$H O. =

O, O.E. Anything circular. Shakspeare calls the = stars "those fiery O's."

O was used as a numeral by the ancients to represent 11, and with a dash ov= er it (O) to denote 11,000.(1883m1)

$H Oak-apple Day.

O.E. The 29th of May, in commemoration of the escape of King Charles in the oa= k‑tree.(1883m1)

$H Oak-tree.

Oak-tree, the emblem of virtue, force, and strength, is frequently introduced in ancient sculpture. In Christian art an attribute of St. Boniface, in allu= sion to his cutting down a Druidical oak.(1883m1)

$H Oannes. Assyria

An Assyrian deity, half man and half fish,= who according to the Greek mythologists, floated on the waters of chaos. He w= as called the "Lord of the Lower World," and "Lord of Darkness," and was probably analogous to the Dagon of the Phenicians. (1876c1)

$H Oases. Egypt

Owing probably to their inaccessibility, the oases in early times were regarded with a certain amount of superstition. The GREAT OASIS had been considere= d a kind of paradise where the dead went in search of happiness, from which f= act, in all probability, came its name, "Isles of the Blessed," foun= d in Herodotus. It was colonized in early times, as were several other oases, = but there are more Ptolemaic, Roman and Coptic than Egyptian remains in these desert islands. It was to the oasis of Jupiter Amman - modern Sîwar - that Alexander the Great went to cons= ult the famous oracle.(1902b1)

Certain depressions in the deserts to the = West of Egypt, which were famous for their fertility and temples. Hibe was the capital of the great Oasis; the other = three were the Western Oasis, eighty miles from Hibe; the little Oasis, and the Oasis of Amun, 320 mile= s from Memphis, and 160 from Paroetonium. (1876c1)

$H Oasis.

Oasis (from the Coptic ouah, a resting-place). One of the verdant spots that occur at intervals in the deserts of Africa; hence any fertile s= pot in a desert, with the obvious symbolical application.(1883m1)

$H Oast-house. Old English

O.E. A kiln for drying hops.(1883m1)

$H OBAL.

The Hebrew name of the Arabic district cal= led Jobal. (1876c1)

$H Oban.

The principal gold coin of Japan, worth about 4l. 2s.(1883m1)

$H Obba.

Obba, Gr. and R. (= –:$4>[=3Dambix]). A drin= king‑vessel of earthenware or wood, probably funnel‑shaped; hence - Obbatus, Gr. and R. Made in the shape = of an obba, t= hat is, terminating in a point. The term is often applied to the cap of the Dioscuri.(1883m1)

$H Obbatus. [See Obba - Editor]

$H Obelisk. Egypt

obelisk: a tall shaft surmounted by a pyramidion, set u= p in temples as a sun symbol. (1894e1)<= o:p>

Obelisk. (Arch.) An Egyptian monument in the form of a monolith of pyramidal form.= By analogy the term is applied to any small pyramid which is high in compari= son with its breadth. Egyptian obelisks were generally monoliths of colossal proportions, such as the so‑called Cleopatra's Needle, which stands= on the Embankment in London. In some modern buildings obelisks ‑ which, however, are not monolit= hic ‑ are employed either as finials or as lamps. ILLUS. obel= isk(1891a1)

Obelisk (= Ï$,8\F6@H[=3Dobeliskos], lit= . a small spit). Also called a needle. A tall, rectangular, monolithic column, of slightly pyramidal shape, invented by the Egyptians; in nearly every case they are covered from the base to the top, and on all four sides, with hieroglyphic symbols. (Fig. 494.)

Fig. 494. Egyptian Obelisk.(1883m1)=

<= span style=3D'font-family:Arial;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-no-= proof: no'>

