Glossary

A

abbot

head of a monastery or abbey

abduction

carrying away by force

abyss

very deep gulf or hole

adultery

sexual relationship between a married person and someone other than his or her spouse

adversary

enemy; opponent

allegory

literary and artistic device in which characters represent an idea or a religious or moral principle

allot

to assign a portion or share

amulet

small object thought to have supernatural or magical powers

ankh

cross with a loop at the top; Egyptian symbol of life

anoint

to bless by applying oil or some other substance

anti-Semitism

prejudice against Jews

apocalypse

prediction of a sudden and violent end of the world

archaeological

referring to the study of past human cultures, usually by excavating ruins

aristocracy

privileged upper classes of society; nobles or the nobility

artisan

skilled crafts worker

attribute

quality, property, or power of a being or thing

B

ballad

popular song, often telling a story

barbarism

savage or primitive state

benevolent

desiring good for others

booty

riches or property gained through conquest

C

cabalistic

referring to a system of mystical thought based on a secret interpretation of the Hebrew Scriptures

caste

division of people in Hindu society into classes based on birth

catacombs

underground tunnels near Rome used as hiding and gathering places for early Christians

cauldron

large kettle

centaur

half-human, half-animal creature with the body of a horse and the head, chest, and arms of a human

chalice

drinking vessel or goblet

chameleon

lizard that can change color

chaos

great disorder or confusion

chastity

purity or virginity

cherubim

winged lions; in later times, angels portrayed as winged human figures

chivalry

rules and customs of medieval knighthood

city-state

independent state consisting of a city and its surrounding territory

clan

group of people descended from a common ancestor or united by a common interest

clay tablet

baked clay slab inscribed with ancient writings

conquistador

Spanish military explorer and conqueror

cosmic

large or universal in scale; having to do with the universe

cosmology

set of ideas about the origin, history, and structure of the universe

cosmos

the universe, especially as an orderly and harmonious system

cult

group bound together by devotion to a particular person, belief, or god

culture hero

mythical figure who gives people the tools of civilization, such as language and fire

D

deify

to make a god or goddess

deity

god or goddess

demigod

one who is part human and part god

destiny

future or fate of an individual or thing

differentiation

process of becoming different and separate from another thing

discord

disagreement

discus

heavy, circular plate hurled over distance as a sport

divination

act or practice of foretelling the future

doctrine

set of principles or beliefs accepted by a group

dowry

money, goods, or property that a woman brings to her husband at marriage

dualistic

consisting of two equal and opposing forces

dynasty

succession of rulers from the same family or group

E

embalm

to treat a corpse with oils or chemicals to prevent or slow down the process of decay

enlightenment

in Buddhism, a spiritual state marked by the absence of desire and suffering

epic

long poem about legendary or historical heroes, written in a grand style

F

flail

tool for threshing grain

floral

having to do with flowers

G

genealogy

record of a person's ancestry

genie

spirit that serves the person who summons it

gluttony

excessive eating or drinking

Gorgon

one of three ugly monsters who had snakes for hair, staring eyes, and huge wings

H

Hellenistic

term referring to the Greek-influenced culture of the Mediterranean world and the Near East during the three centuries after the death of Alexander the Great in 323 B.C.

heraldry

practice of tracing family history and determining family emblems

hereditary

passed on from parent to child

heretic

person whose beliefs are contrary to church doctrine

hierarchy

organization of a group into higher and lower levels

hieroglyphics

ancient system of writing based on pictorial characters

Holy Grail

sacred cup said to have been used by Jesus Christ at the Last Supper

hubris

excessive pride or self-confidence

I

imminent

about to take place; threatening

immortal

able to live forever

immortality

ability to live forever

imperial

relating to an emperor or empire

incantation

chant, often part of a magical formula or spell

incarnation

appearance of a god, spirit, or soul in earthly form

indigenous

native to a certain place

inundation

floodwaters that cover the land

invincible

too powerful to be conquered

invulnerable

incapable of being hurt

Islam

religion based on the teachings of the prophet Muhammad; religious faith of Muslims

