title: Bamako

text: The traditional commercial center of Bamako was located to the north of the river, and contained within a triangle bounded by Avenue du Fleuve, Rue Baba Diarra, and Boulevard du Peuple. This area contains the Marché Rose and Street Market.


title: Bamako

text: The downtown area is highly congested, polluted, and expensive, and urbanization is sprawling at a rapid pace within a radius of . The largest urbanized area now lies on the southern bank of the Niger River. A modern central business district is rapidly developing immediately west of the downtown area in the ACI-2000 district, taking advantage of a well-designed geometric layout, legacy of the old airport runways and taxiways. A large administrative area is being developed at the junction between ACI-2000 and the King Fadh Bridge, containing most of the state departments (ministries) and administrative services in a central location. Bamako is also the headquarters of many large companies and administrative institutions. Air Mali (formerly Compagnie Aérienne du Mali) has its head office in Bamako. Bamako received much investment by Saudi Arabia for decades which saw a number of important structures being built. In recent years, China has become an important investor in Bamako, developing its infrastructure and facilities.


title: Bamako

text: Agriculture is active in Bamako, with the presence of Bozo fisherman, and it is common to see cattle crossing the streets.


title: Bamako

text: Much of the electricity is generated from the hydroelectric Sélingué Dam. The drinking water supply in Bamako and Kati is also ensured by a pumping station on the Niger River. However, the capacity of to provide drinking water per day is insufficient for the needs estimated at during the hot season between April and June. During this period, frequent water shortages are experienced. A new pumping station was to open in Kabala in 2009.


title: Bamako

text: The BCEAO Tower at 20 stories is the tallest building in the West African nation. It sits on the north ("left") bank of the River Niger in the city centre. The BCEAO Tower is the Malian headquarters of the Central Bank of West African States, which provides development banking and government financial and currency services in several Francophone West African nations. Classified as Neo-Sudanic architecture, it is modeled on the Sudano-Sahelian architecture of the famous mosques of Djenne and Timbuktu. The building is located in the busy Commune III neighbourhood, where "Avenue Moussa Tavele" meets the waterside boulevard between the two main Bamako bridges: King Fahd Bridge a block west and Martyrs Bridge three blocks east. Just to the east of the BCEAO complex, a park and formal garden mark where the diagonally running "Boulevard du Peuple" reaches the river. By contrast, small market gardens and launching points or river canoes lie along the river front.


title: Bamako

text: The Cité Administrative (Administrative City) is a complex of buildings located just west of the northern end of the King Fahd Bridge. The complex was begun in 2003 by then President Konaré with the help of funding from the government of Libya. The Cité Administrative was completed in 2010 and houses many of the offices of the government.


title: Bamako

text: Bamako has experienced staggering population growth. In 1884, it had only 2,500 inhabitants, 8,000 in 1908, 37,000 in 1945, and 100,000 in 1960. Today, the population is at least 18 times what it was in 1960, with 1,810,366 recorded at the 2009 census, and continues to attract a rural population in search of work.


title: Bamako

text: Including illegal squatters and temporary workers, some experts believe the population today is well over 2 million. This uncontrolled growth has caused significant difficulties in terms of traffic, sanitation (including access to safe water), and pollution. Bamako hosts a diverse population composed of different ethnic groups in Mali and from neighboring countries.


title: Bamako

text: The National Library of Mali was first created by the Institut Français d'Afrique Noire, an arm of the French colonial government, in 1944. Following Mali's 1960 independence, this library became the Government Library; it would later be renamed again as the National Library of Mali. In 1968, the library was transferred from its initial home in Koulouba to Ouolofobougou, a section of Bamako. The library holds more than 60,000 works, including books, periodicals, audio documents, videos, and software. These materials are available free to the public, though a small subscription fee is required for borrowing privileges. The library also hosts some of the exhibits for African Photography Encounters, a biannual Bamako photography festival.


title: Bamako

text: The National Museum of Mali is an archeological and anthropological museum, presenting permanent and temporary exhibits on the prehistory of Mali, as well as the musical instruments, dress, and ritual objects associated with Mali's various ethnic groups. The National Museum began under French rule as the Sudanese Museum, part of the Institut Français d'Afrique Noire (IFAN) under Théodore Monod. It was opened on 14 February 1953, under the direction of Ukrainian archeologist Yuriy Shumovskyi. Shumovskyi had worked in the museum for nine years, gathering half (nearly 3,000) of today's finds.


