Paranymph {Trapavvi.i<piog), a term used in an- cient (ireece to denote one of the friends or relations of a bridegroom who attended him on the occasion of his marriage. Among the Jews there were two para- nymphs, one a relative of the bridegroom and the other of the bride; the tirst was called his companion, and the other her conductor. Their business was to attend upon tlie parties at the marriage ceremony. See Wed- ding.
Parapet (Ital. para-petto, from jmrare, to protect, s\V[<\ petto, the breast) is an architectural term applied to a low breastwork intended for the protection of gutters
Ornamented Gothic Parapet.
and roofs. In England they are commonly battlement- ed or panelled, but in France they are usually pierced.
Salisbury CathedraL
Parapets are of very ancient date. The Israelites were commanded to build a "battlement" round their flat roofs.
Tower, Meiton College, Oxford, A.D. 1440.
Paraphrase. Sec Co.m.-mentary; Targum.
Paras^ra is the name of several celebrated person- ages of ancient India whose history is recorded or re- ferred to in the Mahahharata {q.v.),tlie Puranas (q.v.), and other Ilindi"l writings.
Parasceve {^apaaKivi]. preparation'), the day be- fore tlie Saviour's passion. It is called by the Council of Laodicea the fifth daj' of the great solemn week, when such as were baptized, having learned their creed, were to repeat it before the bishop or presbyters in the church. This was the only day for several ages that ever the creed was publicly repeated in the Greek churches. It was also called Holy Thursday, or Maun- dy Thursday (q. v.), and is observed with great pomp in the Komish Church. See Prkpauation.
Parash. See Horse.
Parashioth (or Pamhiyolh, ri"''"i^~Q). It was the custom of the Jews to have the whole Law, or Five
PARASITI
665
PARBAR
Books of Moses, read over in the synagogues in the course of every year. Hence, for the sake of conven- ience, the Law was divided into fifty-four sections, or Parasbiotlt, as nearly equal in length as possible. These were appointed to be read in succession, one every week, till the whole was gone over. They were made fifty- four in number because the longest years contained fifty- four weeks, and it was thought desirable that no Sab- bath in such a case should be left without its particular portion; but as common years were shorter, certain shorter sections were joined together so as to make one out of two, in order to bring the reading regularly to a close at the end of the year. The course of reading the Parashioth in the synagogues commenced on the first Sabbath after the feast of Tabernacles; or, rather, on the Sabbath before that, for on the same day that they finished the last course of reading thej' began the new course, in order, as the rabbins allege, that the devil might have no ground for accusing them to God of be- ing weary of reading the Law. See Hai'htarau.
Parasiti (jiapdrtiToi, fdloic-waiters), assistants to certain priests among the ancient Greeks. The gods to whose service parasites were attached were Apollo, Heracles, the Anaces, and Athena of Pallene. They were generally elected from the most ancient and illus- trious families, but what were the precise duties assigned to them it is difficult to discover. They were twelve in number, and received as the remuneration for their ser- vices a third part of the sacrifices offered to their respec- tive gods. Parasites were also appointed as assistants to the highest magistrates in Greece. Thus there were both civil and priestly parasites. The term is now gen- erally used to denotes flatterers or sycophants of any kind. — Gardner, Faiths of the World, ii, G17.
Paratorium, a name sometimes given to the Ohla- tionarium (q. v.) of the Ordo Romanus, because when the offerings were received preparation was made out of them for the Eucharist.
Paratrapezon {Trapa-pdnt'Coi'') is the name given in the (ireek Church to a side-table for the additional chalices. See Chalice.
Paray-le-Monial, a little village in the eastern part of France, has become noted in recent times as the seat of a sacred shrine dedicated to a virgin who is re- puted to have led a most exemplary life, and was canon- ized in 18G4. All manner of miracles are reputed to have been wrought at the shrine of Paray-le-iMonial, and so general became the enthusiasm over these won- derful (!) reports that pilgrimages were regularly organ- ized not only in France, where the checkered fate of the last war would naturally turn the lower classes to super- stitious veneration and faith in the miraculous interven- tion of departed saints, but also in Belgium, and in Prot- estant England and America. In 1873 pilgrims from all points of the compass flocked to Paray-le-Monial. Of course the English and American (lilgrims attracted special attention, for it was supposed that in neither of these countries could any sujierstitious veneration be fostered and quickened. The general supposition of Protestants, and all who disbelieve ecclesiastical mira- cles (q. v.), is that the Ultramontanes are seeking to unite the lower classes of all countries under the papal banner, and, by awakening in them a sympathy for the Komish cause, to undermine the opposition which has developed against Jesuitism and Ultramontanism at the different European centres of infiuence. Inasmuch as the Jesuits and Ultramontanes generally have encour- aged the people in these pilgrimages, the supposition seems reasonable.