LUD. In ancient British mythology the king of the Britons.
LU′NA. The name of Diana as a celestial divinity. See Diana and Hecate.
LU′PERCUS, or Pan. The Roman god of fertility; his festival day was
15th February, and the festivals were called Lupercalia.
LYCAON′IAN FOOD. Execrable viands, such as were supplied to Jupiter
by Lycaon. To test the divine knowledge of the god he served up human
flesh, which Jove discovered, and punished Lycaon by turning him into a
wolf.
LYCIAN CLOWNS were turned into frogs by Latona or Ceres.
LYMNI′ADES. Nymphs who resided in marshes.
LYN′CEUS. One of the Argonauts. The personification of sharpsightedness.
LYRE. This musical instrument is constantly associated with the doings
of the ancient deities. Amphion built the walls of Thebes by the music
of his lyre. Arion charmed the dolphins in a similar way. Hercules
broke the head of Linus, his music master, with the lyre he was
learning to use; and Orpheus charmed the most savage beasts, and even
the Harpies and gods of the infernal regions, with the enchanting music
of the lyre. See Mercury.
MÆN′ADES. Priestesses of Bacchus.
MAGICIANS, see Telchines.
MAG′NA DE’A, a name of Ceres.
MAGPIES, see Pierides.
MA′HA′SOOR. The Hindoo god of evil.
MA′IA. The mother of the Grecian Mercury.
MAM′MON. The money-god.
MA′NES. The souls of the departed. The god of funerals and tombs.
“All have their Manes, and their Manes bear.
The few who’re cleansed to those abodes repair,
And breathe in ample fields the soft Elysian air.”
MANURING LAND, see Picumnus.
MARCH 24, Bellona’s Day. See Bellona.
MARI′NA. A name of Venus, meaning sea-foam, from her having been formed
from the froth of the sea. See Aphrodite.
MARRIAGE, see Cama, Hymen, Juno, Jugatinus.
MARS, the god of war, was the son of Jupiter and Juno. Venus was his
favourite goddess, and amongst their children were Cupid, Anteros, and
Harmonia. In the Trojan War Mars took the part of the Trojans, but was
defeated by Diomedes.
MARSHES, see Lymniades.
MAR′SYAS. The name of the piper who challenged Apollo to a musical
contest, and, being defeated, was flayed to death by the god. He was
the supposed inventor of the flute.
MA′RUT. The Hindoo god of tempestuous winds.
MATU′RA. One of the rural deities who protected the growing corn at
time of ripening.
MAX′IMUS. One of the appellations of Jupiter, being the greatest of the
gods.
MEASURES and WEIGHTS, see Mercury.
MEDE′A. Wife of Jason, chief of the Argonauts. See Jason.
“Now to Medæa’s dragons fix my reins.”