(Encyclopedia) Mary, in the Bible, mother of Jesus. Christian tradition reckons her the principal saint, naming her variously the Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Lady, and Mother of God (Gr., theotokos).…
(Encyclopedia) Dostoyevsky or Dostoevsky, Feodor MikhailovichDostoyevsky or Dostoevsky, Feodor Mikhailovichfyôˈdər mēkhīˈləvĭch dəstəyĕfˈskē [key], 1821–81, Russian novelist, one of the towering…
(Encyclopedia) Grimm, JakobGrimm, Jakobyäˈkôp grĭm [key], 1785–1863, German philologist and folklorist, a founder of comparative philology. His interest in the relationship among Germanic languages…
(Encyclopedia) Robert the Strong, d. 866, French warrior, marquess of Neustria; father of the French kings Eudes and Robert I and ancestor of the Capetians. He joined the rebellious nobles against…
(Encyclopedia) Reynard the FoxReynard the Foxrĕˈnərd, rāˈnärd [key], the supreme trickster and celebrated hero of the medieval beast epics, works predominantly in verse which became increasingly…
(Encyclopedia) Jack the Ripper, name given to an unidentified late-19th-century murderer in London, England; also known as the Whitechapel Murderer and Leather Apron. From Aug. to Nov., 1888, he was…
(Encyclopedia) Golden Legend, The, collection of saints' lives written in the 13th cent. by Jacobus da Varagine. Originally entitled Legenda sanctorum [readings in the lives of the saints], it soon…
(Encyclopedia) Procopius the Great, Czech Prokop Holý, d. 1434, Czech Hussite leader. A priest, he joined the Hussite movement (see Hussites) and distinguished himself as a captain under John Zizka…
(Encyclopedia) William the Silent or William of Orange (William I, prince of Orange), 1533–84, Dutch statesman, principal founder of Dutch independence.
William married four times. His first wife…
(Encyclopedia) Henry the Navigator, 1394–1460, prince of Portugal, patron of exploration. Because he fought with extraordinary valor in the Portuguese conquest of Ceuta (1415), he was created duke of…