Obelisk. A long square tapering shaft, with slig= htly convex faces, and pyramidion at the top. Obelisks were made of varying si= zes and in different materials. The finest are in granite from the Aswân quarries. The largest and best worked of those still standing is that ere= cted by Queen Hatshepsut at Karnak. It is 1= 09 feet high, and an inscription tells how it was quarried, transported, car= ved, and set up in position in seven months. The obelisk at Heliopolis, which is the oldest, is 68 feet high, those at Kar= nak measure 77 feet and 75 1/2 feet. Usually they were capped with bronze or = gilt copper. They were placed in front of the colossi that were put on either = side of the main entrance to a temple. There were always two of them, though in point of height they might not be a pair. Although many have thought that= the obelisk represents some religious emblem - a finger o= f God, or ray of the sun - it is more probable that the idea in the minds of tho= se who raised them was similar to that of the raisers of menhirs or standing stones. Under the IVth Dynasty we find small obelisks in the tombs placed= on either side of the stela. At Begig, in the Fayûm, there is an obeli= sk of rectangular form, having a rounded top with a groove intended to recei= ve some object, possibly a hawk emblem. The pyramidion of an obelisk was decorated with scenes of offerings. The sides bore perpendicular lines of hieroglyphs containing the king's names and titles, and his praises. The pedestal on which the obelisk stood was decorated with inscriptions or figures of cynocephali (q.v.)= .(1902b1)

Obelisk. Or Tek-ken, in Egyptian. The obelisk proper, as distinguished from the Hindu Lat<= /i>, or Classic column, or Phenician pillar, is a monolithic quadrangular prism, with sloping sides and right angled, and diminishing gradually to the summit, where it is suddenly terminated by a small trapezium. No real obelisk has an entasis or swelling in the sides, or is terminated by a conical cap, although obelis= ks are frequently so represented in inaccurate drawings. The apex of an Egyp= tian obelisk is also sometimes plain, and sometimes inscribed; when the latter= it is generally with a representation of the king by whom it was erected, ma= king offerings to a deity, or receiving gifts from him. The inscriptions on the sides are almost always a laudatory series of titles with little historic= al information, and very often the centre line, as at K= arnak, was the work of one monarch, and the outer columns that of another. Obeli= sks were further generally set up in pairs at the entrances of the outer and inner pylons of the temples, and they were, there is reason to believe, in the case of those of Hatasu of the XVIIIth dynasty, capped with pyramids of gold or gi= lded bronze. The monuments of the Fayum and Axum in = Abyssinia, are not properly obelisks, but rather military stèle; and the so-called obelisks of the Phenician deities were generally cylindrical stones, symbolical of the deities Asher and Asherah. According to Bonomi there are about forty-two= known obelisks of Egyptian origin, either in Eg= ypt, Rome, Paris, or London. There were probably as many more, which have since been broken up for building materials, besides one which is known to exist under the walls of a palac= e at Rome, and two which were carried off from Thebes by = Assurbanipal, and taken to Nineveh, where they have not been discovered. The famous col= umn called Pompey's pillar, erected by Diocletian, stands upon a fragment of = an ancient obelisk, and tradition asserts that there are many similar fragme= nts of greater or less antiquity under the ruins of the older houses of Alexandria. The = following list of the dimensions of the principal obelisks was drawn up in 1840 by = Bonomi. Those marked * are only approximate measure= s, the bases of the monuments being hidden; -

Obelisk of Later= an (Thothmes III.) &nbs= p;               = ;    105 ft. 0 in.* Rome.

Obelisk of Karnak (Thothmes I.)       &= nbsp;            = ;      93 ft. 6 in. Karnak.

Obelisk of Piazz= a San Pietro   =             &nb= sp;            =   83 ft. 2 in. Rome.

Obelisk of Piazz= a del Popolo (Seti I.)         = ;           87 ft. 5 in. Rome.

Obelisk of Luxor (Rameses II.)             &n= bsp;              85 ft. 0 in.* Luxor.

Obelisk of Paris= (Rameses II.) =             &nb= sp;              76 ft. 6 in. Paris.

Obelisk of Piazz= a Citorio (Psametik I.) <= span style=3D'mso-tab-count:2'>        = ;         71 ft. 5 in. Rome.

Obelisk of Karnak (Thothmes III. a= nd Hatasu)   = ;   70 ft. 0 in.* Karnak.

Obelisk of Alexandria (Thothmes III.) &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;   69 ft. 1 in. Alexandria.

Obelisk of Matarieh (Osirtesen I.)=         = ;             <= /span>  67 ft. 4 in. Matarieh.

Obelisk of Aries=         = ;            &n= bsp;            = ;         = ;      56 ft. 9 in. Arles.
Obelisk of A1-Me= idan (Thothmes III.) &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;   50 ft. 0 in.* Constantinople.