J

jackal

small, doglike mammal native to Asia and Africa

joust

fight on horseback between two knights

L

lunar

relating to the moon

lust

strong desire

lyre

stringed instrument similar to a small harp

M

maize

corn

malevolent

doing or wishing harm or ill toward others

manipulate

to influence or control in a clever or underhanded way

martial

having to do with warfare

martyr

person who suffers or is put to death for a belief

matriarchal

describing a society in which women hold the dominant positions

mediator

go-between

medieval

relating to the Middle Ages in Europe, a period from about A.D. 500 to 1500

meditate

to think

Mesoamerica

cultural region consisting of southern Mexico and northern regions of Central America

monotheism

belief in only one god

monotheistic

believing in only one god

Moors

Spanish Muslims descended from the Arab conquerors

morality

ideas about what is right and wrong in human conduct

mortuary

having to do with the burial of the dead

mosaic

picture made up of many small colored stones or tiles

mummification

preservation of a body by removing its organs and allowing it to dry

mummify

to preserve a body by removing its organs and allowing it to dry

Muse

one of nine sister goddesses who presided over the arts and sciences

N

nymph

minor goddess of nature, usually represented as young and beautiful

O

ogre

hideous monster

omen

sign of future events

oracle

priest or priestess or other creature through whom a god is believed to speak; also the location (such as a shrine) where such words are spoken

P

pagan

term used by early Christians to describe non-Christians and non-Christian beliefs

pantheon

all the gods of a particular culture

papyrus

writing material made by pressing together thin strips of the stem of the papyrus plant

patriarch

man who is the founder or oldest member of a group

patriarchal

describing a society in which men hold the dominant positions

patrician

aristocrat or member of the noble class

patron

special guardian, protector, or supporter

persecute

to harass or punish individuals or groups

personification

presenting in human form or with human qualities

pharaoh

ruler of ancient Egypt

piety

faithfulness to beliefs

pious

faithful to one's beliefs

predetermined

decided in advance

primal

earliest; existing before other things

primeval

from the earliest times

prophecy

foretelling of what is to come; also something that is predicted

prophet

one who claims to have received divine messages or insights

prose

language that is not in poetic form

pyre

pile of wood on which a dead body is burned in a funeral ceremony

R

relics

pieces of bone, possessions, or other items belonging to a saint or sacred person

Renaissance

artistic and intellectual movement that spread across Europe from the late 1300s through the 1500s

resurrect

to raise from the dead

resurrection

coming to life again; rising from the dead

revelation

communication of divine truth or divine will

rite

ceremony or formal procedure

ritual

ceremony that follows a set pattern

romance

in medieval literature, a tale based on legend, love, and adventure, often set in a distant place or time

S

saga

story recounting the adventures of historical and legendary heroes; usually associated with Icelandic or Norse tales of the Middle Ages

satyr

woodland deity that was part man and part goat or horse

scepter

rod or wand that serves as a symbol of royal authority

scribe

secretary or writer

sect

religious group

seer

one who can predict the future

serf

peasant bound to a lord and required to work the lord's land

shaman

person thought to possess spiritual and healing powers

siege

attempt to conquer a city or fortress by surrounding it with troops and cutting off supplies

solar

relating to the sun

soothsayer

one who foretells events

sorcerer

magician or wizard

steppe

vast expanse of treeless grassland

subterranean

under the earth

sultan

ruler of a Persian or an Arabic state

supernatural

related to forces beyond the normal world; magical or miraculous

T

taboo

prohibition against doing something that is believed to cause harm

theology

study of religious faith

Titan

one of a family of giants who ruled the earth until overthrown by the Greek gods of Olympus

triad

group of three

tribute

payment made by a smaller or weaker party to a more powerful one, often under the threat of force

trickster

mischievous figure appearing in various forms in the folktales and mythology of many different peoples

trident

three-pronged spear, similar to a pitchfork

tsar

Russian ruler

tyrant

ruler (or other person) who uses power harshly or cruelly

U

underworld

land of the dead

V

vassal

individual who swears loyalty and obedience to a superior lord

Vestal Virgin

priestess of the Roman goddess Vesta who was required to remain a virgin

W

winnow

to separate the chaff, or useless part, of grain from the part that can be used for making flour