title: Bamako

text: With the independence of the Republic of Mali in 1960, the Sudanese Museum became the National Museum of Mali, with the new objectives of promoting national unity and celebrating Malian traditional culture. However, lack of financial means and absence of qualified personnel caused some deterioration in the museum's collections. On 30 March 1956, the National Museum moved into a new cemented structure, created by architect Jean-Loup Pivin from traditional Malian designs. Since the 1996 election of former archaeologist Alpha Oumar Konaré to Mali's presidency, the museum's funding has increased considerably, becoming among the best in West Africa. The museum often hosts part of the biannual African Photography Encounters, photography festival held in Bamako since 1994.


title: Bamako

text: Also of note is the Muso Kunda Museum, the Bamako Regional Museum, Bamako Zoo, the Bamako Botanical Gardens, the National Conference Center Tower (NCC), the Souvenir Pyramid, the Independence Monument, Al Quoods Monument, the triangular "Monument de la paix", the Hamdallaye obelisk, the Modibo Keita Memorial and many other monuments, the Palais de la Culture Amadou Hampaté Ba and the Point G hill, containing caves with rock paintings.


title: Bamako

text: In 1988, Bamako was the location of a WHO conference known as the Bamako Initiative that helped reshape health policy of sub-Saharan Africa. The yearly held Budapest-Bamako rally has the endpoint in Bamako, with the Dakar Rally often passing through Bamako.


title: Bamako

text: A music boom in Bamako took off in the 1990s, when vocalist Salif Keita and singer-guitarist Ali Farka Touré achieved international fame. It attracted a number of tourists, record producers, and aspiring musicians to the city to try to follow in their footsteps. It is common to see musicians in the streets with "djembes" and percussion bands playing traditional Bamana rhythms.


title: Bamako

text: In 2011, four universities were founded; the University of Social Sciences and Management of Bamako (USSGB), the University of Humanities and Social Sciences of Bamako (ULSHB), the University of Science, Technology and Technologies of Bamako (USTTB) and the University of Legal and Political Sciences of Bamako (USJPB).


title: Bamako

text: In 1972, the Union Malienne Des Aveugles, an integrated school and centre for the blind and partially sighted, was established.


title: Bamako

text: Among the places of worship, they are predominantly Muslim mosques. There are also Christian churches and temples : Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bamako (Catholic Church), Église Chrétienne Évangélique du Mali (Alliance World Fellowship), Assemblies of God.


title: Bamako

text: The Bamako-Sénou International Airport is from the city and opened to passengers in 1974. Passenger traffic steadily increased in the early 2000s. Government figures revealed 403,380 passengers in 1999, 423,506 in 2003, 486,526 in 2004, and 516,000 in 2005, and is predicted to reach over 900,000 by 2015 under a low (4%) yearly growth-rate scenario. To date this growth rate has been surpassed. Total air traffic the airport increased by 12.4% in 2007 and 14% in 2008. Most of this increase came in passenger transport, with the number of passengers served increasing by 20% in 2007 and 17% in 2008. Twenty-seven airline carriers operated weekly or better at Bamako-Sénou International Airport in the 2007–2008 period. This continued growth was offset by cargo flights' decline of 16.75% in 2007, and 3.93% in 2008. The highest frequency route is on the Bamako-Dakar sector with 29 weekly non-stop connections. Domestic flights also serve Mali's regional capitals Kayes, Mopti, Timbuktu, Sikasso, Gao, and Kidal. Bamako Senou International Airport is managed by Aéroports du Mali (ADM). Its operations are overseen by the Malian Ministry of Equipment and Transports.


title: Bamako

text: Today, with the new administrative arrangement, the territory of Mali will henceforth comprise twenty (20) Regions instead of eight (08), plus the District of Bamako which will henceforth comprise ten (10) urban communes instead of six (06).


title: Bamako

text: Much of the transportation is either by the Niger River, or by paved roads linking Bamako to other major urban areas. Navigating the river is possible from Koulikoro to Mopti and Gao. The bush taxi is one of the main modes of transport.


title: Bamako

text: Bamako is situated on both sides of the Niger River and three bridges connect the two banks: the Bridge of Martyrs completed in 1960 and renamed in memory of protesters killed in March 1991 by the regime of Moussa Traoré, the King Fahd Bridge, named after the Saudi Arabian donor, and a third bridge, the "Pont de l’amitié sino-malienne" funded by the People's Republic of China. Located in Sotuba area, it has the objective to decongest traffic in the city.