Obelisk of Piazz= a Navona (Domitian)         = ;          54 ft. 3 in. Rome.

Obelisk of Maria= Maggiore &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;            = ;      48 ft. 5 in. Rome.

Obelisk of Piazz= a Quirinale &nb= sp;            =              = ;      47 ft. 6 in. Rome.

Obelisk of Trinita del Monte (Seti= I.)         = ;            43 ft. 6 in. Rome.

Obelisk of Constantinople &n= bsp;            = ;                 = ;      35 ft. 0 in. Constantinople.

Obelisk of Philae   =             &nb= sp;            =                = ;      30 ft. 0 in.* Philae.

Obelisk of Monte= Pincio (Hadrian) &n= bsp;               = ;      30 ft. 0 in. Rome.

Obelisk of Cone Castle (Alexander I.)     &n= bsp;            22 ft. 0 in. Corfe.

Obelisk of Piazza Rotunda (Rameses II. ?)           19 ft. 9 in. Rome.

Obelisk of Al Karnak (Thothmes III.) =         = ;          19 ft. 0 in.* Karnak.

Obelisk of Piazza Minerva      &nb= sp;            =         = ;      17 ft. 0 in. Rome.

Obelisk of Villa= Mattei   =             &nb= sp;            =                8 ft. 3 in.* Rome.

Obelisk of Alnwick (Amenhotep II.)=               = ;        6 ft. 0 in. Alnwick.

Obelisk of (2) <= st1:place w:st=3D"on">British Museum (Amy= rtaeus)            8 ft. 1 in. London.

Obelisk of Museo Florentino         = ;                  = ;        7 ft. 0 in. Florence. <= /o:p>

Obelisk of Museo Florentino         = ;                  = ;        5 ft. 10 in. Florence. <= /o:p>

Obelisk of (2) <= st1:place w:st=3D"on">Benevento        = ;            &n= bsp;         = ;        9 ft. (?) in. <= st1:place w:st=3D"on">Benevento.

Obelisk of Soughton Hall            &nb= sp;                  &nbs= p;        (?)

Besides these th= ere are many prostrate obelisks as follows:- Nine = at Tanis; two at Karnak; one at Alexandria, given to the English government at the capitulation of Alexandria, but never removed, and suffering much damage from neglect. (1876c1)

$H Oberon.

The king of the fairies.(1883m1)

$H Obex.

R. (objicio= , to obstruct). Any contrivance to keep a door closed, such as a bolt, lock, latch, iron bar, &c.(1883m1)

$H Oblata.

Chr. The sacred bread. This word was more commonly applied to the unconsecrated loaf, and HOSTIA to = the consecrated. (For particulars respecting the preparation and the form of oblates, see the article ELEMENTS in Smith and Cheetham, Dict. of Christian Antiquities.) In the same manner OBLATI were l= ay‑brothers in a monastery who had not taken the vows.(1883m1)

$H Oblate.

Flattened or shortened like the earth at the poles. The earth is an oblate spheroid.(1883m1)

$H Oblationarium.

Chr. A small table placed near the high altar, or at the end of one of the side aisles, on which the people laid their offerings. It was also used, when = in the choir, to hold the sacred utensils in place of the credence‑table. In the Greek Church the oblationarium is still us= ed for the bread, wine, and sacred vessels required in the mass.(1883m1)

$H Oblatorium. Architecture

(Arch.) A lateral apse in a Christian basilica in which the bread and wine were blessed. It is also known under the name Prothesis.(1891a1)

$H Oble, Oblete.

(Lat. oblata), O.E. The consecrated wafer distributed to communicants at mass.

"Ne<= /span> Jhesu was nat the= oble Th= at reysed was at the sacre= ." (Harl. MS.)

Hence, a wafer‑cake, sweetened with honey, and made of the finest wheaten bread.(1883m1)

$H Oblique.

A term applied to any direction which is neither vertical nor horizontal.(1891a1)

$H Obliterate.

