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Possible definitions for qrs

Aesir
In Germanic religion, one of the two main groups of deities, the other being the Vanir. Odin, his wife Frigg, Tyr (the god of war), and Thor were the four Aesir common to the Germanic nations. Balder and Loki were considered Aesir by other peoples. The Aesir were a warlike race and were originally dominant over the Vanir, but after numerous defeats in battle they were forced to grant the Vanir equal status. The poet-god Kvasir was born out of the peace ritual in which the two races mingled their saliva in the same vessel.


Aesop
Supposed author of a collection of Greek fables, almost certainly a legendary figure. Though Herodotus, in the 5th cent. BC, said that he was an actual personage, "Aesop" was probably no more than a name invented to provide an author for fables centering on beasts. Aesopian fables emphasize the social interactions of human beings, and the morals they draw tend to embody advice on how to deal with the competitive realities of life. The Western fable tradition effectively begins with these tales. Modern editions list some 200 Aesopian fables.


Ahsai
Founder of the heterodox Shiite Muslim Shaykhi sect of Iran. Born in Arabia, he traveled widely in Persia and the Middle East. In 1808 he settled in Yazd, Persia, where he attracted followers with his interpretation of Shia. He claimed knowledge from visions of Muhammad and the imams, and contended that the imams were originally beings of divine light who participated in the creation of the world. Orthodox Shiite theologians excommunicated him in 1824; he died two years later on pilgrimage to Mecca, but the Shaykhi sect survived him.


Aksum
Ancient kingdom, N Ethiopia. At its apogee (3rd-6th cent. AD), Aksum merchants traded as far as Alexandria and beyond the Nile River. The modern town of Aksum (pop. 1989 est.: 22,000), once the kingdom's capital, is a religious center best known for its antiquities. It has long been regarded as a holy city for the Ethiopian Orthodox church; according to tradition, King Menilek I, son of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, brought the Ark of the Covenant there from Jerusalem. Aksum's antiquities have made it a tourist center.


Ansar
(Arabic: "Helper") Term originally applied to some of the Companions of the Prophet. When Muhammad left Mecca for Medina, the Ansar were the Medinese who aided him and who became his devoted followers, serving in his army. The term was revived in the 19th cent. to refer to the followers of al-Mahdi, al-Mahdi's successor, or his descendants.


Aosta
City (pop., 1989: 36,000), capital of Valle d'Aosta region, NW Italy. Located at the juncture of the Great and Little St. Bernard Pass roads through the Alps, it was a stronghold of the Salassi, a Celtic tribe subdued by the Romans in 25 BC. A Roman town was founded there by Augustus in 24 BC, and many Roman structures survive, incl. the walls, two gates, and a ...

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