned to claim the throne of his father Harald Fairhair (the unifier of Norway) and intended to Christianize the country. In spite of the fact that the peasants had elected Haakon king at the Ting they opposed his religious ideas. It was an old custom, that when there was to be sacrifice all the bon ...

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Blót, Blót - Rites and beliefs, Blót - Dates for the blóts, Blót - Locations, Blót - Uppsala, Sweden, Blót - Gotland, Blót - Lejre, Denmark, Blót - Mære, Norway, Blót - Elven blót, Blót - The Völse blót, Blót - Later times, Blót - Sources

Read more here: » Blót: Encyclopedia II - Blót - Mære, Norway

Prior to the publication of The Silmarillion Sauron's origins and true identity were unclear to those without full access to Tolkien's notes. In early editions of the Guide to Middle Earth, Sauron is described as "probably of the Eldar elves." Since the earliest versions of the Silmarillion legendarium as detailed in the History of Middle-earth series, Sauron has undergone many changes. The prototype of this character was Tevildo, Prince of Cats, who played the role later taken by Sauron in the earli ...

See also:

Sauron, Sauron - First Age, Sauron - Second Age, Sauron - Third Age, Sauron - Names and titles, Sauron - Appearance, Sauron - Other versions of the legendarium, Sauron - External link

Read more here: » Sauron: Encyclopedia II - Sauron - Other versions of the legendarium

Eärendil is a Quenya name, meaning 'Lover of the Sea'. However, Tolkien created the name based on Old English literature. Tolkien himself states (Letters, 297) that the name is derived from Anglo-Saxon éarendel. He says that he was struck by the "great beauty" of the name as early as 1913, which he perceived as entirely coherent with the normal style of A-S, but euphonic to a peculiar degree in that pleasing bu ...

See also:

Eärendil, Eärendil - Etymology, Eärendil - Biography, Eärendil - Line of the Half-elven

Read more here: » Eärendil: Encyclopedia II - Eärendil - Etymology

Saruman arrived alone in a ship at Mithlond (the Grey Havens) in the west of Eriador around the year 1000 of the Third Age, and only Círdan knew his identity and his origin. He went into the East of Middle-earth, as did the two Blue Wizards (Ithryn Luin). After one and a half millennia he returned to the West, just as Sauron's power was growing again in Dol Guldur. When the White Council was formed around the year 2463 of the Third Age, Saruman was appointed its leader. Even then, he had begun to sense the resurgence of Sauron ...

See also:

Saruman, Saruman - Characteristics, Saruman - Origins, Saruman - History, Saruman - Politics, Saruman - Men, Saruman - Elves, Saruman - Istari/Wizards, Saruman - Orcs, Saruman - Ents/Trees, Saruman - Hobbits, Saruman - Valar/Maiar, Saruman - Animals, Saruman - Portrayal in adaptations

Read more here: » Saruman: Encyclopedia II - Saruman - History

Early examples of this phenomenon were usually simple circular patterns of various sizes, which led some people to speculate that it was a natural phenomenon. But after some years more and more elaborate and complex geometric patterns have emerged. There have been many recurring themes over the years. In general, the early formations (1970 - 2000) seemed to be based on the principles of Sacred Geometry. Later formations, those occurring after 2000, appear to be based on other principles, natural sciences and mathematics designs, inclu ...

See also:

Crop circle, Crop circle - History of crop circles, Crop circle - Crop circle designs, Crop circle - Contending beliefs, Crop circle - Hoaxed circles, Crop circle - Advertising, Crop circle - Similar phenomena, Crop circle - In fiction

Read more here: » Crop circle: Encyclopedia II - Crop circle - Crop circle designs

The earliest recorded crop circle is supposedly depicted in a 17th Century woodcut called the Mowing-Devil. The image depicts a strange creature creating a circular design in a field of corn. The legend suggests that the farmer, disgusted at the wage his mower was demanding for his work, insisted that he would rather have the devil himself perform the task. Proponents of the belief that crop circles are either naturally caused, or are formed by as yet unknown entities, often support their viewpoint with this old tale. It is worth noti ...

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Crop circle, Crop circle - History of crop circles, Crop circle - Crop circle designs, Crop circle - Contending beliefs, Crop circle - Hoaxed circles, Crop circle - Advertising, Crop circle - Similar phenomena, Crop circle - In fiction

Read more here: » Crop circle: Encyclopedia II - Crop circle - History of crop circles

In Valinor, the land of the angelic Valar in the West, a council was called by Manwë. This was likely shortly after the defeat of Sauron by the Last Alliance. It was decided to send five emissaries to Middle Earth. These should be "mighty, peers of Sauron, yet forgo might, and clothe themselves in flesh"—Istari, or Wizards. One of those who went was Curumo (later in Sindarin Curunír, or in Westron Saruman), a powerful Maia of Aulë (just as Sauron was). Maiar were angelic creatures of the same people as the Valar, only of lower order. Together, they were the Ainur, and existed befor ...

See also:

Saruman, Saruman - Characteristics, Saruman - Origins, Saruman - History, Saruman - Politics, Saruman - Men, Saruman - Elves, Saruman - Istari/Wizards, Saruman - Orcs, Saruman - Ents/Trees, Saruman - Hobbits, Saruman - Valar/Maiar, Saruman - Animals, Saruman - Portrayal in adaptations

Read more here: » Saruman: Encyclopedia II - Saruman - Origins

Dark elf - Norse/Germanic mythology. Main articles: Svartálfar, and [[]], and [[]], and [[]] ...

See also:

Dark elf, Dark elf - Dark elves in mythology and folklore, Dark elf - Norse/Germanic mythology, Dark elf - Celtic mythology, Dark elf - British Isles folklore, Dark elf - Dark elves in fiction, Dark elf - Middle-earth, Dark elf - Dungeons & Dragons, Dark elf - Record of Lodoss War, Dark elf - Shadowrun, Dark elf - Warhammer Fantasy, Dark elf - WarCraft, Dark elf - The Elder Scrolls, Dark elf - Final Fantasy IV, Dark elf - Age of Wonders, Dark elf - Lineage, Dark elf - Sacred, Dark elf - Mega Man Zero, Dark elf - Arcanum, Dark elf - Midkemia, Dark elf - Disciples 2, Dark elf - Famous Dark Elves in fiction, Dark elf - Malus Darkblade, Dark elf - Drizzt Do'Urden

Read more here: » Dark elf: Encyclopedia II - Dark elf - Dark elves in mythology and folklore