H
Hades
(Haˈdes), originally the god of the nether world—the name later used to designate the gloomy subterranean land of the dead.
Haemon
(Haeˈmon), son of Creon of Thebes, and lover of Antigone.
Haemus
(Haeˈmus), Mount, northern boundary of Thrace.
Hagan
(Haˈgan), a principal character in the Nibelungen Lied, slayer of Siegfried.
Halcyone
(Hal-cyˈo-ne), daughter of Aeneas, and the beloved wife of Ceyx, who, when he was drowned, flew to his floating body, and the pitying gods changed them both to birds (kingfishers), who nest at sea during a certain calm week in winter (“halcyon weather”).
Hamadryads
(Ham-a-dryˈads), tree- or wood-nymphs. See Nymphs.
Harmonia
(Har-moˈni-a), daughter of Mars and Venus, wife of Cadmus.
Haroun al Raschid
(Ha-rounˈ al Raˈschid), Caliph of Arabia, contemporary of Charlemagne.
Harpies
(Harˈpies), monsters, with head and bust of woman, but wings, legs and tail of birds, seizing souls of the wicked, or punishing evildoers by greedily snatching or defiling their food.
Harpocrates
(Har-pocˈra-tes), Egyptian god, Horus.
Hebe
(Heˈbe), daughter of Juno, cupbearer to the gods.
Hebrus
(Heˈbrus), ancient name of river Maritzka.
Hecate
(Hecˈa-te), a mighty and formidable divinity, supposed to send at night all kinds of demons and terrible phantoms from the lower world.
Hector
(Hecˈtor), son of Priam and champion of Troy.
(Hecˈtor), one of Arthur’s knights.
Hector de Marys
(Hecˈtor de Ma-rysˈ), a knight.
Hecuba
(Hecˈu-ba), wife of Priam, king of Troy, to whom she bore Hector, Paris, and many other children.
Hegira
(He-giˈra), flight of Muhammad from Mecca to Medina (622 AD), era from which Muhammadans reckon time, as we do from the birth of Christ.
Heidrun
(Heidˈrun), she-goat, furnishing mead for slain heroes in Valhalla.
Heimdall
(Heimˈdall), watchman of the gods.
Hel
(Hel), the lower world of Scandinavia, to which were consigned those who had not died in battle.
Hela
(Heˈla (Death)), the daughter of Loki and the mistress of the Scandinavian Hel.
Helen
(Helˈen), daughter of Jupiter and Leda; wife of Menelaus; carried off by Paris and cause of the Trojan War.
Helenus
(Helˈe-nus), son of Priam and Hecuba, celebrated for his prophetic powers.
Heliades
(He-liˈa-des), sisters of Phaëton.
Helicon
(Helˈi-con), Mount, in Greece, residence of Apollo and the Muses, with fountains of poetic inspiration, Aganippe and Hippocrene.
Helioopolis
(He-lio-opˈo-lis), city of the Sun, in Egypt.
Hellas
(Helˈlas), Greece.
Helle
(Helˈle), daughter of Thessalian King Athamas, who, escaping from cruel father with her brother Phryxus, on ram with golden fleece, fell into the sea-strait since named for her See Golden Fleece.
Hellespont
(Helˈles-pont), narrow strait between Europe and Asia Minor, named for Helle.
Hengist
(Henˈgist), Saxon invader of Britain, 449 AD.
Hephaestos
(He-phaesˈtos), see Vulcan.
Hera
(Heˈra), called Juno by the Romans, a daughter of Cronos (Saturn) and Rhea, and sister and wife of Jupiter. See Juno.
Hercules
(Herˈcu-les), athletic hero, son of Jupiter and Alcmena, achieved twelve vast labors and many famous deeds.
(Herˈcu-les), Pillars of. See Pillars of Hercules.
(Herˈcu-les), the twelve labors of.
Hereward the Wake
(Herˈe-ward the Wake), hero of the Saxons.
Hermes
(Herˈmes (Mercury)), messenger of the gods, deity of commerce, science, eloquence, trickery, theft, and skill generally.
Hermione
(Her-miˈo-ne), daughter of Menelaus and Helen.
Hermod
(Herˈmod), the nimble, son of Odin.
Hero
(Heˈro), a priestess of Venus, beloved of Leander.
Herodotus
(He-rodˈo-tus), Greek historian.
Hesiod
(Heˈsi-od), Greek poet.
Hesperia
(Hes-peˈri-a), ancient name for Italy.
Hesperus
(Hesˈpe-rus), the evening star (also called Daystar).
Hestia
(Hesˈti-a), called Vesta by the Romans, the goddess of the hearth.
Hildebrand
(Hilˈde-brand), German magician and champion.
Hindu triad
(Hinˈdu triad), Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva.
Hippodamia
(Hip-po-da-miˈa), wife of Pirithous, at whose wedding the Centaurs offered violence to the bride, causing a great battle.
Hippogriff
(Hipˈpo-griff), winged horse, with eagle’s head and claws.
Hippolyta
(Hip-polˈy-ta), Queen of the Amazons.
Hippolytus
(Hip-polˈy-tus), son of Thesus.
Hippomenes
(Hip-pomˈe-nes), who won Atalanta in foot-race, beguiling her with golden apples thrown for her to pick up.
Histion
(Hisˈti-on), son of Japhet.
Hodur
(Hoˈdur), blind man, who, fooled by Loki, threw a mistletoe-twig at Baldur, killing him.
Hoel
(Hoˈel), king of Brittany.
Homer
(Hoˈmer), the blind poet of Greece, about 850 BC.
Hope
(Hope), see Pandora.
Horae
(Hoˈrae), the Hours.
Horsa
(Horˈsa), with Hengist, invader of Britain.
Horus
(Hoˈrus), Egyptian god of the sun.
Houdain
(Hou-dainˈ), Tristram’s dog.
Hringham
(Hringˈham), Baldur’s ship.
Hrothgar
(Hrothˈgar), king of Denmark.
Hugi
(Huˈgi), who beat Thialfi in footraces.
Hugin
(Huˈgin), one of Odin’s two ravens.
Hunding
(Hunˈding), husband of Sieglinda.
Huon
(Huˈon), son of Duke Sevinus, ff.
Hyacinthus
(Hy-a-cinˈthus), a youth beloved by Apollo, and accidentally killed by him, changed in death to the flower, hyacinth.
Hyades
(Hyˈa-des), Nysaean nymphs, nurses of infant Bacchus, rewarded by being placed as cluster of stars in the heavens.
Hyale
(Hyˈa-le), a nymph of Diana.
Hydra
(Hyˈdra), nine-headed monster slain by Hercules.
Hygeia
(Hy-geˈi-a), goddess of health, daughter of Aesculapius.
Hylas
(Hyˈlas), a youth detained by nymphs of spring where he sought water.
Hymen
(Hyˈmen), the god of marriage, imagined as a handsome youth and invoked in bridal songs.
Hymettus
(Hy-metˈtus), mountain in Attica, near Athens, celebrated for its marble and its honey.
Hyperboreans
(Hy-per-boˈre-ans), people of the far North.
Hyperion
(Hy-peˈri-on), a Titan, son of Uranus and Ge, and father of Helios, Selene, and Eos.
Hyrcania
(Hyr-caˈnia), Prince of, betrothed to Clarimunda.
Hyrieus
(Hy-ri-eˈus), king in Greece.