Gneisenau Vgnl-zo-.nauV
August (Wilhelm Anton),
Count Neidhardt von (b. Oct.
27, 1760, Schildau, near Torgau,
Saxony—d. Aug. 23, 1831, Posen,
Prussia) Prussian field marshal and military reformer. Along with Ger¬ hard J.D. VON ScHARNHORST, he remolded the Prussian army shat¬ tered by Napoleon (1806) from a
mercenary force into an instrument of modem warfare, introducing uni¬ versal military service. In 1811-12 he traveled on secret missions to nego¬ tiate a new war against Napoleon, which was renewed in 1813. As chief of staff to Gebhard von BlOcher, he planned Prussian, and sometimes Rus¬ sian, strategy. Gneisenau’s insistence on the decisive battle and relentless pursuit proved successful at the Battle of Waterloo.
gneiss Vnls\ Medium- to coarse-grained metamorphic rock with paral¬ lel, somewhat irregular banding that has little tendency to split along planes. Gneiss is the principal rock over extensive metamorphic terrains. Orthogneiss is formed by the metamorphism of igneous rocks; paragneiss results from the metamorphism of original sedimentary rocks. Pencil gneiss contains rod-shaped individual minerals or segregations of miner¬ als, and augen gneiss contains large lenticular mineral grains or mineral aggregates having the appearance of eyes scattered through the rock.
Gnosticism Vnas-to-.si-zonA Religious and philosophical movement popular in the Roman world in the 2nd-3rd century ad. The term, based on the Greek gnosis (“secret knowledge”), was coined in the 17th cen¬ tury, when it was applied liberally to ancient Christian heretical sects, especially those described by their orthodox contemporaries as radically dualistic and world-denying, and those who sought salvation through eso¬ teric revelation and mystical spirituality. In the late 19th and the early 20th century, that view of Gnosticism was replaced with several group¬ ings, and the discovery of the Nag Hammadi texts in 1945 greatly enhanced the understanding of Gnosticism. The relationship with ancient Christianity remains uncertain, but the Gospel of Thomas and the Gospel of Mary (which portrays Mary Magdalene as a leading apostle) are gen¬ erally seen as being grounded in Gnosticism. They emphasized the teach¬ ings of Jesus, rather than his death and resurrection, as the key to salvation. The teachings of Valentinus were the basis of the Gospel of Truth, a fusion of Christian and Gnostic beliefs. Other texts previously considered Gnos¬ tic are now assigned to distinct religious traditions, especially Hermeti- cism (see Hermetic writings), Mandaeanism, and Manichaeism. The texts of the Sethians have the best claim to the designation “Gnostic”; they describe one supreme, good God and the creation, by a junior heavenly being (Sophia), of an arrogant creature who then claims to be God. That creature withholds from humanity moral knowledge and eternal life, but Sophia plants the divine spirit within people to save them. Male and female saviours (including Jesus) were sent from the world above to instruct humanity in the knowledge of the true God and humanity’s own divine nature. In general, Gnostics taught cosmological dualism, strict asceticism, repudiation of material creation as evil, docetism, and the existence of the divine spark in humans.
gnu Vnti\ or wildebeest Either of two species of African antelope (genus Connochaetes). The gnu stands higher at the shoulder than at the rump, reaching a shoulder height of 3^4 ft (1-1.3 m). The southern African form, the white-tailed gnu, or black wildebeest, is dark brown with long black tufts on the snout, chin, throat, and chest, and a black mane and flowing white tail. Today it exists only in national parks and preserves. The brindled gnu, or blue wildebeest, is reasonably abundant over much of central and South Africa. It is silvery gray with dark vertical bands on the sides and has a black mane, tail, and face, whitish cheeks, and a tuft of dark hair on chin and throat. Both sexes of both species have horns. Gnu live in often large, constantly moving herds and graze on the grasses and scrub of open plains.
go Chinese weiqi or wei-ch'i Korean baduk Game that involves two players alternately placing black and white stones on a board check¬ ered by 19 vertical lines and 19 horizontal lines. The players attempt to conquer territory by surrounding vacant areas or capture stones by sur¬ rounding them. Points are awarded by conquering and capturing and reduced by losing one’s stones. The game is also played in electronic for¬ mats. Go probably originated in China, possibly as early as c. 2300 bc. It was brought to Japan c. ad 500, where it developed into the modern game. Most identified with Japan, is also popular in China and Korea and is played worldwide.
White-bearded gnu (Connochaetes taurinus albojubatus )
LEONARD LEE RUE III
© 2006 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
772 i Go-Daigo ► Goddard
Go-Daigo \'go-dI-'go\ (b. Nov. 26, 1288, Kyoto, Japan—d. Sept. 19, 1339, Mount Yoshino, near Nara) Emperor of Japan whose efforts to overthrow the Kamakura shogunate (see Kamakura period) resulted in a split in the imperial family. When Go-Daigo came to the throne in 1318, political authority was divided between the de jure government of the emperor and the de facto government of the SHOGUN (military ruler) in Kamakura. However, neither emperor nor shogun had real power, their positions being controlled by powerful families. Go-Daigo sought to regain and hold the reins of government himself; but he alienated Ash- ikaga Takauji (see Ashikaga family), whose support had been crucial to his victory, by neglecting to appoint him to the position of shogun. Takauji rebelled and, victorious, elevated another member of the imperial family to the throne. Go-Daigo fled south to the Yoshino Mountains and estab¬ lished a rival court there. The period of Northern and Southern Courts (nanboku cho) that followed lasted until 1392. See also Hojo family.
Goa \'go-o\ State (pop., 2001: 1,347,668), southwestern India. Located on the western coast, it is bordered by Maharashtra and Karnataka states and has a 65-mi (105-km) coastline on the Arabian Sea. It has an area of 1,429 sq mi (3,702 sq km), which includes the offshore island of Goa. The capital is Panaji. Ruled by Hindu dynasties until 1472, it came under the Portuguese in 1510. Their settlement of Old Goa became the capital of Portuguese India. After India attained independence in 1947, it demanded that Portugal cede Goa. Indian troops finally occupied Goa in 1961; it was incorporated into India in 1962 as part of the territory of Goa, Daman, and Diu. It became a state in 1987. Goa is predominantly agricultural; its distinctive architecture and fine beaches also make it a popular tourist destination.
goat Any hollow-horned ruminant in the bovid genus Capra. Goats have a lighter build and straighter hair than sheep; their horns arch backward; and the tail is short. Males usually have a beard. Wild goats include the ibex and markhor. Domesticated goats are descended from the pasang, which is probably native to Asia. In China, Great Britain, Europe, and North America, the domestic goat is primarily a milk producer; much of the milk is used to make cheese. Some breeds, notably the Angora and cashmere, are raised for their wool; young goats are the source of kid leather.
goatsucker See nightjar
Gobelin \go-'bla n \ family French dyers and cloth makers. In the late 15th century, the brothers Jean (d. 1476) and Philibert Gobelin discovered a scarlet dye and opened a dyeing factory near Paris, which flourished until the late 16th century. In 1601 Henry IV brought in Flemish weavers and they began to produce tapestries. In 1662 Louis XIV reorganized the factory and appointed Charles Le Brun director; it produced tapestry and upholstery furnishings for the royal palaces until 1694. By the 18th cen¬ tury only tapestries were manufactured, under the inspection of Jean- Baptiste Oudry and Francois Boucher. The factory was closed during the French Revolution but was reopened by Napoleon. Since 1826 it has manufactured carpets and tapestries.