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Blind Harry

(Encyclopedia)Blind Harry or Henry the Minstrel, fl. late 15th cent., supposed Scottish poet. He is considered the author of the patriotic epic, The Wallace, which celebrates the life of Sir William Wallace. Violen...

Krishna, Hindu deity

(Encyclopedia)Krishna krĭshˈnə [key] [Sanskrit,=black], one of the most popular deities in Hinduism, the eighth avatar, or incarnation of Vishnu. Krishna appears in the Mahabharata epic as a prince of the Yadava...

Arboleda, Julio

(Encyclopedia)Arboleda, Julio ho͞oˈlyō ärbōlāˈᵺä [key], 1817–61, Colombian poet and politician. A powerful political force, he was for a time imprisoned and then exiled. He returned to lead a revolt (18...

Haren, Willem van

(Encyclopedia)Haren, Willem van vĭlˈəm vän häˈrən [key], 1710–68, Dutch poet, b. Friesland, of a noble family. His chief work is an epic poem, Friso (1741). His brother, Onno Zwier van Haren, 1713–79, al...

Folengo, Teofilo

(Encyclopedia)Folengo, Teofilo tāôˈfēlō fōlĕngˈgō [key], 1496–1544, Italian burlesque poet, who used the pseudonym Merlinus Cocaius or Merlino Cocajo. A Benedictine monk, he left (c.1515) his monastery t...

Silius Italicus

(Encyclopedia)Silius Italicus sĭˈlēo͝osˈ ĭtăˈlĭko͝os [key], a.d. 25–a.d. 101, Latin poet. An orator and state functionary, Silius was made consul in a.d. 68 and proconsul in Asia Minor in a.d. 77. Retir...

O'Shaughnessy, Arthur William Edgar

(Encyclopedia)O'Shaughnessy, Arthur William Edgar ōshônˈəsē [key], 1844–81, English poet and naturalist. He was a member of the zoological department of the British Museum. He wrote four volumes of poetry—...

Zeyer, Julius

(Encyclopedia)Zeyer, Julius yo͝oˈlĭo͝os zāˈĕr, tsīˈər [key], 1841–1901, Czech writer. Restless, nostalgic, and mystical, Zeyer wrote ornate, almost decadent epic poetry based on ancient and medieval leg...

Karnal

(Encyclopedia)Karnal kərnälˈ [key], city (1991 pop. 176,131), Haryana state, N central India. The town's name is derived from Karna, the rival of Arjuna in the Sanskrit Mahabharata epic. It is on the Delhi-Ambal...

Ercilla y Zúñiga, Alonso de

(Encyclopedia)Ercilla y Zúñiga, Alonso de älōnˈsō ᵺā ārthēˈlyä ē tho͞oˈnyēgä [key], 1533–94, Spanish poet. In Chile (1556–63) he fought against the Araucanian, and while there he began the epi...