To efface a copper plate from which engravings have been struck by covering = it with deep and irregular incisions, which completely destroy the value of = the work. The purpose of obliterating plates is to preve= nt any further prints being struck from them, as a large number of prints diminishes the value of the earlier impressions. A p= urely fictitious value is thus frequently given to engravings. In a recent inst= ance only fifty impressions were struck from a plate, which was then broken up into fifty pieces and distributed among the fifty subscribers, although it was in a perfectly good state and might still have furnished many hundred= s of proofs.(1891a1)

$H Oblong.

A term applied to any object the length of which than its breadth. ILLUS. <= /span>oblong(1891a1)

$H Oboe.

Oboe or Hautboy (from Fr. haut, high, and bois, wood). A wind instrument like a flute, sounded through a reed.(1883m1)

$H Obolo.

Mod. A copper coin, worth about a halfpenny, circulated in the Ionian Islands.(1883m1)

$H Obolos.

Gr. (derived f= rom Ï$@8ÎH[=3Dobolos], a broo= ch, originally). A small copper coin worth the sixth part of a drachm. The obolos in l= ater times was of bronze; but in the best times of Athens it was of silver. Its value in= the AEginetan standard was 1.166 of a penny.(1883m1)

$H Obscoena.

Chr. Obscene representations frequently met with in Christian iconography, whi= ch, according to De Canmont, are "to warn the faithful that they ought to enter the temple with pure hearts, leaving outside all the passions that soil the soul."(1883m1)

$H Observe. <= /h1>

To study a model closely and so to reproduce it with accuracy. Thus in criticising a picture we say that the figures are w= ell observed, or that the effect of light and shade is the result of careful observation.(1891a1)

$H Obsidian.

A volcanic= glass found near volcanoes, used in antiquity for the manufacture of mirrors, a= xes, knives, &c. (See GLASS.)(1883m1)

$H Obstragulum.<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'>

R. A long leather strap (amentum) worn as a fastening to the crepida.(1883m1)

$H Obstrigillum.=

R. A shoe, the sides of which were lengthened into a lappet over the instep.(1883m1)

$H Obturaculum, Obturamentum.

Obturaculum, Obturament= um R. (obturo, to stop up). A stopper for the neck of a bottl= e or the mouth of a vessel.(1883m1)

$H Obtuse.

An angle greater than a right angle.(1891a1)

$H Obverse. Numismatics

Obverse. Of a coin, the face, or side which bears the principal symbol. The other = side is the REVERSE.(1883m1)

Obverse. (Numis.) That side of a coin or medal upon which the face or the main devi= ce is struck. It is opposed to reverse (q.v.), which is especially reserved for= the inscription.(1891a1)

$H Ocal.

Span. Coarse silk.(1883m1)

$H Occabus.

R. (= Ð66"$@H[=3Dokkabos]). A ki= nd of spoon.(1883m1)

$H Occidental Diamond.

A precious stone of inferior hardness and beauty.(1883m1)=

$H Occultation.

The disappearance or eclipse of one heavenly body behind another.(1883m1)

$H Oceanides.

The daughters of the Greek sea‑god Oceanus. In Greek art they are represented, like the mermaids of Teutonic mythology, as being half human, half fish. They wear seaweed wreathed in their hair and ride on dolphins.(1891a1)

$H Oceanus.

In Greek mythology Oceanus is s= aid to be the son of Uranus and Gaia, and the god of the sea. In artistic representations he appears as an aged man with a bull's horn. He rides up= on a dolphin or in a chariot drawn by sea‑monsters, and in his hand he h= olds a sceptre, symbolic of the power he exercises= over the sea.(1891a1)

$H Ocellata.

R. (lit. marked with ocelli or spots). Marbles used as playthings by children.(1883m1)

$H Ocellated.

Full of eyes; said of a peacock's tail. (See Fig. 398.)(1883m1)

$H Ochre. Painting

Ochre. (Paint.) An argillaceous substance coloured by oxide of iron.(1891a1)

Ochre. Argillaceous earth of different colours which= , when finely ground, is used as a pigment. Red ochre is a form of specular iron ore; brown ochre is a variety of haematite. The yellow ochres become red when calcined, but the finest reds are made from those which are brown in the bed. Native red ochre is called red chalk= or reddle = in England. Spanish Brown, Indian Red, Venetian = Red, and the yellow ochres have nearly the same composition. The other ochres are known as Oxford, Roman, and stone ochres, and as terra di= Sienna and umber. They are all valua= ble and durable pigments for oil, water, or enamel painting. (See AMATITA.)(1883m1)

---$H Och= re, Brown.

