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Alphito
Alphito ( grc, Ἀλφιτώ) is a supernatural being first recorded in the ''Moralia'' of Plutarch, where "apotropaic nursery tales" about her are told by nursemaids to frighten little children into behaving. Her name is related to ''alphita'', "white flour" (compare Latin ''albus''), and '' alphitomanteia'', a form of divination ''(-manteia)'' from flour or barley meal. She was presumably old, with white hair the color of flour. Although Alphito has been called a mere boogeyman, the 19th-century folklorist Wilhelm Mannhardt, forerunner of J.G. Frazer, classified her as originally a "corn mother" because of her name, and others have considered her a vegetation spirit. According to Robert Graves, Frazer thought Alphito was actually Demeter or Persephone. Although evidence for Alphito rests in the minimal reference in Plutarch and an indirectly relevant entry in the lexicographer Hesychius, Graves developed an elaborate thesis that Alphito was "'the White Goddess', who in Clas ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alphitomancy
Alphitomancy (from , and ) is a form of divination involving barley cakes or loaves of barley bread. When someone in a group was suspected of a crime, the members of the group would be fed barley cakes or slices of barley bread. Supposedly, the guilty party would get indigestion, while all others would feel well. See also * Corsned * Alphito * Crithomancy Crithomancy (also known as critomancy) is a form of divination by the study of barley cakes in hope of drawing omens from them. The paste of cakes which are offered in sacrifice is closely examined, and the sought-for answers are drawn from the ... References Divination Breads {{Occult-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Plutarch
Plutarch (; grc-gre, Πλούταρχος, ''Ploútarchos''; ; – after AD 119) was a Greek Middle Platonist philosopher, historian, biographer, essayist, and priest at the Temple of Apollo in Delphi. He is known primarily for his ''Parallel Lives'', a series of biographies of illustrious Greeks and Romans, and ''Moralia'', a collection of essays and speeches. Upon becoming a Roman citizen, he was possibly named Lucius Mestrius Plutarchus (). Life Early life Plutarch was born to a prominent family in the small town of Chaeronea, about east of Delphi, in the Greek region of Boeotia. His family was long established in the town; his father was named Autobulus and his grandfather was named Lamprias. His name is derived from Pluto (πλοῦτον), an epithet of Hades, and Archos (ἀρχός) meaning "Master", the whole name meaning something like "Whose master is Pluto". His brothers, Timon and Lamprias, are frequently mentioned in his essays and dialogues, which ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The White Goddess
''The White Goddess: a Historical Grammar of Poetic Myth'' is a book-length essay on the nature of poetic myth-making by author and poet Robert Graves. First published in 1948, the book is based on earlier articles published in ''Wales'' magazine; corrected, revised and enlarged editions appeared in 1948, 1952 and 1961. ''The White Goddess'' represents an approach to the study of mythology from a decidedly creative and idiosyncratic perspective. Graves proposes the existence of a European deity, the "White Goddess of Birth, Love and Death", much similar to the ''Mother Goddess'', inspired and represented by the phases of the Moon, who lies behind the faces of the diverse goddesses of various European and pagan mythologies. Graves argues that "true" or "pure" poetry is inextricably linked with the ancient cult-ritual of his proposed White Goddess and of her son. History Graves first wrote the book under the title of ''The Roebuck in the Thicket'' in a three-week period during ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fairy Godmother
In fairy tales, a fairy godmother () is a fairy with magical powers who acts as a mentor or parent to someone, in the role that an actual godparent was expected to play in many societies. In Perrault's ''Cinderella'', he concludes the tale with the moral that no personal advantages will suffice without proper connections. The fairy godmother is a special case of the donor. In fairy tale and legend Actual fairy godmothers are rare in fairy tales, but became familiar figures because of the popularity of the literary fairy tales of Madame d'Aulnoy and other précieuses, and Charles Perrault. Many other supernatural patrons feature in fairy tales; these include various kinds of animals and the spirit of a dead mother. The fairy godmother has her roots in the figures of the Fates; this is especially clear in ''Sleeping Beauty'', where they decree her fate, and are associated with spinning. In the tales of précieuses and later successors, the fairy godmother acts in a manner atypi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wolfgang Puck
Wolfgang Johannes Puck (born July 8, 1949) is an Austrian-American chef and restaurateur. Early life and career Puck was born in Sankt Veit an der Glan, Austria. He learned cooking from his mother, who was a pastry chef. He took the surname of his stepfather, Josef Puck, after his mother's remarriage. The marriage produced two younger sisters and a younger brother for Wolfgang. He trained as an apprentice under Raymond Thuilier at L'Oustau de Baumanière in Les Baux-de-Provence, at Hôtel de Paris in Monaco, and at Maxim's Paris before moving to the United States in 1973 at age 24. After two years at La Tour in Indianapolis, Puck moved to Los Angeles to become chef and part owner of Ma Maison restaurant. Following the 1981 publication of his first cookbook, ''Modern French Cooking for the American Kitchen'', which was based on his Ma Maison recipes, Puck opened the restaurant Spago on the Sunset Strip in 1982. Fifteen years later, in 1997, Puck and Barbara Lazaroff, his ex-wif ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Maida Heatter