title: Bamako

text: The Point G hospital, built between 1906 and 1913, covers . A former military hospital, it became a civilian hospital shortly before the independence of Mali, and is situated on a hill overlooking Bamako.


title: Bamako

text: The second hospital of Bamako is the Gabriel Touré Hospital named after a young doctor and humanist Gabriel Touré who was born in 1910 in Ouagadougou and died in 1935 after having been contaminated by a patient with the pneumonic plague. The hospital was established in 1959.


title: Bamako

text: The contract for the building of a new hospital in Bamako, to relieve pressure on the other hospital resources was signed on 27 December 2008. Located in the district of Yirimadio, the department will include a pediatric and obstetrics-gynecology facilities, a department of internal medicine, medical imagery facilities and hospital care with 150 beds to support the emergency services and intensive care. This hospital, like many recent developments in Bamako is financed and equipped with Chinese investment.


title: Bamako

text: Bamako has provided the backdrop or been the subject of books and films such as "Bamako", directed by Abderrahmane Sissako. The film depicts a trial taking place in Bamako, amid the daily life that is going on in the city. In the midst of that trial, two sides argue whether the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, or perhaps corruption, are guilty of the financial state of many poverty-stricken African countries. The film was first released at the Cannes Film Festival on 21 May 2006 and in Manhattan by New Yorker Films on 14 February 2007 and was the recipient of the first Film Award of the Council of Europe given at the Istanbul International Film Festival in April 2007.


title: Bamako

text: Bamako was one of the cities featured in "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?", an educational computer game staple of the 1980s.


title: Characters in the Super Smash Bros. series

text: The fighting game series "Super Smash Bros." from Nintendo, launched in 1999, features an assortment of video game characters from different franchises. There are 89 playable characters across the series, mostly sourced from Nintendo franchises but with a number of third-party ones as well. There are also other non-player characters that take the form of enemies, bosses, and power-ups.


text: Each game in the series has a number of playable characters, referred to as "fighters", that are taken primarily from Nintendo franchises. There are 89 total fighters across the series. Starting with "Super Smash Bros. Brawl", characters from non-Nintendo franchises began to make playable appearances, and starting in "Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS" and "Wii U", certain characters received alternate costumes that would represent alternate gendered variants or different characters entirely. At the start of each game, some of the fighters will be locked from play. To unlock a hidden fighter, players need to clear certain conditions and defeat that fighter in a match.


text: In "Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS" and "Wii U" and "Super Smash Bros. Ultimate", players can make their own Mii Fighters that can be customized with three different fighting styles (Brawler, and Gunner) and costume pieces unlocked through gameplay or purchased as downloadable content. Several of these costumes are based on characters and franchises not otherwise represented, such as Sans from "Undertale", Altaïr from "Assassin's Creed", Cuphead from "Cuphead", Vault Boy from "Fallout", Travis Touchdown from "No More Heroes", Dragonborn from "", Dante from "Devil May Cry", Shantae from "Shantae", and Doom Slayer from "Doom".


text: All games have featured fighters that largely share their moves and abilities with another fighter on the roster, but with minor differences in their presentation and gameplay. In "Super Smash Bros. Melee", all of these characters, known as "model swap characters" according to the Japanese website, were unlockable, but were distinguished from other unlockable characters in that their portrait was added next to the character they were based on instead of filling in one of the placeholder slots at the bottom of the select screen. In "Ultimate", several of these characters were officially labeled as "Echo Fighters". They have an option either to be displayed next to or within the character portrait from which they are based on.


text: In addition to the roster of playable fighters, several non-playable characters appear as summonable items via "Assist Trophies" or Poké Balls, background stage hazards, enemies, collectibles, or bosses in the single-player modes. While some were specifically created for use in the "Super Smash Bros." series, most come from established game franchises like the playable characters.


text: Certain items in the "Super Smash Bros." series can be used to temporarily summon other characters into battle. The first of these, the Poké Ball, was introduced in the original "Super Smash Bros." game. It can be thrown to temporarily call forth a random Pokémon, which will perform one of its signature abilities to attack opponents or affect the battle in other ways. Each "Super Smash Bros." game has had a different set of Pokémon that can appear from Poké Balls, though some such as Snorlax and Goldeen have appeared in multiple entries.