A pigment obtained from a clay containing oxide of iron and oxide of manganese.(1891a1)

--- $H Oc= hre, Red.

A red pigment obtained from sulphate of iron or= by calcining yellow ochre. It is of a good colour and permanent as a rule, the only objection = to its free use being that it contains iron, and so is likely to adversely affect some pigments with which it is mixed.(1891a1)

--- $H Oc= hre, Yellow.

A yellow pigment which is nothing more or less than a peroxide or hydrate of iron. It is useful both in oil and water‑colou= r, as it is permanent. It is somewhat opaque, and should be avoided when transparency is aimed at. What has been said about red ochre applies equa= lly to yellow. The iron it contains renders it dangerous to some other pigmen= ts, and this danger is greater in chemically prepared than in native yellow ochre.(1891a1)

$H Ocrea.

R. A greave; a piece of armour which covered the= shin‑bone from below the knee to the ankle. It was generally richly ornamented by designs embossed or chased upon it. (Modern JAMBES.)(1883m1)

$H Octagon.

A figure of eight equal sides, considered as an emblem of regeneration; consequently the proper form for baptistries = and fonts. (Fair= holt.)(1883m1)

$H Octahedron or Octohedron.

Octohedron. A solid body with eight faces.(1891a1)

Octahedron. A solid contained by eight equal sides, which are equilateral triangles.(1883m1)

$H Octastyle or Octostyle.

Octostyle. (Arch.) A term applied to ancient temples, the façade of whi= ch was decorated with eight columns. The Parthenon, the famous temple of Athena at Athens, was octostyle.(1891a1)

Octastyle, R. (= Ï6JV‑FJL8@H[=3Dokta‑stulos]). An octastyle portico is a portico having eight columns in front; = octastyle pediment, a ped= iment supported by eight columns. The pediment of the Parthenon at Athens, from whi= ch the Elgin Marbles come, is an octastyle.(1883m1)

$H Octave.

(1) In Music, the longest interval in the diatonic scale; as from do to do, or C to C.

(2) Chr. Eight days, or the eighth day after a Ch= urch festival (the festival being included) kept as a repetition or prolongati= on of the festival. It is a Western custom unknown to the Eastern Church.(1883m1)

$H October.

The eighth month of the old Roman year, but the tenth in the calendar of Numa, Julius Caesar, &c. It was sacred to Mars,= and a horse called the October equus was annually sacrificed to Mars.(1883m1)<= o:p>

$H Octofoil. Heraldry

Her. A double quatrefoil; the difference of a ninth son.(1883m= 1)

$H Octophoron or Octaphoron.

Octophoron or Octaphoron, Gr. and R. (Ï6JfN@D@<[=3Doktophoron]). A= litter (lectica= ) borne by eight slaves.(1883m1)

$H Ocularium. Mediaeval

Med. Lat. The narrow slit or opening for the sight in a helmet. (See Fig. 495.= )

Fig. 495. Ocularium in a helmet.(1883m1)

<= span style=3D'font-family:Arial;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-no-= proof: no'>

$H Oculus. Christian Architecture

Oculus, Chr. A round window of frequent occurrence in= the tympanum of the pediment in Latin basilicas, and occasionally in certain = churches of the 11th century.(1883m1)

Oculus. (Arch.) A small opening or window of circular form which admits light and air. The term is especially applied to the circular openings made at the = top of the pediment in Latin basilicae. The oculu= s is also found in buildings of the Romanesque and Gothic styles. When it play= s an important part in the decorative scheme of a façade it is called a rose window (q.v.). ILLUS. oculus(1891a1)

$H = Od. Akkad

In Accadian mythology the name of the Assyrian deity Shamas, the sun, as "The King of Justice." See Shamas or Samas. (1876c1)

$H Ode.

(í*¬[=3Dode], a song). A short lyrical poem, intended to = be sung to the accompaniment of an instrument, especially the lyre; hence the expression lyric poetry.(1883m1)=

$H Odeon.

