Volume 1

Universal pronouncing dictionary of biography and mythology / by Joseph Thomas.

  • Joseph Thomas
Date:
1911, ©1908
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Universal pronouncing dictionary of biography and mythology / by Joseph Thomas. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    1480/1486 (page 1462)
    ?eat serpent Sesha was made use of for the string.* he churning of the ocean is one of the most famous and popular fables related in the mythology of the Hin¬ doos. It resulted in the production of the fourteen gems, as they are called,—namely, 1. Chandra, (the moon;) 2. Lakshmi, the incomparable consort of Vishnu; 3. Sura* d§vi, or the goddess of wine; 4. Oochisrava, a won¬ derful eight-headed horse ; 5. Kustubha, a jewel of ines¬ timable value; 6. Parijata, a tree that yielded whatever one might desire; 7. Surabhi or Kamadhenu, a cow similarly bountiful; 8. Dhanwantara, a wondrous phy¬ sician ; 9. Iravata or Iravat, the elephant of Indra; 10. Shank, a shell which conferred victory on whoever sounded it; 11. Danusha, an unerring bow; 12. Vish,t a remarkable drug or poison; 13. Rembha, (or Rambha,) an Apsara possessed of surpassing charms; 14. Amrita, or Amrit, the beverage of immortality. See Moor, “Hindu Pantheon.” Kfirm&vat&ra. See KOrma. Kurreem Khan. See Kereem KhAn. Kurrer, koor'rer, (Jakob Wilhelm Heinrich,) born in Wiirtemberg in 1781, wrote “On the Art of Dyeing and Printing Cloth,” (3 vols., 1848-50.) Died in 1862. Kurschner, (Conrad.) See Pellican. Kurtz, kooRts, (Johann Heinrich,) a Prussian theo¬ logian, born at Montjoie in 1809, became in 1850 pro¬ fessor of ecclesiastical history at Dorpat. He wrote a treatise on “The Unity of the Book of Genesis,” and other religious works. Died in 1890. Kurz, kooRts, (Heinrich,) a littirateur and Oriental scholar, of German extraction, born in Paris in 1805. He wrote chiefly in German. Died February 24, 1873. Kiisel or Kuesel, kii's£l, (Matthias,) a German engraver, born at Augsburg in 1621; died in 1682. Ktisel or Kuesel, (Melchior,) a skilful engraver, brother of the preceding, was born at Augsburg in 1622. He engraved (with the burin) and etched portraits, sacred history, and landscapes. He resided mostly at Augsburg. Died in 1683. Kiister or Kuester, kiis'ter, (Georg Gottfried,) a German historian, born at Iialle in 1695. He wrote, besides other works, “ Ancient and Modern Berlin,” (3 vols., 1752-59.) Died in 1776. Kiister, (Ludolph,) an eminent German scholar, born at Blomberg, in Westphalia, in 1670. He published “ Historia Critica Homeri,” (1696,) and was a contributor to the “ Thesaurus Antiquitatum Romanorum” of Gne- vius. He also published editions of Suidas (3 vols., 1705) and Aristophanes, (1710.) He was a member of the Academy of Inscriptions in Paris. Died in 1716. Kuttner, kfit'ner, (Karl Gottlob,) a German trav¬ eller, born near Delitzsch in 1755. He published several books of travel and descriptive works on England, France, and other countries of Europe. Died in 1805. Kutuzof or Kutusow. See Kootoozof. Kuvdra or Cuvdra, koo-va'ra, [a Sanscrit word sig¬ nifying “deformed,” “lazy,” “slow,”}] the name of the Hindoo Plutus or god of riches, said to be a half-brother of the famous giant Ravana. He is said to reside in the splendid city of Alaka, and is sometimes borne through the air in a gorgeous car called Push'paka. His consort (Sakti) is called Kauveri, (kow-va'ree.) See Moor, “ Hindu Pantheon.” Kuyk, koik, or Kuick van Wouterszoon, (vtn * It may be proper to observe that in India churning is usually performed by causing a body, termed the churn-stick, to revolve rapidly in the cream or milk, by means of a string, in the same man¬ ner as a drill is made to revolve. In some of the Hindoo pictures of the churning of the ocean, the gods are represented as standing on one side of Mount MandSra, and the Asurs on the other, both grasping in their hands the serpent Sesha, which is wound round the mountain. This rests upon the back of the tortoise, (Vishnu.) At the same time, the preserving deity, in consequence of his ubiquitous character, is seen standing among the gods and grasping Sesha, and also as dancing on the top of Mandlra. (See Plate 49 in Moor’s “ Hindu Pantheon.”) t Called Bikh in some of the modern Hindoo dialects. } Tne signification of the name of KuvSra has doubtless allusion to the