FEASTS, see Comus.
FE′BRIS (fever), one of the evil deities, was worshipped that she might
not do harm.
FEB′RUUS. A name of Plato, from the part of the funeral rites which
consisted of purifications.
FERO′NIA, the Roman goddess of orchards, was patroness of enfranchised
slaves. Some authors think Feronia is the same as Juno.
FERTILITY, see Lupercus.
FESTIVALS, see Thalia.
FIDELITY, see Iolaus.
FI′DES, the goddess of faith and honesty, had a temple in the Capitol
of Rome.
FINE ARTS, see Minerva.
FIRE, see Salamander, Vesta, and Vulcan.
FIRE INSURANCE, see Canopus.
FISHERMAN, see Glaucus.
FLATH′-IN′NIS, in Celtic mythology, is Paradise.
FLEECE, GOLDEN, see Golden Fleece, Argonauts, and Jason.
FLIES, see Muscarius.
FLOCKS, see Pales.
FLO′RA, goddess of flowers and gardens, was wife of Zephyrus. She
enjoyed perpetual youth. Her Grecian name was Chloris.
FLORA′LIA were licentious games instituted in honour of the goddess
Flora.
FLOWERS, see Flora, Chloris, Hortensis, and Zephyrus.
FLUTE, see Marsyas.
FORTU′NA, the goddess of fortune, had a temple erected to her by
Servius Tullius. She was supposed to be able to bestow riches or
poverty on mankind, and was esteemed one of the most potent of the
ancient goddesses. She is usually represented as standing on a wheel,
with a bandage over her eyes, and holding a cornucopia.
FRAUD, one of the evil deities, was represented as a goddess with a
human face and a serpent’s body, and in the end of her tail was a
scorpion’s sting. She lived in the river Cocytus, and nothing but her
head was ever seen.
FREY′R. The Scandinavian god of fertility and peace. The patron god of
Sweden and Iceland.
FREY′JA. The Scandinavian Venus. The goddess of love.
FRI′GA. The Saxon goddess of earthly enjoyments. The name Friday is
derived from her. In Scandinavian mythology she is the goddess of
marriage.
FRO. The Scandinavian god of tempests and winds.
FROGS, see Clowns of Lycia.
FRUITS, see Ceres and Pomona.
FUNERALS, see Libitina and Manes.
FURIES, THE, were the three daughters of Acheron and Nox. They were the
punishers of evildoers. Their names were Tisiphone, Megæra, and Alecto,
and were supposed to personify rage, slaughter, and envy.
FUTURITY, see Cassandra.
GA′BRIEL, in Jewish mythology is the prince of fire and thunder, and
the angel of death to the favoured people of God.
GALATÆ′A. A sea nymph. Polyphemus, one of the Cyclops, loved her, but
she disdained his attentions and became the lover of Acis, a Sicilian
shepherd.
GALLAN′TES, madmen, from Galli (which see).
GAL′LI were priests of Cybele who used to cut their arms with knives
when they sacrificed, and acted so like madmen that demented people got
the name of Gallantes.
GAN′ESA. The Indian Mercury. The god of wisdom and prudence.
GANGA. One of the three Indian river goddesses.
GANYMEDE, a beautiful Phrygian youth, son of Tros, King of Troy. He
succeeded Hebe in the office of cup-bearer to Jupiter. He is generally
represented sitting on the back of a flying eagle.
GARDENS, see Pomona.
GATES, see Janus.
GAUTA′MA. The chief deity of Burmah.
GENII were domestic divinities. Every man was supposed to have two of
these genii accompanying him; one brought him happiness, the other
misery.
GEN′ITOR. A Lycian name of Jupiter.
GEOMETRY, see Mercury.
GE′RYON was a triple-bodied monster who lived at Gades, where his
numerous flocks were guarded by Orthos, a two-headed dog, and by
Eurythion, a seven-headed dragon. These guardians were destroyed by
Hercules, and the cattle taken away.
GIMLET, see Dædalus.
GIRDLE, see Cestus.
