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halo
halo
The Oxford Companion to the Body
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2001
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© The Oxford Companion to the Body 2001, originally published by Oxford University Press 2001. (Hide copyright information)
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halo The halo, usually represented as a luminous figure around the head of a god or holy person, appears in the iconography of a number of religious traditions. The indigenous civilizations of Central America depict agrarian gods with golden crowns or halos, suggesting an association of the halo with the sun. This is clearest in the Inca god, Viracocha, who wears a tiara that is also a sun. In other traditions, the connection to light symbolism is much more general, pointing to intellect, knowledge, or enlightenment. Within some Mahayana Buddhist texts, for example,
bodhisattvas are described as having halos studded with 500 Buddhas, each attended by numberless gods. In this way, the halo points to the transcendent nature of the
bodhisattva.
The halo is used in Hellenistic representations of gods and goddesses and those associated with them. Similarly, in Christianity, halos around the head of a figure mark it as divine or saintly. In the third and fourth centuries, the halo or nimbus (Latin: ‘cloud’ or ‘mist’) was used only for Christ and the lamb. In the fifth century and after, it was extended to the Virgin Mary, angels, and saints. By the eighth century, square halos were used to designate donors, bishops, and popes.
When used for human figures, the halo represents holiness or sanctity, and its iconography is developed to mark important distinctions between the figures represented. Square zones of light behind the head are used to show that the person was living at the time the painting was made. The square is inferior to the circle and is associated with the earth. Trinitarian figures often have three rays of light emanating from the head. The Virgin Mary always appears with a circular halo. A cross within the circle of light is used to signify Christ. Halos also appear around the heads of animals who symbolize a saintly or divine figure. A lamb with a circular halo within which the cross appears, for example, is a common figure for Christ.
Amy Hollywood
Bibliography
Collinet-Guérin, M. (1961). Histoire du nimbus des origines au temps modernes. Nouvelles Editions Latines, Paris.
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Halo 3.
Magazine article from: Daily Variety; 9/25/2007; ; 700+ words
; ...Microsoft's marketing slogan for "Halo 3" is "finish the fight" but it could...fans won't still be buzzing about "Halo 3's" play a year down the road as they...their own Master Chief shows. Though "Halo" has a remarkably detailed, "Star Wars...
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'Halo 3' drops the hammer Microsoft's big gun is aimed squarely at Sony PlayStation and Nintendo Wii
Newspaper article from: Dayton Daily News; 9/25/2007; ; 700+ words
; ...gamers can "finish the fight" today when "Halo 3" hits store shelves. The third and...Covenant home to Earth, and the acclaimed "Halo" trilogy to a close. The hugely anticipated...year. Preorders in North America for "Halo 3" have soared past one million copies...
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'Halo 3' Multiplayer Beta Hits Xbox LIVE Worldwide on May 16.
PR Newswire; 4/10/2007; 700+ words
; ...today confirmed the multiplayer beta of "Halo(R) 3" will debut to audiences worldwide...the Xbox 360(TM) console this fall, "Halo 3" is the highly anticipated third chapter in the groundbreaking "Halo" trilogy from legendary developers Bungie...
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'Halo 3' to Make Entertainment History on Sept. 25.
PR Newswire; 5/16/2007; 700+ words
; ...history; beta preview and collectible Zune-Halo 3 edition digital media player add to early...video game is set to conquer them all. "Halo(R) 3," the final chapter in the groundbreaking "Halo" trilogy, is set to shatter day-one entertainment...
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HALO Industries to Sell Its Troy, MI And Canadian Operations To The Beanstalk Group; Sale of Standalone Offices Will Significantly Strengthen Company's Financial Health, Substantially Eliminate All Bank Debt.
PR Newswire; 12/19/2001; 700+ words
; CHICAGO -- HALO Industries, Inc., (BULLETIN BOARD...Troy, MI-based business and the stock of HALO Canada, Inc., its wholly owned subsidiary...of the transactions were not disclosed. HALO's Troy, MI business includes satellite...
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Is halo helpful? Effects of inducing halo on performance rating accuracy
Magazine article from: Social Behavior and Personality; 1/1/2003; ; 700+ words
; Halo error, although traditionally viewed as being detrimental...called for investigations on the effects of inducing halo. The present experiment tested the effect of inducing halo on performance rating accuracy. Participants (N=160...
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Halo Amends Option Agreement With Goldcorp.
News Wire article from: Marketwire Canada; 9/8/2009; 700+ words
; ...via COMTEX) -- Lynda Bloom, President and CEO of Halo Resources Ltd. (TSX VENTURE:HLO)(FRANKFURT:HRL) is pleased to announce that Halo Resources Ltd. ("Halo") has amended an agreement with Red Lake Gold Mines...
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 "Professional Builder (1993)")
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Halo Lighting Fixtures: on the leading edge. (includes related article on one builder's reason for preferring Halo's products)(1998 Brand Leader)
Magazine article from: Professional Builder (1993); 9/1/1998; 700+ words
; ...the Professional Builder 1998 Brand Use Study, Halo Lighting gets the nod from builders as the number...division of Cooper Industries, manufacturer of Halo Lighting. The study points up Halo's strength in the residential lighting market...
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HALO Industries Embarks on Aggressive Cost-Cutting Strategy to Return Core Promotional Products Business to Profitability.
PR Newswire; 9/24/2001; 700+ words
; ...Management and Transaction Processing to New HALO Service Center In Sterling, Illinois CHICAGO, Sept. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- HALO Industries, Inc., a promotional products...migrate from Niles, Illinois, to a new HALO service center in Sterling, Illinois...
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 "Cape Times (South Africa)")
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'Halo' vying with movie blockbusters.(News)
Newspaper article from: Cape Times (South Africa); 10/2/2007; 700+ words
; BYLINE: halo 3 This year's trio of box office big...from a new blockbuster video game. When Halo 3 had its European release, thousands of...Hallows in terms of first-day sales. "When Halo 2 launched in 2004 it broke all box office...
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halo
Book article from: The Oxford Companion to the Body
...with golden crowns or halos, suggesting an association of the halo with the sun. This...described as having halos studded with 500 Buddhas...In this way, the halo points to the transcendent...appears with a circular halo. A cross within the...to signify Christ. Halos also appear ...
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Halo Effect
Encyclopedia entry from: Gale Encyclopedia of Psychology
Halo effect A type of bias where one characteristic...evaluation of the person's other traits. Halo effect is a phenomenon that occurs when one...behavior, or any other single factor. The halo effect is most often apparent in situations...
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halo, atmospheric
Book article from: A Dictionary of Astronomy
...commonest solar and lunar halos have an angular diameter...xB0;. The edge of the halo shows a prismatic effect...refraction of light to the halo's edge, the sky within a complete halo often appears darker than that outside. Lunar halos can be seen clearly only...
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halo CME
Book article from: A Dictionary of Astronomy
halo CME A class of coronal mass ejection ( CME ) that appears as an expanding halo of gas around the Sun in coronagraph images such...the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory ( SOHO ). A halo CME occurs when the emitted gas is directed along...
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halo orbit
Book article from: A Dictionary of Astronomy
halo orbit An orbit in which a spacecraft will remain in the vicinity of a Lagrangian point . A halo orbit actually takes the form of a circular...Lagrangian point. The first spacecraft to use a halo orbit was the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory...
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