Maida Heatter (September 7, 1916 – June 6, 2019) was an American pastry chef and cookbook author who specialized in baking and desserts. Biography Heatter was born in Baldwin, New York, the daughter of radio commentator Gabriel Heatter and Saidie Heatter (née Hermalin). She graduated from New York's Pratt Institute in fashion design and began a career as an illustrator of merchandising, then subsequently switching to jewellery design, and then finally becoming a baker and baking instructor. Her career as a professional cookbook author began when her skills in dessert making caught the attention of Craig Claiborne, a former food section editor of the New York Times. In part through his numerous endorsements for her and his suggestion to her to write her own cookbook, Heatter began her decades-long career in teaching baking and writing cookbooks. The quality of her recipes caught the attention of many prominent figures in the trade of cooking and baking, garnering praise fr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mormo
Mormo (, ''Mormō'') or Mormon was a female spirit in Greek folklore, whose name was invoked by mothers and nurses to frighten children to keep them from misbehaving. The term mormolyce (; pl. ''mormolykeia'' ), also spelt mormolyceum ( ''mormolukeîon''), is considered equivalent. Etymology The name ''mormo'' has the plural form ''mormones'' which means "fearful ones" or "hideous one(s)", and is related to an array of words that signify "fright". The variant ''mormolyce'' translates to "terrible wolves", with the stem ''-lykeios'' meaning "of a wolf". Description The original Mormo was a woman of Corinth, who ate her children then flew out; according to an account only attested in a single source. Mormolyca (as the name appears in Doric Greek: ) is designated as the wetnurse ( el, τιθήνη) of Acheron by Sophron ( 430 BC). Mormo or Moromolyce has been described as a female specter, phantom, or ghost by modern commentators. A mormolyce is one of several names given to t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gello
Gello ( grc, Γελλώ), in Greek mythology, is a female demon or revenant who threatens the reproductive cycle by causing infertility, miscarriage, and infant mortality. By the Byzantine era, the () were considered a class of beings. Women believed to be under demonic possession by ''gelloudes'' might stand trial or be subjected to exorcism. Gyllou, Gylou, Gillo, or Gelu are some of its alternate forms. Etymology ''Gello'' possibliy derives from '' Gallû'', a Babylonian–Assyrian demon believed to bring sickness and death. The theory was advanced by Carl Frank (1881–1945) and supported by M.L. West, Walter Burkert, and others. The name is also preserved in the later word ''ghoul''. Greek folk etymology links the word to the root ''gel-'', "grin, laugh," in the sense of mocking or grimacing, like the expression often found on the face of the Gorgon, to which Barb linked the reproductive demons in origin. Such demons are often associated with or said to come from the s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Arcadia (ancient Region)
Arcadia ( el, Ἀρκαδία) is a region in the central Peloponnese. It takes its name from the mythological character Arcas, and in Greek mythology it was the home of the gods Hermes and Pan. In European Renaissance arts, Arcadia was celebrated as an unspoiled, harmonious wilderness; as such, it was referenced in popular culture. The modern regional unit of the same name more or less overlaps with the historical region, but is slightly larger. History Arcadia was gradually linked in a loose confederation that included all the Arcadian towns and was named League of the Arcadians. In the 7th century BC, it successfully faced the threat of Sparta and the Arcadians managed to maintain their independence. They participated in the Persian Wars alongside other Greeks by sending forces to Thermopylae and Plataea. During the Peloponnesian War, Arcadia allied with Sparta and Corinth. In the following years, during the period of the Hegemony of Thebes, the Theban general Epaminondas ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tripolis (region Of Arcadia)
Tripolis ( el, Τρίπολις; meaning "three cities") was a district in ancient Arcadia, Greece consisting of the three cities of Calliae (Calliæ), Dipoena ''Dipoena'' is a genus of tangle-web spiders that was first described by Tamerlan Thorell in 1869. Species it contains 162 species, found in Asia, Central America, North America, Africa, the Caribbean, Europe, South America, on Vanuatu, and i ... (Dipœna), and Nonacris. External linksHazlitt, Classical Gazetteer, "Tripolis" Geography of ancient Arcadia Historical regions in Greece {{AncientArcadia-geo-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Leprosy
Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease (HD), is a long-term infection by the bacteria ''Mycobacterium leprae'' or ''Mycobacterium lepromatosis''. Infection can lead to damage of the nerves, respiratory tract, skin, and eyes. This nerve damage may result in a lack of ability to feel pain, which can lead to the loss of parts of a person's extremities from repeated injuries or infection through unnoticed wounds. An infected person may also experience muscle weakness and poor eyesight. Leprosy symptoms may begin within one year, but, for some people, symptoms may take 20 years or more to occur. Leprosy is spread between people, although extensive contact is necessary. Leprosy has a low pathogenicity, and 95% of people who contract ''M. leprae'' do not develop the disease. Spread is thought to occur through a cough or contact with fluid from the nose of a person infected by leprosy. Genetic factors and immune function play a role in how easily a person catches the disease. Lepro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
