St. Hubertus or Hubert (c.656-727), a kind of pre-Francis who established ethical rules on hunting, and cared about the welfare of animals. Hubert is venerated every year by the hunts in formal ceremonies. He is patron of archers; dogs; forest workers; trappers; hunting and huntsmen; mathematicians; metal workers; smelters and the city of Liège.
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Name origin: Pacific Ocean, the largest on the planet, which covers approximately 46% of Earth’s water surface and about 32% of its total surface, more than its entire land area. Mean depth is 4km; the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench reaches 10.9km. The ocean straddles the International Date Line.
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‘Possibly’ named for the Irish princess Iseult in Celtic myth, though some other characters bear that name. Iseult is to marry Tristan’s uncle, King Mark of Cornwall, and on the voyage there Tristan and Iseult accidentally drink a love potion meant for the engaged couple, and fall hopelessly in love.
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Name origin: Greek; food of the gods. The word ambrosia means immortality, and is often said to have either that effect or longevity on whoever consumes it. The term may not originally have been distinguished from nectar, the other food of the gods.
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Name origin: Thessalian princess in Greek myth, loved by the god Apollo. During her pregnancy, Koronis had an affair with a man named Iskhys; a raven informed Apollo of this, and either he or his sister Artemis killed her as a consequence. Later he felt remorse, and in anger against the raven turned its white feathers black.
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Name origin: Greek princess, daughter of Leda and Tyndareus, half-sister of Helen. Helen married Menelaos of Sparta, and Klytaemnestra married his brother Agamemnon; both became involved in the ten-year Trojan War. After Agamemnon sacrificed their daughter Iphigenia on the orders of a priest, Klytaemnestra vowed revenge and took his cousin Aegisthus as a lover. When he returned, the pair murdered him and his slave Kassandra. Eventually they were both killed in retaliation by Klytaemnestra’s son Orestes.
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Baukis and Philemon were a poor elderly couple who were blessed by Zeus and Hermes after showing them hospitality while disguised as peasants. Richer folk in the town had turned the gods away. In consequence, Zeus flooded the rest of the town and turned the simple cottage into an ornate temple.
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Named after the Sibyls, oracles in ancient Greece. Originally there may have been just one Sibyl at a time, but the number eventually increased to nine or ten. Bases included Delphi, Samos, Delos and Clarus. The etymology of the term’s source is unknown.
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Name origin: Unknown. May refer to the Biblical Eve, but this has been doubted due to the usual naming practices of the discoverers.
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One of a pair of Roman childhood goddesses, the other being Abeōna. Adeōna is goddess of returning from somewhere, homecomings, safe return and bringing children home safely.
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