| A | B |
|---|
| Peter the Great | (1672-1725) Czar of Russia. He was responsible for the westernization of Russia in the 18th century. |
| polytheism | The belief in many gods or goddesses. |
| Pre-Columbian | Period of North and South American history before the arrival of the Europeans in the late 15th century. |
| religion | A person's beliefs concerning the existence and worship of a god or gods, and divine involvement in the universe and human life. |
| Roman Empire | The territories ruled by ancient Rome which at one time encompassed most of the Mediterranean world and parts of France, England, and Germany. The empire lasted from 27 BCE to 395 CE. |
| Scandinavian Vikings | Members of any of the ancient Scandinavian peoples. Vikings raided various parts of northwestern Europe from the 8th to 11th centuries CE. They were good sailors who invaded by sea in long ships, and often settled in the areas they invaded, as in Great Britain. |
| Shinto | Shinto, which means "Way of the Gods," is the traditional religion of Japan that focuses on nature. Many consider Shinto to be a form of Animism due to the many similarities found between them. Shinto teaches that there is a sacredness of the whole universe and that humans can be in tune with this sacredness. Every mountain, river, plant, animal, and all the diverse phenomena of heaven and earth have spirits, or kami, which inhabit them. Reverence is paid to the ancestors through the practice of ancestor worship. |
| Sikhism | A belief system which blends Hindu traditions with Islamic monotheistic traditions. Based in India and Pakistan. |
| Spanish Armada | A large flotilla of ships sent by Philip II of Spain to attack England in 1588 because of the Reformation. The Armada was destroyed by poor weather and the English Navy. |
| Torah | The holy book of Judaism. It describes the creation of the world, the history of ancient Israel, the Ten Commandments, and contains the Psalms and the prophetic books. |
| Upanishads | Hindu holy book from the 8th century BCE. |
| Vedas | A Hindu holy book which is a collection of Aryan hymns that were transmitted orally before being written down in the 6th century BCE. |
| Vishnu | Hindu god called the Preserver. Vishnu is the second member of the triad that includes Brahma the Creator and Shiva the Destroyer. |
