Lexicon of Paganism, Mystery Religions, And Magical Creatures
(This is an excerpt from a University Of Metaphysical Sciences course at www.umsonline.org, please feel free to visit the school website)
Glossary of Terms N - P
Naga
or Nagamani: Naga is Sanskrit for snake. Nagi is the word for female.
Nag is the word for snake in many languages. Nagas, according to Buddhism
and Hinduism are snakes with supernatural power. They live in underground
cities and have several heads. Some are depicted as being human from the
torso up and snake from the waist down. Nagamani protected the Buddha as
he sat in meditation.
Norn: One of the three complex cosmic beings in female
form that embody the processes of cause, effect, and evolutionary force.
Numen: Numinous, living, nonphysical aspects within the
cosmic order.
Odhraerir: The name of the hallucinogenic mead and its
container used in rituals.
Old English: Language spoken by the Anglo-Saxon tribes
in southern Britain from about 450 -1100 A.D.
Old Norse: The language spoken by West Scandanavians (in
Norway, Iceland, and Britain) in the Viking Age (800 - 1100 A.D.). Also,
the language of the Eddas and skaldic poetry.
Ond: Vital breath comparable to the Hindu notion of prana
and universal life force.
Orlog: Literally, the primal layers or primal laws, i.e.
the past actions that shape the present and future conditions. Roughly translated
as Fate, it is similar to the India idea of karma and justice.
Owl: The owl’s screech is considered a bad omen,
perhaps death. They have also long been associated with sorcery, which was
a scary subject to most people. Owls symbolize intelligence and wisdom in
other legends, and were the advisors of travelers and wizards.
Padfoot: Padfoot, in central England, is one name given
to these magical black dogs that appear throughout Europe and North America.
They are also known as Black Shuck, Old Shuck, Shucky Dog, The Shag Monster,
Grim, and Shag Dog. These dogs were said to guard churchyards, roads, and
some just roam the countryside at night. They appear suddenly, sometimes
right alongside a vulnerable person walking alone at night, and they disappear
as quickly as they appeared, or slowly vanish away. They are larger than
usual dogs, and sometimes they appear without a head. Their eyes are huge
and blazing. They never make a sound though. They are silent. Some people
thought they were one of the forms of the Devil. Some people thought they
were omens of death and feared them greatly. Some people actually thought
they were helpful, harmless and a positive sign. Accounts of the Black Dog
vary.
Philosopher’s Stone: The philosopher’s Stone
was believed to be the missing ingredient in many attempts to turn base
metals into gold. It had a very strong smell, and is now known to be sulfur.
A famous alchemist named Nicolas Flamel, born in Paris around 1330, recorded
in his records that with the Philosopher’s Stone and Mercury (known
in that time as quicksilver) he converted base metal into gold three times
successfully with his wife Perenelle’s help. He died with his secret
in 1410 and even though many attempts were made to duplicate his formula,
no one was successful in creating gold. Legend has it that he also created
the Elixir Of Life, a potion offering immortality, and that his wife and
he lived on in secret.
Phoenix: This is a magical eternal bird that cannot die.
It lives for about five hundred years, according to legend. It didn’t
live on food, but on cardamom and frankincense. When it finishes five centuries
of life, it dies in flames and becomes ash. Then a new phoenix is born and
lives another five hundred years. This was known as bennu in Egyptian lore,
a red and gold bird, a central symbol of the city of Heliopolis, the Sun
City. The phoenix symbolizes the passage of time in Egyptian hieroglyphics,
representing five hundred years. It is also a symbol of undying love, devotion
and loyalty to the beloved.
Pixies: These are household spirits form the legends of
England. Mostly, they are dressed in green with a pointed cap. They are
youthful and have red hair. They are very small, not more than eight or
ten inches high. They are helpful, but disappear if they are given a gift,
for they want to play with the gift. They are not like house elves, who
like doing all the work. They try to get lazy people of the household to
do some work too. They love to play and dance in the moonlight, and they
like to ride horses all night, leaving them exhausted in the morning. Their
favorite game is to get travelers lost. People who are confused or lost
are said to be pixied. This spell can only be broken by taking one’s
jacket off and putting it back on inside out. This creature has also been
called the Will o’ the Wisp, a misty, cloudlike being that also likes
to lead travelers astray.