♫ Highway to Hell ♫'s definitions

Shamisen

A Japanese stringed instrument resembling a banjo with a long neck and three strings and a fretted fingerboard and a rectangular soundbox; played with a plectrum.

A Shamisen is also called a samisen or a sangen.

by ♫ Highway to Hell ♫ July 25, 2011

Daimon

A spirit full of mana often an inward mentor, a source of inspiration, and a moral guardian to an individual.

Daimon is the Greek derivative for the term demon. In this sense the term "demon" means "replete with knowledge." The ancient Greeks thought there were good and bad demons called 'eudemons' and 'cacodemons.' The term 'daimon' means "divine power," "fate" or "god." Daimons, in Greek mythology, included deified heroes. They were considered intermediary spirits between men and the gods. Good daimons were considered to be guardian spirits, giving guidance and protection to the ones they watched over. Bad daimons led people astray. Socrates said he had a life-time daimon that always warned him of danger and bad judgment, but never directed his actions. He said his daimon was more accurate than omens of either watching the flights or reading the entrails of birds, which were two respected forms of divination of the time.

by ♫ Highway to Hell ♫ August 14, 2010

Rurouni Kenshin

Kenshin Himura, formerly known as "Hitokiri Battousai" the man slayer, is a wanderer with a dark past and sunny disposition. Not a ronin but a rurouni, he was never a samurai, but a well known assassin of utmost skill in the Meiji restoration, who in the turning point of the war simply walked away, and took an oath to never kill again as an act of retribution for the many men he murdered during the revolution. He then begins to carry a reversed-blade sword (Sakabatou) and protect the innocent/oppressed people of Japan. His travels lead him to Tokyo in the 11th year of the Meiji era, where he befriends a female Kendo master (Kaoru Kamiya), a former thief from a family of Samurai (Yahiko Myojin), a brawler/former Sekihotai member (Sanosuke Sagara) and a doctor (Megumi Takani) all with their own secrets. Together they fight off the enemies surfacing from the dark past that Kenshin cannot escape.

Rurouni Kenshin started airing in the U.S. on Cartoon Network's Toonami on March 17, 2003. There are a total of 95 episodes along with a four part OVA series called Samurai X: Trust and Betrayal which serves as a prequel to Rurouni Kenshin.

by ♫ Highway to Hell ♫ August 14, 2010

Kodachi

A kodachi is a sword that is longer than a dagger, but shorter than a long sword.

A kodachi is somewhat similar to the wakizashi.

by ♫ Highway to Hell ♫ July 19, 2011

MPB

Brazilian Pop is known in its native land as MPB (Música Popular Brasileira) which literally stands for Popular Music of Brazil in Portuguese. Arising at the same time as the eclectic, innovative Tropicalia sound, MPB is a rich, poetic style that incorporates the sounds of both the Samba and the Bossa Nova. American rock, pop and jazz have also contributed to the sound; but at its heart, MPB has a distinct Brazilian sensibility, with themes reflecting the tensions, struggles and triumphs of the Brazilian people.

MPB: Caetano Veloso, Bebel Gilberto, Astrud Gilberto, Antonio Carlos Jobim Aka Tom Jobim, Elis Regina, Ivete Sangalo, Marisa Monte, Tribalistas, Daniela Mercury, CéU, Trio Mocoto, Milton Nascimento, Ana Paula Lopes, Pedro Mariano, Gilberto Gil, Dorival Caymmi, Chico Buarque, Celia Mara, Elizete Cardoso, Guilherme Arantes, Tim Maia, Djavan, Toquinho, Sandra De Sá, Marcos Valle, Baby Consuelo, Rita Lee, Banda Eva, João Bosco, Ara Ketu, Nara Leão, Zélia Duncan, Gonzaguinha, Os Mutantes, Gal Costa, and Maria Bethânia.

by ♫ Highway to Hell ♫ March 19, 2010

Hecate

Goddess of the dark moon, and of the crossways.

Hecate, Greek goddess of the three paths, guardian of the household, protector of everything newly born, and the goddess of witchcraft - once a widely revered and influential goddess, the reputation of Hecate has been tarnished over the centuries. In current times, she is usually depicted as a "hag" or old witch stirring the cauldron.

by ♫ Highway to Hell ♫ August 4, 2010

Cha-no-yu

Japanese tea ceremony

Cha-no-yu has been referred to as the "Japanese Tea Ceremony" for many years but the word literally means hot water for tea. The simple art of Chanoyu is really a synthesis of many Japanese arts with the focus of preparing and serving a bowl of tea with a pure heart. The principles of Wa Kei Sei Jaku (harmony, respect, purity and tranquility) are the principles that practitioners of Chanoyu integrate into their study of tea and into their daily lives.

by ♫ Highway to Hell ♫ August 5, 2011