fact that, to those engaged in the pursuit of wealth, it usually teems to come with a very slow and hobbling pace. In like manner the Plutus of the Greeks was represented as not only blind, (because he bestowed his favours with so little discernment,) but lame, because he seemed to come so slowly and reluctantly to those who sought him. fi, e, T, 0, u, y, long; i, b, 6, same, less prolonged; a, e,!, 5, u, wow't?r-z5n',) (Jan,) a skilful Dutch painter on glass, born at Dort in 1530. Having opposed the Jesuits, he was charged with heresy, and burned at Dort in 1572. Kuyp. See Cuyp. Kiizing or Kiitzing, kiit'sing, (Friedrich Trau* GOTT,) a German naturalist, born in Thuringia in 1807, published, among other works, “Elements of Philo¬ sophical Botany.” Kvasir, kvi'sir, Jetymology unknown,] a mythic per¬ sonage mentioned m the Norse legends. He was so wise and knowing that no one could ask him a question which he could not answer. He was, however, entrapped and slain by two dwarfs who had invited him to a feast. With his blood they mingled honey, and thus composed a mead which makes every one who drinks of it a skald, or wise man. Kwang-Seu, (“ Succession of Glory,”) a Chinese em¬ peror, born in 1871. On the death from smallpox of the emperor Tung-Che, (January 12, 1875,) Kwang-Seu, the infant grandson of the emperor Taoo-Kwang, (who died in 1850,) was selected as emperor. His aunt, the empress dowager, acted as regent till he reached his majority at twenty-one. As emperor he came under the influence oi reformers, and set in train such radi¬ cal changes that in 1898 the empress dowager, through a palace coup d’etat, seized the reins of power, under the support of the conservative party. Kyau, von, fon kee'ow, (Friedrich Wilhelm,) Baron, a Prussian nobleman, celebrated for his wit and blunt honesty, was born in 1654. He was a favourite of Augustus II., King of Poland, who made him adjutant- general. Died in 1733. Kjfd, (Thomas,) an English dramatist, flourished about 1580, a short time before Shakspeare. His only works extant are entitled “Cornelia, or Pompey the Great his fair Cornelia’s Tragedy,” “ The First Part of Geronimo,” and “ The Spanish Tragedy, or Hieronymo is mad again.” The last-named production displays uncommon power, and is supposed to have suggested to Shakspeare some parts of “ Hamlet” Kydermynster. See Kidderminster. Kyffbauser, klf'hoi'zer, an ancient palace (now in ruins) of the emperors of the Hohenstaufen dynasty, is situated on a high eminence near the village of Tilleda, in Germany. There is a popular tradition that at the Kyffhauser, in a magnificent subterranean palace, Fred¬ erick Barbarossa (“ Red-beard”) exists in a state of en¬ chantment, with his knights and squires seated round a stone table, through which his beard has grown. Once in one hundred years (or, as some say, in sixty years) he partially awakes from his enchanted sleep, and sends out some one to inquire how the time is passing. It is supposed that after a certain period he will awake and revisit his empire, and then a better time will prevail. One of Freiligrath’s finest poems, entitled “Barbaros- sa’s First Awaking,” (“ Barbarossa’s erstes Erwachen,”) has reference to the above tradition. K^n'as-tpn or Kin'as-tpn, (Sir Francis,) an Eng¬ lish poet, born in Shropshire in 1587, translated Chau¬ cer’s “Troilus and Cressida” into Latin, and was the author of a poem entitled “ Leoline and Sydanis.” He was the founder of the Museum Minervae in Covent Garden. Died in 1642. See Wood, “Athena* Oxonienses.” Kynaston, (John,) an English divine, born at Ches ter in 1728, was a Fellow of Brazennose College, Oxford. Died in 1783. Kyper, kee'per, (Albrecht,) a German medical writer, born at Konigsberg about 1605. He became first physician to the Prince of Orange, and professor of medicine at Leyden in 1648. Died in 1655. Kypke, kfp'keh, (Georg David,) a German Orienti- ist, born in Pomerania in 1724, wrote “ Observationes Sacrae in Novi Foederis Libros,” (1755.) Died in 1779. Kyrle, kerl, (John,) an English benefactor, eulogized by Pope in the verses on the Man of Ross, was born about 1664. He was a native or resident of Ross, in Herefordshire, where he built a church and endowed a hospital. He owned an estate of ^500 a year. Died in 1754, aged ninety. , skort; a, e, j, o, obscure; fir, fill, fit; m£t; n5t; good; moon;