UN′DINE. A water nymph, or sylph.
UNKNOWN GOD, AN. With reference to this GOD, nothing can be more
appropriate than St. Paul’s address to the Athenians, as recorded in
the 17th chapter of the Acts of the Apostles:--
“_Ye_ men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too
superstitious. For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found
an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore
ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. God that made the
world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and
earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; neither is worshipped
with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth
to all life, and breath, and all things; and hath made of one blood
all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and
hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their
habitation; that they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel
after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:
for in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of
your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. Forasmuch
then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the
Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and
man’s device. And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now
commandeth all men every where to repent: because he hath appointed a
day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by _that_
man whom he hath ordained; _whereof_ he hath given assurance unto all
_men_, in that he hath raised him from the dead.”
UNX′IA. A name of Juno, relating to her protection of newly-married
people.
URA′NIA. A daughter of Jupiter and Mnemosyne--one of the Muses who
presided over astronomy.
URA′NUS. The Greek name of Cœlus; his descendants are sometimes called
Uranids.
UR′GUS. A name of Pluto, signifying the Impeller.
UR′SA MA′JOR, see Calistro.
UR′SA MI′NOR, see Arcas.
USUR′ERS, see Jani.
UT′GORD LO′KI. In Scandinavian mythology the king of the giants.
VAL′HAL′LA. The Scandinavian temple of immortality, inhabited by the
souls of heroes slain in battle.
VA′LI. The Scandinavian god of archery.
VALLEYS, see Vallonia.
VALLO′NIA. The goddess of valleys.
VARU′NA. The Hindoo Neptune--generally represented as a white man
riding on a sea-horse, carrying a club in one hand and a rope in the
other.
VE′DIUS. The same as Vejovis.
VEJO′VIS. “Little Jupiter”--a name given to Jupiter when he appeared
without his thunder.
VEJU′PITER, see Vejovis.
VENGEANCE, see Nemesis.
VE′NUS. The goddess of beauty, and mother of love. She is said to have
sprung from the foam of the sea, and was immediately carried to the
abode of the gods on Olympus, where they were all charmed with her
extreme beauty. Vulcan married her, but she permitted the attentions
of others of the gods, and notably of Mars, their offspring being
Hermione, Cupid, and Anteros. After this she left Olympus and fell in
love with Adonis, a beautiful youth, who was killed when hunting a wild
boar. Venus indirectly caused the Trojan War, for, when the goddess of
discord had thrown amongst the goddesses the golden apple inscribed “To
the fairest,” Paris adjudged the apple to Venus, and she inspired him
with love for Helen, wife of Menelaus, King of Sparta. Paris carried
off Helen to Troy, and the Greeks pursued and besieged the city (see
Helen, Paris, and Troy). Venus is mentioned by the classic poets under
the names of Aphrodite, Cypria, Urania, Astarte, Paphia, Cythera, and
the laughter-loving goddess. Her favourite residence was at Cyprus.
Incense alone was usually offered on her altars, but if there was a
victim it was a white goat. Her attendants were Cupids and the Graces.
VERTI′COR′DIA. A Roman name of Venus, signifying the power of love to
change the hard hearted. The corresponding Greek name was Epistrophia.
VERTUM′NUS. God of spring, or, as some mythologists say, of the
seasons; the husband of Pomona, the goddess of orchards.
VES′TA, daughter of Saturn and Cybele, was the goddess of fire. She
had under her special care and protection a famous statue of Minerva,
before which the Vestal Virgins kept a fire or lamp constantly burning.
VES′TAL VIR′GINS were the priestesses of Vesta, whose chief duty was to
see that the sacred fire in the temple of Vesta was not extinguished.
They were always selected from the best families, and were under a
solemn vow of chastity, and compelled to live perfectly pure lives.
VIA′LIS. A name of Mercury, because he presided over the making of
roads.
VIC′TORY. A goddess, the daughter of Styx and Acheron, generally
represented as flying in the air holding out a wreath of laurel. See
Nicephorus.
VI′DOR. A Scandinavian god, who could walk on the water and in the air.
The god of silence (corresponding with the classic Harpocrates).
VIRTUE. A goddess worshipped by most of the ancients under various
names. The way to the temple of honour was through the temple of virtue.
VIRTUOUS WOMEN, see Juno.
VISH′NU. The Preserver, the principal Hindoo goddess.
VOLU′PIA, see Angeronia.
VUL′CAN, the god of fire, was the son of Jupiter and Juno. He offended
Jupiter, and was by him thrown out of heaven; he was nine days falling,
and at last dropped into Lemnos with such violence that he broke his
leg, and was lame for ever after. Vulcan was married to Venus. He is
supposed to have formed Pandora out of clay. His servants were the
Cyclops. He was the patron deity of blacksmiths.
“Men call him Mulciber; and how he fell
From heaven, they fabled, thrown by angry Jove,
Sheer o’er the crystal battlements.”