Ask the Oracle
The encyclopaedia has an answer for everything, if you dare to ask. Consult the book
Only in An Encyclopaedia of Occultism
Single-source entries: A (83)
Each of these 18 subjects appears in only one of the 6 encyclopedias on this shelf. None is long enough to carry a page by itself, so they are gathered here by letter. Anything that grows moves out to a page of its own.
Askabad
the administrative center of the Russian province of Transcaspia, Turkestan, on the Trans-Caspian railway, situated in the Akhal Tekke oasis, and occupied by Skobeleff in January, 1881, after the sack of Geok Tepé. Its distance from Merv is 232 miles, from Herat 388 miles. It is of considerable commercial importance. Pop. about 50,000.
Only in Collier's New Encyclopedia
Aske
as'ke, in Norse mythology, the first man to whom Odin gave life and soul. Embla was the first woman. Midgard was their home, and from them sprang the whole human race.
Only in Aiton's Encyclopedia
Askja
a volcano near the center of Iceland, first brought into notice by an eruption in 1875. Its crater is 17 miles in circumference, surrounded by a mountain-ring fron feet huntain-righteou of itself being between 4,000 and 5,000 feet.
Only in Collier's New Encyclopedia
Asmoneans
a family of high priests and princes who ruled over the Jews for about 180 years, from 153 B. c., when Jonathan, son of Mattathias, the g great-grandson of Chasmon or Asmonæus, was nominated to the high priesthood. They were also known as the Maccabees.
Only in Collier's New Encyclopedia
Asoka
an Indian sovereign, who reigned 255-223 B. C. over the whole of northern Hindustan, grandson of Chandragupta or Sandracottus. He embraced Buddhism, and forced his subjects also to become converts.
Only in Collier's New Encyclopedia
Aspern
a small village of Austria, on the Danube, about 2 miles from Vienna. Here, and in the neighboring village of Esslingen, were fought the tremendous battles of the 21st and 22d of May, 1809, between the French grand army, commanded by Napoleon, and the Austrians under the Archduke Charles, resulting in great losses to both sides. The French were obliged to retreat to the island of Lobau, from where they withdrew to the right bank of the Danube.
Only in Collier's New Encyclopedia
Asphaltum
This substance resembles pitch, but has a higher internal polish, and is sometimes called mineral-pitch, bitumen, etc.; it breaks with a polish, melts easily, and when pure burns and leaves no ashes. Anciently, it was only procurable from Lake Asphalites (Dead Sea), in Judea, for which reason it is sometimes also called Jews' pitch. It formed a building cement for the Babylonians, and is now much used in flooring, roofing, paving, etc. See PETROLEUM; BITUMEN.
Only in The Encyclopedia of Founding
Aspidium
a genus of ferns belonging to the order polypodiaceæ. There are 10 British species. Some have orbicular eniform involucres fixed by their sinuses, while others have orbicular and peltate involucres. To the former, sometimes former, called lastrea, belong the A. filix mas, or blunt; the A. spiculosum, or prickly toothed; the A. oreopteris, or heath; and the A. thelypteris, or marsh shield fern, with other species more rare; and to the latter, the A. lonchitis, or rough alpine; the A. lobatum, or close-leaved prickly; the A. aculeatum, or soft prickly; the A. angulare, or angular-leaved shield fern. ASPINWALL. See COLON.
Only in Collier's New Encyclopedia
Aspidomancy
A little known form of divination practised in the Indies, as we are told by some travellers. Delancre says that the diviner or sorcerer traces a circle, takes up his position therein seated on a buckler, and mutters certain conjurations. He becomes entranced and falls into an ecstasy, from which he only emerges to tell things that his client wishes to know, and which the devil has revealed to him. Aspilette (Marie d') : Witch of Andaye, in the country of Labour, who lived in the reign of Henry IV. She was arrested at the age of nineteen years, and confessed that she had been led to the "sabbath," and there made to perform divers horrible rites.
Only in An Encyclopaedia of Occultism
Aspirator
an instrument used in chemistry to draw gases through bottles or other receptacles. It is a tight vessel containing water; a tube with a stop cock extends from the upper end and another tube also with a stop cock from the lower end. The first tube is fastened to the receptacle from which gas is to be drawn; both stop cocks are opened, and the water flowing from the lower tube acts as a suction and draws the gas.
Only in Collier's New Encyclopedia
Asplenium
a genus of ferns, of the natural order polypodiaceæ. Several are natives of the United States. The dwarf spleenwort is a very beautiful little fern.
Only in Collier's New Encyclopedia
Aspromonte
a mountain of Italy, in the S. W. of Calabria, where Garibaldi was wounded and taken prisoner with the greater part of his army, in August, 1862.
Only in Collier's New Encyclopedia
Asrael
the Mohammedan angel of death, who takes the soul from the body.
Only in Collier's New Encyclopedia
Assab Bay
an Italian trading station on the W. coast of the Red Sea, 40 miles N. W. of the Strait of Bab-el- Mandeb. The district around it, with an area of 243 square miles, and 1,300 inhabitants, was sold in 1870 by some Danakil kil chieftains to an Italian steamship company for a coaling station on the road to India. In 1880 it was taken over by the Italian Government, who, since 1884, have improved the harbor and rected a lighthouse.
Only in Collier's New Encyclopedia
Assal
a large salt lake in the district of Adal, in eastern Africa, nearly 9 miles from the coast of the Bay of Tajurrah. It is nearly 600 feet below the level of the sea. Abyssinian caravans resort to Assal for the purpose of carrying off the salt, which is thickly incrusted on its shores.
Only in Collier's New Encyclopedia
Assaracus
King of Troy, son of Tros , father of Capys, grandfather of Anchises , and greatgrandfather of Aeneas . Hence the Romans, as descendants of Aeneas, are called domus
Only in 1000 Classical Characters
Assassination
the act of taking the life of anyone by surprise or treach erous violence either by a hired emissary, by one devoted to the deed, or by one who has taken the task upon himself. Generally, the term is applied to the murder of a public personage by one who aims solely at the death of his victim. In ancient times, assassination was not unknown, and was often even applauded, as in the Scriptural instances of Ehud and Jael, and in the murder of Hipparchus by Harmodius and Aristogeiton; but assassination by enthusiasts and men devoted to an idea first became really prominent in the religious struggles of the 16th and 17th centuries. To this class belong the plots against the life of Queen Elizabeth of England; while the horrible succession of assassinations of Roman emperors is simply a series of murders prompted by self-interest or revenge. In modern times assassination is usually based on political motives. See ANARCHISM.
Only in Collier's New Encyclopedia