Siiio (snow), in Norse mythology, was one of the Foriijot nature-gods, whose father was F'roste (coll, frost), grandfather Kare (air), and great-grandfather Fornjoter, the oldest of gods. He was also named Snaer.
Snoddy, RoisKin' IL, a Presbyterian minister, was born iu .bd'erson (bounty, Tcini., in 1800. After the usual training in acatlemical schools, he graduated at
SNOTR
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SNOW
the college at Marj'ville, Tenii., and also at the South- western Theokigical Seminary at Maryville ; was li- censed by Union Presbytery in 1831; was ordained in 1833. and preached for Lebanon and Eiisebia churches; took charge of New Prospect Cliurch in 183(5. Having organized Spring Place Church, he added tiiat to his other places of preaching till 1853. He took charge of Ebenezer Church in 1855, where he labored until his death, June 22, 1859. Mr. Snoddy was a faithful and devoted minister of the Gospel. See Wilson, Fresh. hist. Almanac, 1861, p. 192.
Snotr, in Norse mythology, was the goddess of vir- tue and modesty, and the protectress of virtuous men.
Sno'W (5^113, sheleg, so called proijably from its f/lis- tening ; Sept. and New Test, j^tiir ; but cspoorof in Prov. xxvi; Vulg. nix). The historical books of the Bible contain only two notices of snow actually falling (2 Sam. xxiii, 20; 1 Mace, xiii, 22), but the allusions in the poet- ical books are so numerous that there can be no doubt as to its being an ordinary occurrence in the winter months. Thus, for instance, the snow-storm is men- tioned among the ordinary operations of nature which are illustrative of the Creator's power (Psa. cxlvii, 16; cxlviii, 8). We have, again, notice of the beneticial effect of snow on the soil (Isa. Iv, 10). Its color is ad- duced as an image of brilliancy (Dan. vii, 9 ; Matt, xx viii, 3 ; Kev. i, 14), of purity (Isa. i. 18 ; Lam. iv. 7, in refer- ence to the white robes of the princes), and of the blanch- ing effects of leprosy (Exod. iv, 6: Numb. xii. 10; 2 Kings V, 27). In the book of Job we have references to the supposed cleansing effects of snow-water (ix, 30), to the rapid melting of snow under the sun's rays (xxiv, 19), and the consequent flooding of the brooks (vi, 16). The thick falling of the flakes forms the point of com- parison in the obsclire passage in Psa. Ixviii, 14. The snow lies deep in the ravines of the highest ridge of Lebanon until the summer is far advanced, and indeed never wholly disappears (Robinson, iii, 531); the sum- mit of Hermon also perpetually glistens with frozen snow (ibid, ii, 437). From these sources probably the Jews obtained their supplies for the purpose of cooling their beverages in summer (Prov. xxv, 13). as is still done (Hackett, Jllust. of Script, p. 53). This, allusion
removes the apparent contradiction of this passage in Prov. xxvi, 1. As snow — that is, a fall of snow — in summer is unnatural and ill-timed, so honor is not seem- ly for a fool; but it is quite out of character, out of sea- son. The " snow of Lebanon" is also used as an expres- sion for the refreshing coolness of spring water, probably in reference to tlie stream of Siloam (Jer. xviii, 14). Lastly, in Prov. xxxi, 21, snow appears to be used as a synonym for winter or cold weather. The liability to snow mlist of course vary considerably in a country of such varying altitude as Palestine. Josephus notes it as a peculiarity of the low plain of Jericho that it was warm there even when snow was prevalent in the rest of the country {War, iv, 8, 3). At Jerusalem snow often falls to the depth of a foot or more in January and February, but it seldom lies long (Robinson, i, 429). At Nazareth it falls more frequently and deeply, and it has been observed to fall even in the maritime plain at Joppa and about Carmel (Kitto, Phys. Hist. p. 210). A comparison of the notices of snow contained in Scripture and in the works of modern travellers would, however, lead to the conclusion that more fell in ancient times than at the present day. At Damascus snow falls to the depth of nearly a foot, and lies at all events for a few days (Worfabet, Syria, i, 215, 236). At Aleppo it falls, but never lies for more than a day (Russell, i, 69). — Smith. Scientitically, snow is nothing more than the frozen visible vapor of which the clouds are formed. A quan- tity of very minute crystals of ice having been formed, they are enlarged by the condensation and freezing of vapor, and, merging together, constitute flakes, which increase in size during their descent. In equatorial regions snow is unknown at the ocean level, and in all latitudes less than thirty-five degrees it is rare; but it is found in all latitudes in the higher regions of the atmosphere. It would scarcely be supposed that the broad flakes of snow which every blast of wind blows hither and thither as it lists are perfectly formed col- lections of crystals, delicate in their structure, and regu- lar in their measurement. Flakes of snow are best ob- served when placed upon objects of a dark color, cooled below the freezing-point, a method first described by Kepler, who expressed the highest admiration of their structure. The minute crystals exhibit an endless di-