Athens, the capital of Attica, about four miles from the sea, between the small rivers Cephissus and Ilissus,

Athor, Egyptian deity, progenitor of Isis and Osiris,

Athos, the mountainous peninsula, also called Acte, which projects from Chalcidice in Macedonia,

Atlantes, foster father of Rogero, a powerful magician,

Atlantis, according to an ancient tradition, a great island west of the Pillars of Hercules, in the ocean, opposite Mount Atlas,

Atlas, a t.i.tan, who bore the heavens on his shoulders, as punishment for opposing the G.o.ds, one of the sons of Iapetus,

Atlas, Mount, general name for range in northern Africa,

Atropos, one of the Fates

Attica, a state in ancient Greece,

Audhumbla, the cow from which the giant Ymir was nursed. Her milk was frost melted into raindrops,

Augean stables, cleansed by Hercules,

Augeas, king of Elis,

Augustan age, reign of Roman Emperor Augustus Caesar, famed for many great authors,

Augustus, the first imperial Caesar, who ruled the Roman Empire 31 BC--14 AD,

Aulis, port in Boeotia, meeting place of Greek expedition against Troy,

Aurora, identical with Eos, G.o.ddess of the dawn,

Aurora Borealis, splendid nocturnal luminosity in northern sky, called Northern Lights, probably electrical,

Autumn, attendant of Phoebus, the Sun,

Avalon, land of the Blessed, an earthly paradise in the Western Seas, burial place of King Arthur,

Avatar, name for any of the earthly incarnations of Vishnu, the Preserver (Hindu G.o.d),

Aventine, Mount, one of the Seven Hills of Rome,

Avernus, a miasmatic lake close to the promontory between c.u.mae and Puteoli, filling the crater of an extinct volcano, by the ancients thought to be the entrance to the infernal regions,

Avicenna, celebrated Arabian physician and philosopher,

Aya, mother of Rinaldo,

Aymon, Duke, father of Rinaldo and Bradamante,

B

Baal, king of Tyre,

Babylonian River, dried up when Phaeton drove the sun chariot,

Baccha.n.a.li a, a feast to Bacchus that was permitted to occur but once in three years, attended by most shameless orgies,

Baccha.n.a.ls, devotees and festal dancers of Bacchus,

Bacchus (Dionysus), G.o.d of wine and revelry,

Badon, battle of, Arthur's final victory over the Saxons,

Bagdemagus, King, a knight of Arthur's time,

Baldur, son of Odin, and representing in Norse mythology the sun G.o.d,

Balisardo, Orlando's sword,

Ban, King of Brittany, ally of Arthur, father of Launcelot,

Bards, minstrels of Welsh Druids,

Basilisk SEE c.o.c.katrice

Baucis, wife of Philemon, visited by Jupiter and Mercury,

Bayard, wild horse subdued by Rinaldo,

Beal, Druids' G.o.d of life,

Bedivere, Arthur's knight,

Bedver, King Arthur's butler, made governor of Normandy,

Bedwyr, knightly comrade of Geraint,

Belisarda, Rogero's sword,

Bellerophon, demiG.o.d, conqueror of the Chimaera,

Bellona, the Roman G.o.ddess of war, represented as the sister or wife of Mars,

Beltane, Druidical fire festival,

Belus, son of Poseidon (Neptune) and Libya or Eurynome, twin brother of Agenor,

Bendigeid Vran, King of Britain,