text: Another item, the Assist Trophy, was added in "Super Smash Bros. Brawl" and functions similarly to the Poké Ball. Players who pick up an Assist Trophy will summon a random character from one of various gaming franchises, causing them to interfere with opponents. Available characters vary between games, and range from supporting members of already represented franchises, such as "Super Mario" Waluigi and "Star Fox" Andross, to less-known characters like the Sheriff, Dr. Kawashima from "Brain Age", and Isaac from "Golden Sun". Some Assist Trophies, including Little Mac, Dark Samus and Isabelle, have gone on to appear as playable fighters in later installments. There have also been Assist Trophies based on third-party characters, such as Bomberman and Shovel Knight.


text: Throughout the "Super Smash Bros." series, most single-player modes have included several non-playable boss characters. Some of these bosses were created specifically for the "Super Smash Bros." franchise.


text: Master Hand is a glove-like being that appears in all games to date, serving as the final boss of Classic Mode and, in "Super Smash Bros. Melee", the 50th Event Match "Final Destination Match". In "Melee", Master Hand is playable via a system glitch. He is also playable in "Ultimate" Adventure Mode if certain requirements are met. "Super Smash Bros. Melee" introduced a left-hand counterpart to Master Hand named Crazy Hand, which appears alongside him in all subsequent games under certain conditions. "Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U" features a new form, Master Core, a shapeshifting mass of black particles that emerge from Master Hand and Crazy Hand after their defeat. Master Hand and Crazy Hand have gone on to make cameo appearances outside of the "Super Smash Bros." series, including in "Kirby & the Amazing Mirror" and "Kirby's Dream Buffet".


text: "Super Smash Bros. Melee" introduced Giga Bowser, a larger and more monstrous version of Bowser that could be fought in the 51st Event Match, "The Showdown", and as a secret final opponent in the game's Adventure Mode under certain conditions. Giga Bowser uses the same abilities as Bowser, but is much stronger and has additional effects on his attacks, such as explosions and elemental damage. Giga Bowser later became Bowser's Final Smash in all subsequent games beginning with "Super Smash Bros. Brawl", with players able to control him for the duration of the Final Smash.


text: Tabuu is the true villain of "Super Smash Bros. Brawl" story mode, "The Subspace Emissary". He is a humanoid apparition composed of pure energy, with a single eye-shaped object located where a person's stomach would be. He can conjure several weapons for use in battle, including a rapier and large chakram; change his size at will, and teleport. Towards the end of "The Subspace Emissary", it is revealed that Tabuu is the entity that controlled Master Hand and the true antagonist behind the events of the story.


text: "The Subspace Emissary" also features other boss characters, like Petey Piranha, Ridley, Meta Ridley, Porky, and Rayquaza. Ridley eventually became playable in "Super Smash Bros. Ultimate", with Meta Ridley as an alternate costume for him, while Petey Piranha became DLC character Piranha Plant's Final Smash. Three original bosses are also featured: Tabuu, the giant cyborg Galleom, and the twin-bodied robot Duon.


text: "Super Smash Bros. Ultimate" introduces Galeem, a seraphic menace who serves as the main villain of "World of Light". Known as the "lord of light" and "the ultimate enemy", Galeem destroys the "Smash Bros." world, robs all the fighters except Kirby of their physical forms, and plans on creating a new world to the point of creating an army of puppet fighters powered by enslaved spirits. Galeem is opposed by Dharkon, a one-eyed creature with many tentacles. Described as the "embodiment of chaos and darkness", Dharkon seeks to defeat Galeem and consume the world in darkness. Galeem and Dharkon are aided by a swarm of Master Hand and Crazy Hand puppets respectively. The mode also features bosses Giga Bowser, Galleom, Ganon, Marx, Rathalos, and Dracula, who also appear as final opponents for different characters in the game's Classic Mode.


text: Other boss characters from represented franchises may appear as hazards on certain stages and attack the fighters in the middle of a battle, such as the Yellow Devil from "Mega Man" and Metal Face from "Xenoblade Chronicles".