Odeon. (Arch.)= A Greek building, differing in its roof and internal architecture from a theatre. It was used principally for concerts. The most celebrated Odeon = at Athens was built= in the time of Pericles, and stood not far from the theatre of Dionysus.(1891a1)

Odeon (= í*,Ã@<[=3Dodeion]; í*¬[=3Dode], a song). A small theatre at Athens, built by Pericles for musical performances. By analogy, the name was applied to any theatre built on a circular plan and covered with a roof, like that of Athens, shown in= Fig. 496. Fig. 496. Ground‑plan of the Odeon at Athens.(1883m1)

$H Odin.

In Northern mythology a great deity and the son of Borr. He and his brethren slew the fro= st giant Ymir. He was the Scandinavian god of wa= r. (1876c1)

$H Odulam.

The Egyptian name of an uncertain Syrian t= own, Adullam.(?) (1876c= 1)

$H OEaei. Egypt

An Egyptian lady, the wife of Ra-amen, the= spondist of Pthah, whic= h see. (Leemans.) (1876c1)

$H OEcos, OEcus.

OEcos, OEcus Gr. (@É6@H[=3Doikos]). A Gree= k house; the term, however, denoted rather a large apartment resembling the atrium, but entirely shut in, that is to say, without impluv= ium. In Fig. 497, A is the oecus; B, C, two rooms forming offices; D, a tablinum; E, a portico;= G, the entrance to the house; H, work‑rooms; J, the triclinium. OEcus tetrastylos was a house in which four columns supported the roof; oecus Corinthius, having one order of columns supporting an architrave, cornice, and an arched roof; oecus Egyptius, in which the pillars supported gallery with a paved floor, forming a walk round the apartment; above these pillars others were placed, one‑fo= urth less in height; and between the upper columns were placed windows; and th= e oecus Cyzicenus, which looked to the north, and, if possible, faced gardens, to which it opened by folding‑doors, was a summer‑house. (See DOMUS.) Fig. 497. Ground‑plan of a Greek house.(1883m1)

$H Oeil-de-boeuf.

Arch. A small = round or oval window in a roof.(1883m1)

$H OEillets. (See OILLETS.)<= /span> (1883m1)

$H Oenochoe or OEnochoê. Pottery

OEnochoê (Gr. @É<@H[=3Doinos], wine, a= nd PXT[=3Dcheo], to pour)= . An earthen vase used to take the wine out of the crater and distribute it in= to cups. It is the vase carried by the goddesses, and used for libations. (F= igs. 498, 498 a.) Fig. 498. OEnochoê, decorated with zoophori, or bands of animals.

Fig. 498 a. OEnochoê, or Wine‑jug, in black glazed earthenware.(1883m1)

&nbs= p; &nbs= p;

Oenochoe. (Pot.) A vase or jug which was used in ancient Greece for pouring the wine= from the crater to the drinking cu= p. The majority of these vases, which are often richly decorated, are graceful a= nd tapering in form. Sometimes, however, the oenochoe is ovoidal in shape, has a very thin neck and a light handle gracefully curved in the shape of an S. Such is the one represented in our second cut, which is ta= ken from a bronze oenochoe found at Volterra. 2 ILLUS. oenocho1, oenocho2(1891a1)

&nbs= p; &= nbsp; &nbs= p;

$H OEnophorum. Greco-Roman

Gr. and R. (= @Æ<@N`D@<[=3Doinophoron]). A= light case or basket for carrying wine.(1883m1)

$H OEnopolium.

Gr. and R. (= @Æ<@Bf84@<[=3Doinopolion]). T= he shop of a dealer who sold wine to be carried away; distinct from the taberna= meritoria or deversori= a, which was a public tavern.(1883m1)

$H OEr. Egypt

An Egyptian, the father of the lady Ten-chei-hat, and husband of Isi-o= er, a priestess of Amen Ra. (1876c1)

$H OEri. Egypt

An Egyptian doctor in the Vth dynasty. Nothing else is known respecting him. (1876c1)=

$H OEr-nekht-u.<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'>

Another name of the great Egyptian fortress called Tatehu, which see. (1876c1)=

$H OEsar. See Asera, an Etruscan deity. (1876c1)

$H OEto-syrus. <= span class=3DGramE>"The Sun."

According to Herodotus the name of a Scyth= ian deity answering to the Apollo of the Greeks. (1876c1)