GLAU′CUS was a fisherman who became a sea-god through eating a
sea-weed, which he thought invigorated the fishes and might strengthen
him.
GLAUKO′PIS. A name given to Minerva, because she had blue eyes.
GNO′MES, a name given by Plato to the invisible deities who were
supposed to inhabit the earth.
GNOS′SIS, a name given to Ariadne, from the city of Gnossus in Crete.
GOAT, see Iphigenia, Mendes, and Venus.
GOAT’S FEET, see Capripedes.
GOLDEN APPLE, see Atalanta.
GOLDEN FLEECE, THE, was a ram’s hide, sometimes described as white,
and at other times as purple and golden. It was given to Phryxus, who
carried it to Colchis, where King Æta entertained Phryxus, and the
hide was hung up in the grove of Mars. Jason and forty-nine companions
fetched back the golden fleece. See Argonauts.
GOPY′A. Indian mythological nymphs.
GOR′GONS, THE, were three sisters, named Stheno, Euryale, and Medusa.
They petrified every one they looked at. Instead of hair their heads
were covered with vipers. Perseus conquered them, and cut off the head
of Medusa, which was placed on the shield of Minerva, and all who fixed
their eyes thereon were turned into stone.
GRACES, THE, were the attendants of Venus. Their names were, Aglaia,
so called from her beauty and goodness; Thalia, from her perpetual
freshness; and Euphrosyne, from her cheerfulness. They are generally
depicted as three cheerful maidens with hands joined, and either nude
or only wearing transparent robes,--the idea being that kindnesses,
as personified by the Graces, should be done with sincerity and
candour, and without disguise. They were supposed to teach the duties
of gratitude and friendship, and they promoted love and harmony among
mankind.
GRACES (fourth), see Pasithea.
GRAD′IVUS. A name given to Mars by the Romans. It meant the warrior who
defended the city against all external enemies.
GRA′GUS. The name by which Jupiter was worshipped in Lycia.
GRANARIES, see Tutelina.
GRAP′SIOS. A Lycian name of Jupiter.
GRASSHOPPER, see Tithonus.
GRIEF, see Niobe.
HA′DA. The Babylonian Juno.
HA′DES. The Greek name of Pluto, the god of hell, the word signifying
hidden, dark, and gloomy; the infernal regions; sometimes written,
_Ades_.
HAILSTORMS, see Nuriel.
HALCY′ONE, one of the Pleiades, was a daughter of Atlas and Pelione.
HALCY′ONS were sea-birds, supposed to be the Greek king-fishers. They
made their nests on the waves, and during the period of incubation the
sea was always calm. Hence the modern term Halcyon Days.
HAMADRY′ADES were wood-nymphs, who presided over trees.
HAPPINESS, see Genii.
HAROE′RIS. The Egyptian god, whose eyes are the sun and moon.
HAR′PIES were animals with the heads and breasts of women, the bodies
of birds, and the claws of lions. Their names were Aello, Ocypete, and
Celeno. They were loathsome creatures, living in filth, and poisoning
everything they came in contact with.
“Such fiends to scourge mankind, so fierce, so fell,
Heaven never summoned from the depth of hell.
A virgin face, with wings and hookëd claws,
Death in their eyes, and famine in their jaws,
While proof to steel their hides and plumes remain
We strike the impenetrable fiends in vain.”
HARPI′KRUTI. The Egyptian name of the god Harpocrates.
HARPOC′RATES, son of Isis, was the god of silence and meditation. He is
usually represented as a young man, holding a finger of one hand to his
lips, while in the other hand he holds a cornucopia.
HARVEST, see Segesta.
HAWK, see Nysus.
HA′ZIS. The Syrian war-god.
HEALTH, see Hygeia and Salus.
HEA′VEN, QUEEN OF, see Belisama. God of, see Cœlus.
HE′BE was the goddess of youth. She was cup-bearer to Jupiter and the
gods, until she had an awkward fall at a festival, and so displeased
Jupiter that she was deprived of her office, and Ganymede was
appointed in her stead.
“Wreathed smiles,
Such as hung on Hebe’s cheek,
And love to live in dimples sleek.”