text: In each of the games, there is a group of generic enemy characters based on other fighters fought in large groups in the games' single-player campaigns and "Multi-Man Smash" minigames. In the Japanese versions of the games, these characters are called the . In the English localized versions of the games, they are given names that describe their physical form. These include the Fighting Polygon Team in the original game, the Fighting Wire Frames in "Melee", the Fighting Alloy Team in "Brawl" and the Fighting Mii Team in "for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U" and "Ultimate". Along with "Melee" Adventure Mode came the inclusion of minor, generic enemies, such as Goombas from the "Super Mario" series and Octoroks from "The Legend of Zelda" series. This trend continues into "Super Smash Bros. Brawl", which also includes an assortment of original characters to serve as non-playable generic enemies led by the Subspace Army. Many generic enemies from various games appear as part of the "Smash Run" mode in "Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS".


text: The Subspace Army are the antagonists of "Super Smash Bros. Brawl", appearing in "The Subspace Emissary" and led by the Ancient Minister. Their goal is to pull the entire world into Subspace piece by piece using devices called Subspace Bombs. The Sandbag appears in every game's "Home-Run Contest" minigame beginning with "Super Smash Bros. Melee". The object is to do as much damage as possible to Sandbag in ten seconds, then strike it with either a Home-Run Bat or a fighting move to launch it as far as possible to get the best distance. Sandbag also appears randomly as an item that drops other items when hit in various other modes in all games from "Brawl" onward.


text: Each installment has an in-game announcer who calls out the fighters' names before and after matches, as well as other gameplay elements. The announcer's voice is also used in many of the promotional materials for the games. The role has been taken on by Jeff Manning in the original game, Dean Harrington in "Melee", Pat Cashman in "Brawl", and Xander Mobus in "for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U" and "Ultimate". The announcer's voice actor traditionally voices Master Hand and Crazy Hand as well. Other characters appear in non-interactive forms that do not affect gameplay, such as collectible trophies depicting their likeness or as spectators watching a battle on specific stages.


title: Priest

text: A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities. Their office or position is the 'priesthood', a term which also may apply to such persons collectively. A priest may have the duty to hear confessions periodically, give marriage counseling, provide prenuptial counseling, give spiritual direction, teach catechism, or visit those confined indoors, such as the sick in hospitals and nursing homes.


title: Priest

text: According to the trifunctional hypothesis of prehistoric Proto-Indo-European society, priests have existed since the earliest of times and in the simplest societies, most likely as a result of agricultural surplus and consequent social stratification. The necessity to read sacred texts and keep temple or church records helped foster literacy in many early societies. Priests exist in many religions today, such as all or some branches of Judaism, Christianity, Buddhism, Shinto and Hinduism. They are generally regarded as having privileged contact with the deity or deities of the religion to which they subscribe, often interpreting the meaning of events and performing the rituals of the religion. There is no common definition of the duties of priesthood between faiths; but generally it includes mediating the relationship between one's congregation, worshippers, and other members of the religious body, and its deity or deities, and administering religious rituals and rites. These often include blessing worshipers with prayers of joy at marriages, after a birth, and at consecrations, teaching the wisdom and dogma of the faith at any regular worship service, and mediating and easing the experience of grief and death at funerals – maintaining a spiritual connection to the afterlife in faiths where such a concept exists. Administering religious building grounds and office affairs and papers, including any religious library or collection of sacred texts, is also commonly a responsibility – for example, the modern term for clerical duties in a secular office refers originally to the duties of a cleric. The question of which religions have a "priest" depends on how the titles of leaders are used or translated into English. In some cases, leaders are more like those that other believers will often turn to for advice on spiritual matters, and less of a "person authorized to perform the sacred rituals." For example, clergy in Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy are "priests", as with certain synods of Lutheranism and Anglicanism, though other branches of Protestant Christianity, such as Methodists and Baptists, use "minister" and "pastor." The terms "priest" and "priestess" are sufficiently generic that they may be used in an anthropological sense to describe the religious mediators of an unknown or otherwise unspecified religion.


title: Priest

text: In many religions, being a priest or priestess is a full-time position, ruling out any other career. Many Christian priests and pastors choose or are mandated to dedicate themselves to their churches and receive their living directly from their churches. In other cases, it is a part-time role. For example, in the early history of Iceland the chieftains were titled "goði", a word meaning "priest". As seen in the saga of Hrafnkell Freysgoði, however, being a priest consisted merely of offering periodic sacrifices to the Norse gods and goddesses; it was not a full-time role, nor did it involve ordination.


title: Priest

text: In some religions, being a priest or priestess is by human election or human choice. In Judaism, the priesthood is inherited in familial lines. In a theocracy, a society is governed by its priesthood.


