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Castor and Pollux

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What we call comazants. Electric flames sometimes seen in stormy weather playing about the masts of ships. If only one flame showed itself, the Romans called it Helen, and said that it portended that the worst of the storm was yet to come; but two or more luminous flames they called Castor and Pollux, and said that they boded the termination of the storm.

But when the sons of Leda shed

Their star-lamps on our vessel’s head,

The storm-winds cease, the troubled spray

Falls from the rocks, clouds flee away,

And on the bosom of the deep

In peace the angry billows sleep. E. C. B.


Horace: Odes xii., 27–32.

 

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Entry taken from Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, edited by the Rev. E. Cobham Brewer, LL.D. and revised in 1895.

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Casting Vote
Castagnette (Captain)
Castaly
Caste
Castle Builder (A)
Castle in the Air
Castle of Bungay (My)
Castle of Indolence
Castle Terabil (or “Terrible”)
Castor
Castor and Pollux
Castor’s Horse
Casuist
Casus Belli (Latin)
Cat
Cat-call
Cat-eyed
Cat Jumps (The)
Cat Stane
Cat and Dog
Cat and Fiddle

Linking here:

Elmo’s Fire (St.)
St. Elmo

See Also:

Castor and Pollux