heredity Transmission of physical and mental traits from parents to offspring through genes. From his studies in the late 19th century, Gre¬ gor Mendel derived certain basic concepts of heredity, which eventually became the foundation for the modem science of genetics. Each member of the parental generation transmits only half its genes to the offspring, and different offspring of the same parents receive different combinations of genes. Many characteristics are polygenic (i.e., influenced by more than one gene). Many genes exist in numerous variations (alleles) throughout a population. The polygenic and multiple allelic nature of many traits gives a vast potential for variability among hereditary characteristics. While the genotype (an individual’s total hereditary makeup) determines the broad limits of features an individual may develop, the actual features
that do develop (the phenotype) are dependent on complex interactions between genes and their environment. See also variation.
Hereford Vhsr-fordV Popular breed of beef cattle, the product of gen¬ erations of breeding in the English county of Herefordshire. The charac¬ teristic colour, red with a white face and white markings, has been fixed for only a comparatively short time. The outstanding characteristics are uniformity of colour, early maturity, and ability to thrive under adverse conditions. Introduced into the U.S. in 1817, it has become the predomi¬ nant breed in the range areas of North America from Canada to Mexico.
Herero \ho-'rer-o\ Group of closely related Bantu-speaking peoples of southern Africa (central Namibia, eastern Botswana, southern Angola). The Herero formerly subsisted mainly on the milk and meat of their cattle, but after European contact in the mid 19th century many came to depend on horticulture as well. A series of uprisings against German colonial encroachment (1904-07) led to the extermination of some four-fifths of their population and the resettlement of survivors in the mostly inhospi¬ table sand veld of the western Kalahari. Contemporary estimates number the Herero at more than 200,000.
heresy \'her-o-se\ Doctrine rejected as false by religious authorities. In Christianity, the orthodox theology of the church is thought to be based on divine revelation, and heretics are viewed as perversely rejecting the guid¬ ance of the church. Numerous Christian heresies appeared from the 2nd century onwards. Early heresies included Arianism, the Monophysite heresy, Pelagianism, and Donatism. Some heresies, such as Montanism, expressed faith in a new prophet who added to the body of Christian revelation. Some types of Gnosticism were heretical branches of Christianity. The major means of combating heretics in the early church was excommunication. In the 12th—13th century, the Inquisition was established to combat heresy, and heretics who refused to recant were often executed. In the 16th century the Protestant Reformation brought an end to the doctrinal unity of Western Christendom, and the concept of heresy became less important in the vari¬ ous Christian churches, though it continues to exist. The concept of heresy also exists in Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam.
herm In Greek religion, a sacred stone object connected with the worship of Hermes. Herms were used as cult objects, for milestones, and for bound¬ ary markers. In time, these stones were replaced by pillars topped with a likeness of the head of Hermes or by statues of the god. In Roman sculp¬ ture the heads of Jupiter or the forest god Silvanus were often substituted.
Herman, Jerry orig. Gerald Herman (b. July 10, 1933, New York, N.Y., U.S.) U.S. songwriter. Herman studied drama in Miami, Fla., and wrote for TV but soon switched to theatre. After some off-Broadway suc¬ cesses, his Milk and Honey (1961, Tony Award) opened on Broadway. The wildly successful Hello, Dolly! (1964; film, 1969) won 10 Tony Awards. Later Herman musicals include Mame (1966) and La Cage Aux Folles (1983).
Herman, Woody orig. Woodrow Charles Herman (b. May 16,
1913, Milwaukee, Wis., U.S.—d. Oct. 29, 1987, Los Angeles, Calif.) U.S. clarinetist, saxophonist, singer, and leader of one of the most popular big bands in jazz. Herman formed his first band in 1936. Known as “The Band That Plays the Blues,” the group had a hit in 1939 with the riff tune “Woodchopper’s Ball.” His 1940s bands, the Thundering Herds, evolved into powerful and colourful ensembles that combined a light rhythm- section sound with explosive, forward-looking arrangements. He led his bands almost continuously for more than 50 years, and in them many notable jazz musicians gained early professional exposure.
hermaphroditism Mior-'ma-frs-.dl-.ti-zomV Condition of having both male and female reproductive organs (see reproductive system). It is nor¬ mal in most flowering plants and in some invertebrate animals. True human hermaphrodites are extremely rare. Tissue of the ovary and testes may occur separately or be combined, external genitals may show traits of both sexes, and XY and XX sex chromosome pairs are present. If the condition is detected at birth, the child’s sex can be chosen, usually on the basis of which sex organs dominate; those of the other sex are removed surgically. Individuals raised as members of one sex who develop char¬ acteristics of the other at puberty may be treated with surgery, and sex hormones may help them continue to live according to the sexual iden¬ tity to which they are accustomed.
hermeneutics \ 1 hor-m3- , nu-tiks\ Study of the general principles of bib¬ lical interpretation. Its primary purpose is to discover the truths and val¬ ues of the Bible, which is seen as a receptacle of divine revelation. Four
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Hermes ► Hero and Leander I 867
major types of hermeneutics have emerged: literal (asserting that the text is to be interpreted according to the “plain meaning”), moral (seeking to establish the principles from which ethical lessons may be drawn), alle¬ gorical (interpreting narratives as having a level of reference beyond the explicit), and anagogical or mystical (seeking to explain biblical events as they relate to the life to come). More recently the word has come to refer to all “deep” reading of literary and philosophical texts.
Hermes Vhor-.mezX Greek god, son of Zeus and Maia. The earliest cen¬ ter of his cult was probably Arcadia, where he was worshiped as a god of fertility. He was also associated with the protection of cattle and sheep. In Homer’s Odyssey he appears as the messenger of the gods and the con¬ ductor of the dead to Hades. As a messenger he also became the god of roads and doorways and the protec¬ tor of travelers. He was also the god of dreams. His Roman counterpart was Mercury.
Hermetic writings Occult texts on philosophical or theological sub¬ jects ascribed to Hermes Trismegis- tos (“Hermes the Thrice-Greatest”), identical to the Egyptian god Thoth, who was credited with inventing writing. The collection, written in Greek and Latin, was probably put together in the lst-3rd century ad.
Written in the form of dialogues, it synthesizes Near Eastern religion, Platonism, Stoicism, and other philoso¬ phies. It also reflects ideas and beliefs widely held in the early Roman empire on astrology, alchemy, and magic. The goal of the writings was the deification of humanity through knowledge of the transcendent God.
Hermeticism Mior-'me-ti-.si-zonA or Hermetism Italian Erme- tismo Modernist poetic movement originating in Italy in the early 20th century. Works produced within the movement are characterized by unor¬ thodox structure, illogical sequences, and highly subjective language. Its formalistic devices were partly derived from Futurism, but the cryptic brev¬ ity, obscurity, and involution of the Hermetics was forced on them by fas¬ cist censors. Giuseppe Ungaretti, Salvatore Quasimodo, and Eugenio Montale were the principal exponents of the movement, which was named for Hermes Trismegistos, a reputed author of occult symbolic works (see Hermetic writings).