title: Priest

text: The word "priest", is ultimately derived from Latin via Greek "presbyter", the term for "elder", especially elders of Jewish or Christian communities in late antiquity. The Latin "presbyter" ultimately represents Greek "presbúteros", the regular Latin word for "priest" being "sacerdos", corresponding to "hiereús".


title: Priest

text: It is possible that the Latin word was loaned into Old English, and only from Old English reached other Germanic languages via the Anglo-Saxon mission to the continent, giving Old Icelandic "prestr", Old Swedish "präster", Old High German "priast". Old High German also has the disyllabic "priester, priestar", apparently derived from Latin independently via Old French "presbtre".


title: Priest

text: Αn alternative theory makes "priest" cognate with Old High German "priast", "prest", from Vulgar Latin *"prevost" "one put over others", from Latin "praepositus" "person placed in charge".


title: Priest

text: That English should have only the single term "priest" to translate "presbyter" and "sacerdos" came to be seen as a problem in English Bible translations. The "presbyter" is the minister who both presides and instructs a Christian congregation, while the "sacerdos", offerer of sacrifices, or in a Christian context the eucharist, performs "mediatorial offices between God and man".


title: Priest

text: The feminine English noun, "priestess", was coined in the 17th century, to refer to female priests of the pre-Christian religions of classical antiquity. In the 20th century, the word was used in controversies surrounding the women ordained in the Anglican communion, who are referred to as "priests", irrespective of gender, and the term priestess is generally considered archaic in Christianity.


title: Priest

text: Webster's 1829 Dictionary stated "PRIEST, "noun" [Latin proestes, a chief, one that presides; proe, before, and sto, to stand, or sisto.]" https://webstersdictionary1828.com/Dictionary/priest


title: Priest

text: In historical polytheism, a priest administers the sacrifice to a deity, often in highly elaborate ritual. In the Ancient Near East, the priesthood also acted on behalf of the deities in managing their property.


title: Priest

text: Priestesses in antiquity often performed sacred prostitution, and in Ancient Greece, some priestesses such as Pythia, priestess at Delphi, acted as oracles.


title: Priest

text: In ancient Egyptian religion, the right and obligation to interact with the gods belonged to the pharaoh. He delegated this duty to priests, who were effectively bureaucrats authorized to act on his behalf. Priests staffed temples throughout Egypt, giving offerings to the cult images in which the gods were believed to take up residence and performing other rituals for their benefit. Little is known about what training may have been required of priests, and the selection of personnel for positions was affected by a tangled set of traditions, although the pharaoh had the final say. In the New Kingdom of Egypt, when temples owned great estates, the high priests of the most important cult—that of Amun at Karnak—were important political figures.


title: Priest

text: High-ranking priestly roles were usually held by men. Women were generally relegated to lower positions in the temple hierarchy, although some held specialized and influential positions, especially that of the God's Wife of Amun, whose religious importance overshadowed the High Priests of Amun in the Late Period.


title: Priest

text: In ancient Rome and throughout Italy, the ancient sanctuaries of Ceres and Proserpina were invariably led by female "sacerdotes", drawn from women of local and Roman elites. It was the only public priesthood attainable by Roman matrons and was held in great honor.


title: Priest

text: A Roman matron was any mature woman of the upper class, married or unmarried. Females could serve public cult as Vestal Virgins but few were chosen, and then only from young maidens of the upper class.


title: Priest

text: In ancient Israel, the priests were required by the Law of Moses to be of direct patrilineal descent from Aaron, Moses' elder brother. In Exodus 30:22–25 God instructs Moses to make a holy anointing oil to consecrate the priests "for all of eternity." During the times of the two Jewish Temples in Jerusalem, the Aaronic priests were responsible for the daily and special Jewish holiday offerings and sacrifices within the temples, these offerings are known as the "korbanot".


title: Priest

text: In Hebrew, the word "priest" is "kohen" (singular כהן "kohen", plural כּהנִים "kohanim"), hence the family names "Cohen", "Cahn", "Kahn", "Kohn", "Kogan", etc. These families are from the tribe of Levi (Levites) and in twenty-four instances are called by scripture as such (Jerusalem Talmud to Mishnaic tractate Maaser Sheini p. 31a). In Hebrew, the word for "priesthood" is "kehunnah".


