Omphalos

Omphalos
The omphalos (or omphalus) is also called the umbilicus or navel. "Omphalos" is the Greek word for the navel. The decorative boss protruding from the center of a Greek warrior's shield was also called the omphalos, as was the knob at the center of a yoke. The omphalos was the "center of anything." The omphalos in the temple of Apollo at Delphi was a rounded conical stone; it was sacred and marked what the ancient Greeks believed to be the central point of the earth. They must have similarly believed that the center of a person was their navel — the omphalos.
* * *
Rarely used term for umbilicus. [G. navel]

* * *

om·pha·los 'äm(p)-fə-.läs, -ləs n, pl -pha·li -.lī, -.lē NAVEL

Medical dictionary. 2011.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • omphalos — also omphalus, sacred stone, 1850, from Gk. omphalos, lit. navel, later also hub (as the central point), from PIE *ombh alo , from root *nobh /*ombh navel (see NAVEL (Cf. navel)). The name of the rounded stone in the shrine at Delphi, regarded by …   Etymology dictionary

  • Omphalos — Om pha*los, n. [L., fr. Gr. ?.] (Anat.) The navel. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Omphălos — (gr.), 1) der Nabel; 2) bildlich der Mittelpunkt; daher 3) ein steinerner Sitz im Tempel zu Delphi, der für den Mittelpunkt der Erde galt; 4) der erhabene Theil in der Mitte des Schildes: 5) der Knopf an einer Bücherrolle …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Omphălos — (griech., »Nabel«), ein Steinkegel im Apollotempel zu Delphi, galt als Mittelpunkt der Erde …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Omphalos — Omphalos, griech., Nabel; Omphalokele, Nabelbruch; Omphalomantie, Weissagung aus der Nabelschnur; Omphalopsychiten, Nabelgucker, s. Hesychiasten …   Herders Conversations-Lexikon

  • omphalos — [äm′fə ləs, äm′fəläs΄] n. [see OMPHALO ] 1. NAVEL 2. a central point 3. a rounded stone in Apollo s temple at Delphi, regarded as the center of the world by the ancients …   English World dictionary

  • Omphalos — For other uses, see Omphalos (disambiguation). An omphalos (ομφαλος) is an ancient religious stone artifact, or baetylus. In Greek, the word omphalos means navel (compare the name of Queen Omphale). According to the ancient Greeks, Zeus sent out… …   Wikipedia

  • Omphalos — L omphalos de Delphes Omphalos signifie ombilic en grec ancien. Sommaire 1 Mythologie …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Omphalos — Der Omphalos Stein in Delphi Der Omphalos (griech.: „Nabel“) war ein phallischer Stein im Adyton des Apollon Tempels in Delphi. Er war mit Wollgirlanden (Agrenon) überzogen und markierte den „Nabel der Welt“. Der Omphalos soll der Sage nach als… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Omphalos — Ọmphalos   der, in der Antike ein zum Apollonorakel gehörender heiliger Stein zu Delphi von bienenkorbförmiger Gestalt, der als Mittelpunkt der Erde (griechisch Omphalos »Nabel der Erde«) gedeutet wurde; an dieser Stelle sollen sich die von Zeus …   Universal-Lexikon

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”