Dodona \do-'do-no\ Sanctuary of the Greek god Zeus, located at Epirus. Mentioned by Homer, it was the site of an oracle, where messages came through the rustling of leaves or other natural sounds. There was also a large bronze gong that vibrated in the breeze.
Doe, Samuel K(anyon) (b. May 6,1950/51, Tuzon, Liberia—d. Sept. 9/10, 1990, Monrovia) Liberian soldier and head of state (1980-90). A member of the Krahn ethnic group, Doe led a coup in 1980 that overthrew Pres. William R. Tolbert (b. 1913—d. 1980). He suspended Liberia’s con¬ stitution until 1984, and in 1985 he won a presidential election widely denounced as fraudulent. His regime was considered corrupt and brutal, and his life was continually threatened by assassination attempts. In the civil war that broke out in 1989, Doe was captured and killed.
Doenitz, Karl See Karl Donitz
Doesburg Vdiis-.biergV Theo van orig. Christian Emil Maries Kupper (b. Aug. 30, 1883, Utrecht, Neth.—d. March 7, 1931, Davos, Switz.) Dutch painter, decorator, and art theorist. Originally involved in theatre, in 1900 he began painting under the influence of Post-Impressionism and Fauvism. After meeting the painter Piet Mondrian in 1915, he turned to geometric abstraction. He was instrumental in founding the De Stijl group and the avant-garde periodical De Stijl. His advocacy of the geo¬ metric style was well received at the Bauhaus, where he taught briefly and influenced Le Corbusier, Walter Gropius, and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. In
Restoration of a dodo (Raphus cuculla¬ tus)
COURTESY OF THE PEABODY MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY, YALE UNIVERSITY
documentary Fact-based film that depicts actual events and persons. Documentaries can deal with scientific or educational topics, can be a form of journalism or social commentary, or can be a conduit for propa¬ ganda or personal expression. The term was first coined by Scottish-bom filmmaker John Grierson to describe fact-based features such as Robert Flaherty’s Nanook of the North (1922). Grierson’s Drifters (1929) and Pare Lorentz’s The Plow That Broke the Plains (1936) influenced docu¬ mentary filmmaking in the 1930s. During the World War II era documen¬ tary filmmaking was a valuable propaganda tool used by all sides. Leni Riefenstahl contributed to the Nazi propaganda efforts in the 1930s; the U.S. made films such as Frank Capra’s series Why We Fight (1942-45); and Britain released London Can Take It (1940). Cinema verite documen¬ taries, which gained notoriety in the 1960s, emphasized a more informal and intimate relationship between camera and subject. Television became an important medium for documentary films with goals that were more journalistic (such as CBS’s Harvest of Shame [I960]) and educational (such as Ken Burns’s Civil War [1990]).
documentary theatre See The¬ atre of Fact
dodder Any of the leafless, twin¬ ing, parasitic vines (see parasitism) that make up the genus Cuscuta (family Cuscutaceae), containing more than 150 species found throughout temperate and tropical regions. The stringlike stems may be yellow, orange, pink, or brown. Many species have been introduced with their host plants into new areas. Dod¬ ders contain no chlorophyll, instead absorbing water and food through
Dodder (Cuscuta gronovii)
RUSS KINNE-PHOTO RESEARCHERS
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558 I dog ► Dolin
1926 Doesburg wrote his manifesto, “De Stijl”, and in 1930 he moved to Paris and opened a studio, which became the focus of the movement.
dog Any member of the canine genus Canis, particularly the domestic species, Canis familiaris. Domestic dogs seem to have decended from the wolf or a wolflike ancestor. Dogs were apparently the first animals to be domesticated, and domestication seems to have begun in various parts of the world at roughly the same time. Selective breeding by humans has resulted in myriad domestic breeds that vary widely in size (from the tiny Chihuahua to the huge mastiff), physical form (e.g., the short-legged dachs¬ hund and the flat-faced bulldog), coat texture and length (e.g., the sleek Doberman pinscher and the long-haired Afghan hound), and behavioral patterns (e.g., sporting dogs, toy dogs, and working dogs). The American Kennel Club now recognizes almost 150 breeds; other clubs, such as the United Kennel Club, recognize many more.
dog salmon See chum salmon Dog Star See Sirius
dogbane family Family Apocynaceae, of the gentian order, with about 1,000 member species of trees, shrubs, woody vines, and herba¬ ceous plants, found mostly in the tropics and subtropics. Dogbanes have milky, often poisonous juice and usually clustered, showy flowers. Gar¬ den ornamentals include periwinkle, oleander, yellow oleander ( Thevetia ), frangipani, Natal plum ( Carissa ), and crepe jasmine ( Tabernaemontana coronaria). Some species are African succulents. Arrow poisons are obtained from many dogbanes, and the poisonous alkaloids of some spe¬ cies are used in medicines.
doge \'doj\ (Venetian Italian: “duke”) Highest official of the republic of Venice in the 8th— 1 8th century. The office originated when the city was nominally subject to the Byzantine empire and became permanent in the 8th century. The doge was chosen from among the ruling families of Ven¬ ice and held office for life. He held extensive power, as evidenced by the rule of Enrico Dandolo (r. 1192-1205), though from the 12th century the aristocracy placed limits on the doge’s authority. Under Francesco Fos- cari (r. 1423-57), Venice undertook the first conquests of the Italian main¬ land. The last doge was deposed when Napoleon conquered northern Italy in 1797.
Dogen \'do-gen\ (b. Jan. 19, 1200, Kyoto, Japan—d. Sept. 22, 1253, Kyoto) Japanese Buddhist who introduced Soto Zen to Japan from China. Orphaned at age 7, he became a monk at 13. He studied in China under the Zen master Rujing (1223-27), and he also studied with Eisai. He returned to Japan and taught Zen meditation, spending his last years at Eihei Temple, which he founded.
dogfish Any of several species of small sharks. The spiny dogfish (Squalus acanthias, family Squalidae) has a sharp spine in front of each of its two dorsal fins. It is abundant along northern Atlantic and Pacific coasts. It is gray with white spots, about 2-4 ft (60-120 cm) long, and often found in schools. It preys on fishes and invertebrates and often steals bait and damages fishing nets. It yields liver oil or is ground for fertil¬ izer. Other well-known species are the spotted dogfishes (family Scyliorhinidae), which are sold as food, and the smooth hound or smooth dogfish {Mustelus canis, family Triakidae), one of the most common sharks on the U.S. Atlantic coast. See also bowfin.
Dogon \'do-,gan\ People of the central plateau region of Mali, around Bandiagara. Their language is of uncertain affinity within the Niger- Congo languages. Numbering about 450,000, the Dogon are mainly an agricultural people. Their distinctive villages are composed of elaborate mud buildings, often built on cliff faces. In addition to their characteris¬ tic architecture, the Dogon are known for their fine wood sculptures and masks, metalwork, and leatherwork.
dogsled racing Sport of racing sleds pulled by dogs over snow-covered cross-country courses. It developed from a traditional Eskimo method of transportation. Modem sleds are usually of wood (ash) construction, with leather lashings and steel- or aluminum-covered runners. Sled dogs are usually Eskimo dogs, Siberian huskies, Samoyeds, or Alaskan malamutes; teams typically consist of 4-10 dogs. The course is usually 12-30 mi (19-48 km) long, though some, including the Iditarod, are considerably longer.
dogtooth violet Any of the approximately 20 species of spring¬ blooming plants that make up the genus Erythronium, in the lily family, all native to North America except for the purple- or pink-flowered dogtooth violet of Europe ( E . dens-canis). The nodding flowers, usually one to a