title: Priest

text: The word comes from the root KWN/KON כ-ו-ן 'to stand, to be ready, established' in the sense of someone who stands ready before God, and is common with other Semitic languages, e.g. Phoenician KHN 𐤊𐤄𐤍 'priest' or Arabic "kahin" كاهن “priest”.


title: Priest

text: Since the destruction of the Second Temple, and (therefore) the cessation of the daily and seasonal temple ceremonies and sacrifices, kohanim have become much less prominent. In traditional Judaism (Orthodox Judaism and to some extent, Conservative Judaism) a few priestly and Levitical functions, such as the "pidyon haben" (redemption of a first-born son) ceremony and the Priestly Blessing, have been retained. Especially in Orthodox Judaism, kohanim remain subject to a number of restrictions concerning matters related to marriage and ritual purity.


title: Priest

text: Orthodox Judaism regard the kohanim as being held in reserve for a future restored Temple. Kohanim do not perform roles of propitiation, sacrifice, or sacrament in any branch of Rabbinical Judaism or in Karaite Judaism. The principal religious function of any kohanim is to perform the Priestly Blessing, although an individual kohen may also become a rabbi or other professional religious leader.


title: Priest

text: The traditional Beta Israel community in Israel had little direct contact with other Jewish groups after the destruction of the temple and developed separately for almost two thousand years. While some Beta Israel now follow Rabbinical Jewish practices, the Ethiopian Jewish religious tradition (Haymanot) uses the word Kahen to refer to a type non-hereditary cleric.


title: Priest

text: Aaronic Kohanim also officiated at the Samaritan temple on Mount Gerizim. The Samaritan kohanim have retained their role as religious leaders.


title: Priest

text: With the spread of Christianity and the formation of parishes, the Greek word "ἱερεύς" (hiereus), and Latin "sacerdos", which Christians had since the 3rd century applied to bishops and only in a secondary sense to presbyters, began in the 6th century to be used of presbyters, and is today commonly used of presbyters, distinguishing them from bishops.


title: Priest

text: Today, the term "priest" is used in the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, Anglicanism, Oriental Orthodoxy, the Church of the East, and some branches of Lutheranism to refer to those who have been ordained to a ministerial position through receiving the sacrament of Holy Orders, although "presbyter" is also used. Since the Protestant Reformation, non-sacramental denominations are more likely to use the term "elder" to refer to their pastors. The Christian term "priest" does not have an entry in the Anchor Bible Dictionary, but the dictionary does deal with the above-mentioned terms under the entry for "Sheep, Shepherd.".


title: Priest

text: The most significant liturgical acts reserved to priests in these traditions are the administration of the Sacraments, including the celebration of the Holy Mass or Divine Liturgy (the terms for the celebration of the Eucharist in the Latin and Byzantine traditions, respectively), and the Sacrament of Reconciliation, also called Confession. The sacraments of Anointing of the Sick (Extreme Unction) and Confirmation are also administered by priests, though in the Western tradition Confirmation is ordinarily celebrated by a bishop. In the East, Chrismation is performed by the priest (using oil specially consecrated by a bishop) immediately after Baptism, and Unction is normally performed by several priests (ideally seven), but may be performed by one if necessary. In the West, Holy Baptism may be celebrated by anyone. The Vatican catechism states that "According to Latin tradition, the spouses as ministers of Christ's grace mutually confer upon each other the sacrament of Matrimony". Thus marriage is a sacrament administered by the couple to themselves, but may be witnessed and blessed by a deacon, or priest (who usually administers the ceremony). In the East, Holy Baptism and Marriage (which is called "Crowning") may be performed only by a priest. If a person is baptized "in extremis" (i.e., when in fear of immediate death), only the actual threefold immersion together with the scriptural words may be performed by a layperson or deacon. The remainder of the rite, and Chrismation, must still be performed by a priest, if the person survives. The only sacrament which may be celebrated only by a bishop is that of Ordination ("cheirotonia", "Laying-on of Hands"), or Holy Orders.


title: Priest

text: In these traditions, only men who meet certain requirements may become priests. In Catholicism, the canonical minimum age is twenty-five. Bishops may dispense with this rule and ordain men up to one year younger. Dispensations of more than a year are reserved to the Holy See (Can. 1031 §§1, 4.) A Catholic priest must be incardinated by his bishop or his major religious superior in order to engage in public ministry. Secular priests are incardinated into a diocese, whereas religious priests live the consecrated life and can work anywhere in the world that their specific community operates.


