Fairweather, Mount Mountain, British Columbia, Canada It is located on the Alaska border in the Fairweather Range of the St. Elias Mountains, at the southwestern end of the Glacier Bay National Park. The highest peak in the province, it reaches 15,299 ft (4,663 m). It was named by Capt. James Cook, who saw the peak in 1778 while navigating the bay in “fair weather.”
fairy In folklore, any of a race of supernatural beings who have magic powers and sometimes meddle in human affairs. Some have been described as of human size, while others are “little people” only a few inches high. The term was first used in medieval Europe. Fairy lore is especially common in Ireland, Cornwall, Wales, and Scotland. Though usually beneficent in modern children’s stories, the fairies of the past were powerful and sometimes dangerous beings who could be friendly, mis¬ chievous, or cruel, depending on their whim. Fairies were thought to be beautiful, to live much longer than human beings, and to lack souls.
They sometimes carried off human infants and left changelings as sub¬ stitutes. They occasionally took human lovers, but to enter fairyland was perilous for humans, who were obliged to remain forever if they ate or drank there. See also leprechaun.
fairy shrimp Any of the crusta¬ ceans in the order Anostraca, named for their graceful movements and
pastel colours. Some grow to 1 in. (2.5 cm) or more in length. They live in freshwater ponds in Europe, Central Asia, western North America, the drier regions of Africa, and Australia. See also shrimp.
fairy tale Simple narrative typically of folk origin dealing with super¬ natural beings. Fairy tales may be written or told for the amusement of children or may have a more sophisticated narrative containing super¬ natural or obviously improbable events, scenes, and personages and often having a whimsical, satirical, or moralistic character. The term embraces popular folktales such as “Cinderella” and “Puss in Boots,” as well as art fairy tales of later invention, such as those by Hans Christian Andersen. It is often difficult to distinguish between tales of literary and oral origin, because folktales have received literary treatment from early times, and literary tales can often be traced back to oral tradition.
Faisalabad Vfi-so-b-.bad \ formerly (until 1979) Lyallpur VlIl-.purN City (pop., 1998: 1,977,246) and district, Punjab province, Pakistan. Founded in 1890, it became headquarters of the Lower Chenab colony and in 1898 was incorporated as a municipality. A distributing centre located in the central Punjab plain, its industries produce chemicals and synthetics, textiles, and food products. It is the site of West Pakistan Agri¬ cultural University (1961 and of a number of colleges affiliated with the University of the Punjab.
faith healing Curing of an illness or disability by recourse to divine power, without the use of traditional medicine. A healer such as a clergy member or an inspired layperson may act as intermediary. Certain places, such as the grotto at Lourdes, France, are believed to effect cures among believers. In ancient Greece, temples honoring the god of medicine, Ascle- PlUS, were built near springs with healing waters. In Christianity, support for faith healing is based on the miraculous cures wrought by Jesus dur¬ ing his ministry. Christian Science is noted for faith healing, and it is also practiced in a more dramatic way in Pentecostalism through such customs as the laying on of hands.
Fakhr al-DTn al-RazT Vfa-ksr-al-'den-ar-'ra-zeV (b. 1149, Rayy, Iran—d. 1209, near Herat, Khwarezm) Islamic scholar and theologian. He traveled widely before settling in Herat (in modern Afghanistan). The author of more than 100 books (on subjects as diverse as medicine, min¬ eralogy, and grammar), he gained fame and wealth through his scholar¬ ship and skill in debate, in which he often presented unorthodox views fully and favorably before refuting them. Though this led to accusations of heresy, it has preserved information about little-known sects. His works include one of the major commentaries on the Qur’an, The Keys to the Unknown (or The Great Commentary), and Collection of the Opinions of Ancients and Moderns, a classic of kalam. His bad temper earned him many enemies, and he may have been poisoned to death.
Falange \fa-'lan-ha,\ English Vfa-lanj\ (Spanish: “Phalanx”) Extreme nationalist political group in Spain. Founded in 1933 by Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera and influenced by Italian fascism, the Falange gained popu¬ larity in opposition to the Popular Front government of 1936. Gen. Fran¬ cisco Franco merged the group with other right-wing factions by decree in 1937 and became the Falange’s absolute chief. 150,000 Falangists served in Franco’s armed forces in the Spanish Civil War. After their vic¬ tory, the Falange’s fascism was subordinated to the Franco regime’s con¬ servative values. On Franco’s death in 1975 a law was passed permitting other “political associations,” and the Falange was abolished in 1977.
Falasha Vfo-Ta-shoX Jewish Ethiopians. The Falasha call themselves House of Israel and claim descent from Menilek I, son of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. Probably descended from local Agew peoples converted by Jews in southern Arabia, they remained faithful to Judaism after the Ethiopian kingdom was converted to Christianity in the 4th cen¬ tury ad. Persecuted by Christians, they settled in the area around Lake Tana in northern Ethiopia. Though ignorant of the Talmud, members adhered strictly to the Mosaic law and observed some festivals of Juda¬ ism. In 1975 the Israeli rabbinate affirmed that Falashas were Jews, and from 1980 to 1992 some 45,000 Falasha emigrated to Israel, leaving probably only a few thousand in Ethiopia.
falcon Any of nearly 60 species of diurnal birds of prey in the family Falconidae, characterized by long, pointed wings and swift, powerful flight. The name is sometimes restricted to the more than 35 species of true falcons, genus Falco. Species range from 6 to 24 in. (15-60 cm) long. Females of the genus Falco are larger and bolder than males and are pre¬ ferred for falconry. Falcons, found worldwide, commonly nest in tree-
Fairy shrimp (Eubranchipus vernalis)
WILLIAM JAHODA-NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETY FROM PHOTO RESEARCHERS/EB INC.
© 2006 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
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holes or on cliff ledges. Some species capture birds in midair; others live on hares, mice, lizards, and insects. See also gyrfalcon, hawk, kestrel, mer¬ lin, PEREGRINE FALCON.
Falconet \fal-ko-'ne\, Etienne-Maurice (b. Dec. 1, 1716, Paris, Fr.—d. Jan. 24, 1791, Paris) French sculptor. After being apprenticed to a carpenter, he studied sculpture in Paris. He developed an intimate style with a taste for erotic figures. Through Madame de Pompadour’s influ¬ ence, he became director of the Sevres porcelain factory (1757-66), and many of his figures were reproduced in Sevres biscuit ware. From 1766 to 1778 he worked in Russia; his masterpiece, the colossal equestrian statue of Peter I the Great in St. Petersburg (made famous as The Bronze Horseman by Aleksandr Pushkin), was unveiled in 1782. After suffering a stroke (1783), he gave up sculpture and devoted his time to writing. He is best known for adapting the classical style of the French Baroque period to the Rococo style ideal.
falconry Sport of employing falcons or other hawks in hunting game. Falconry has been practiced in the Middle East at least since the 8th cen¬ tury bc. It flourished among the privileged classes in Europe in the Middle Ages. It began to die out after the advent of the shotgun and the enclo¬ sure of open lands in the 17th century, but there was a renewed interest in the sport beginning in the 1970s; there are many hawking clubs and falconry associations. The bird most commonly used is the peregrine fal¬ con, though the goshawk and sparrow hawk have also been used. Birds are caught wild or raised from birth. Training involves selective use of a leather hood (called a rafter) and leg thongs (jesses) to keep the animal under control while familiarizing it with its new environment. During the hunt the trained bird is released to bring down its prey; it then returns to the hawker or is collected at the kill site.