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Register Log In Wordsmith.org Forums (Old) Weekly themes. (have been consolidated into a single forum above) Words from classical mythology ambrosia
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OP
OP
We've all heard the word, but I wondered about its etymologyh. So far I haven't found it.
I wonder what brand of bumf the gods patronized.
I'm having trouble with Yahoo Search, keep getting an error
message I've not seen before "Page cannot be opened".
Webster's 1913 Dictionary
Definition: \Am*bro"sia\ (?; 277), n. [L. ambrosia, Gr. ?, properly
fem. of ?, fr. ? immortal, divine; 'a priv. + ? mortal
(because it was supposed to confer immortality on those who
partook of it). ? stands for ?, akin to Skr. mrita, L.
mortuus, dead, and to E. mortal.]
1. (Myth.)
(a) The fabled food of the gods (as nectar was their
drink), which conferred immortality upon those who
partook of it.
(b) An unguent of the gods.
His dewy locks distilled ambrosia. --Milton.
2. A perfumed unguent, salve, or draught; something very
pleasing to the taste or smell. --Spenser.
3. Formerly, a kind of fragrant plant; now (Bot.), a genus of
plants, including some coarse and worthless weeds, called
ragweed, hogweed, etc.
\Am*bro"sia\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
The food of certain small bark beetles, family {Scolytid[ae]}
believed to be fungi cultivated by the beetles in their
burrows.
In ancient mythology, Ambrosia is sometimes the food, sometimes the drink, of the gods. The word has generally been derived from Greek a- ("not") and mbrotos ("mortal"); hence the food or drink of the immortals. A. W. Verrall, however, denies that there is any clear example in which the word ambrosios necessarily means immortal, and prefers to explain it as "fragrant," a sense which is always suitable. If so, the word may be derived from the Semitic ambar ("ambergris") to which Eastern nations attribute miraculous properties. W. H. Roscher thinks that both nectar and ambrosia were kinds of honey, in which case their power of conferring immortality would be due to the supposed healing and cleansing power of honey. See also Ichor.
formerly known as etaoin...
OP
they found. Presumably because bees there were pasturing on
a type of laurel which has something toxic in the nectar.I'll go search for more information.
Here's a URL about it. Doesn't mention Anabasis, sob,sob!
http://www.gov.nf.ca/agric/weblaurel.pdf
Good old Perseus!
Perseus Project: Xenophon Anabasis 4.8.18-21
[18] Then the peltasts of the Arcadian division, who were commanded by
Aeschines the Acarnanian, getting the idea that the enemy were in
flight, set up a shout and began to run; and they were the first to
reach the summit of the mountain, while following close after them came
the Arcadian division of hoplites, under the command of Cleanor of
Orchomenus.
[19] As for the enemy, once the peltasts began to run they no longer stood
their ground, but betook themselves hither and thither in flight. After
accomplishing the ascent the Greeks took up quarters in numerous
villages, which contained provisions in abundance.
[20] Now for the most part there was nothing here which they really
found strange; but the swarms of bees in the neighbourhood were
numerous, and the soldiers who ate of the honey all went off their
* heads, and suffered from vomiting and diarrhoea, and not one of them
could stand up, but those who had eaten a little were like people
exceedingly drunk, while those who had eaten a great deal seemed like
crazy, or even, in some cases, dying men.
[21] So they lay there in great numbers as though the army had suffered
a defeat, and great despondency prevailed. On the next day, however, no
one had died, and at approximately the same hour as they had eaten the
* honey they began to come to their senses; and on the third or fourth day
they got up, as if from a drugging.
which is fortunate, since the poisonus alkaloid (what ever its molecular compound) remains poisonous when made into honey! i don't know enough botony to know what compound it is, and if one can build up a tollerence to it. --(learned this from a tag on a plant at a botanical gardens)--
Mountain laurals have clusters of flowers, that look like little stars when they open. they grow wild as far north as southern NY, (but are at home down WW's way)
Homer used ambrotos in the Iliad when talking about Ares. He either said Ares was a 'fragrant' or 'immortal' god [see Iliad xx.358] Also, in the Odyssey, xxiv.444. Where he writes about the will of the immortal gods.
So, sorry, but I don't buy it. Your mileage may vary.
OP
and found a long article about a form of amber, from an Arab root, found on seashore. Though there was a picture of a whale at the top of the site, there was not a word about
whale ambergris, an extremely valuable large chunk of fatty stuff said to be vomited by whales, and used in the perfume industry. I'll see if I can find out information about that.
hhttp://www.netstrider.com/documents/ambergris/dictionaries/
OP
http://www.netstrider.com/documents/ambergris/general_encyclopedias/
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