lemures

lemures
/lem"yeuh reez'/; Lat. /lem"oo rddes'/, n.pl. Rom. Relig.
the ghosts of the dead of a family, considered as troublesome unless exorcised or propitiated; larvae.
[1545-55; < L; see LEMUR]

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also called  Larvae,  

      in Roman religion, wicked and fearsome spectres of the dead. Appearing in grotesque and terrifying forms, they were said to haunt their living relatives and cause them injury. To propitiate these ghosts and keep them from the household, ritual observances called Lemuria were held yearly on May 9, 11, and 13. These Lemuria, reputedly instituted by Romulus in expiation of his brother's murder, required the father of every family to rise at midnight, purify his hands, toss black beans for the spirits to gather, and recite entreaties for the spirits' departure.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • LEMURES — larvae nocturnae, et terriculamenta. Horat. l. 2. Ep. 2. sub calcem. Nocturnos Lemures portentaque Thessala ridet. Pers. Sat. 5. v. 185. Tunc nigri Lemures, ovoque pericula rupto. Ovid. Fast. l. 5. v. 482. Mox etiam Lemures animas dixêre silentum …   Hofmann J. Lexicon universale

  • Lemures — Lem u*res (l[e^]m [ u]*r[=e]z; E. l[=e] m[=u]rz), n. pl. [L. See {Lemur}.] Spirits or ghosts of the departed; specters. [1913 Webster] The Lars and Lemures moan with midnight plaint. Milton. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • lêmures — s. m. pl. 1. Duendes; fantasmas. 2.  [Zoologia] Subordem de mamíferos primatas.   ♦ Grafia em Portugal: lémures …   Dicionário da Língua Portuguesa

  • lémures — s. m. pl. 1. Duendes; fantasmas. 2.  [Zoologia] Subordem de mamíferos primatas.   ♦ Grafia no Brasil: lêmures …   Dicionário da Língua Portuguesa

  • Lemŭres [1] — Lemŭres, in der römischen Mythologie Spukgeister, wie die Larvä, zum Schrecken der Menschen. Der Hausvater versöhnte sie jährlich durch Opfer (Lemuria) u. Beschwörungen, indem er zur Mitternacht leise im Hause umher ging, schwarze Bohnen hinter… …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Lemŭres [2] — Lemŭres (Lemurini), so v.w. Maki …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • lemures — [lem′yo͞o rēz΄] pl.n. [L: see LEMUR] Rom. Myth. evil, night walking spirits of the dead …   English World dictionary

  • Lemures — Die Larvae (sg. larva, meist aber im Plural verwendet) oder Lemures (sg. lemur, meist aber im Plural verwendet) waren in der römischen Religion die Geister von Verstorbenen. Die Unterscheidung zwischen lemures und larvae ist unklar,… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • lémures — (lé mu r ) s. m. pl. Terme d antiquité romaine. Nom que les Romains donnaient aux fantômes des morts, qui, suivant l opinion populaire, se faisaient voir quelquefois la nuit. Les lémures étaient fêtés à Rome au mois de mai. REMARQUE    L Académie …   Dictionnaire de la Langue Française d'Émile Littré

  • Lémures — Lémure Pour les articles homonymes, voir Lemur. Les lémures sont des spectres malfaisants issus des croyances de l antiquité romaine. Il ne faut pas les confondre avec les larves (larvae en latin) qui étaient des génies malfaisants. Antiquité… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • lémures — (Del lat. lemures, espectros.) ► sustantivo masculino plural 1 MITOLOGÍA Genios maléficos de la mitología etrusca y romana. 2 Fantasmas, imágenes o duendes …   Enciclopedia Universal

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