title: Priest

text: In Orthodoxy, the normal minimum age is thirty (Can. 9 of Neocaesarea) but a bishop may dispense with this if needed. In neither tradition may priests marry after ordination. In the Roman Catholic Church, priests in the Latin Rite, which covers the vast majority of Roman Catholicism, must be celibate except under special rules for married clergy converting from certain other Christian confessions. Married men may become priests in Eastern Orthodoxy and the Eastern Catholic Churches, but in neither case may they marry after ordination, even if they become widowed. Candidates for bishop are chosen only from among the celibate. Orthodox priests will either wear a clerical collar similar to the above-mentioned, or simply a very loose black robe that does not have a collar.


title: Priest

text: The role of a priest in the Anglican Communion and the Free Church of England is largely the same as within the Roman Catholic Church and Eastern Christianity, except that canon law in almost every Anglican province restricts the administration of confirmation to the bishop, just as with ordination. Whilst Anglican priests who are members of religious orders must remain celibate (although there are exceptions, such as priests in the Anglican Order of Cistercians), the secular clergy—bishops, priests, and deacons who are not members of religious orders—are permitted to marry before or after ordination (although in most provinces they are not permitted to marry a person of the same sex). The Anglican churches, unlike the Roman Catholic or Eastern Christian traditions, have allowed the ordination of women as priests (referred to as "priests" not "priestesses") in some provinces since 1971. This practice remains controversial, however; a minority of provinces (10 out of the 38 worldwide) retain an all-male priesthood. Most Continuing Anglican churches do not ordain women to the priesthood.


title: Priest

text: As Anglicanism represents a broad range of theological opinion, its presbyterate includes priests who consider themselves no different in any respect from those of the Roman Catholic Church, and a minority who prefer to use the title "presbyter" in order to distance themselves from the more sacrificial theological implications which they associate with the word "priest". While "priest" is the official title of a member of the presbyterate in every Anglican province worldwide (retained by the Elizabethan Settlement), the ordination rite of certain provinces (including the Church of England) recognizes the breadth of opinion by adopting the title "The Ordination of Priests (also called Presbyters)." Even though both words mean 'elders' historically the term "priest" has been more associated with the "High Church" or Anglo-Catholic wing, whereas the term "minister" has been more commonly used in "Low Church" or Evangelical circles.


title: Priest

text: The general priesthood or the priesthood of all believers, is a Christian doctrine derived from several passages of the New Testament. It is a foundational concept of Protestantism. It is this doctrine that Martin Luther adduces in his 1520 "To the Christian Nobility of the German Nation" in order to dismiss the medieval Christian belief that Christians were to be divided into two classes: "spiritual" and "temporal" or non-spiritual.


title: Priest

text: Conservative Lutheran reforms are reflected in the theological and practical view of the ministry of the Church. Much of European Lutheranism follows the traditional Catholic governance of deacon, presbyter, and bishop. The Lutheran archbishops of Finland, Sweden, etc. and Baltic countries are the historic national primates and some ancient cathedrals and parishes in the Lutheran church were constructed many centuries before the Reformation. Indeed, ecumenical work within the Anglican Communion and among Scandinavian Lutherans mutually recognize the historic apostolic legitimacy and full communion. Likewise in America, Lutherans have embraced the apostolic succession of bishops in the full communion with Episcopalians and most Lutheran ordinations are performed by a bishop.


title: Priest

text: The Church of Sweden has a threefold ministry of bishop, priest, and deacon and those ordained to the presbyterate are referred to as priests. In the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, ordained presbyters are referred to by various publications, including Finnish ones, as pastors, or priests. In the United States, denominations like the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod use the terms "reverend" and "pastor" interchangeably for ordained members of the clergy.


title: Priest

text: In the Latter Day Saint movement, the priesthood is the power and authority of God given to man, including the authority to perform ordinances and to act as a leader in the church. A body of priesthood holders is referred to as a quorum. Priesthood denotes elements of both power and authority. The priesthood includes the power Jesus gave his apostles to perform miracles such as the casting out of devils and the healing of sick (Luke 9:1). Latter Day Saints believe that the Biblical miracles performed by prophets and apostles were performed by the power of the priesthood, including the miracles of Jesus, who holds all of the keys of the priesthood. The priesthood is formally known as the "Priesthood after the Order of the Son of God", but to avoid the too frequent use of the name of deity, the priesthood is referred to as the Melchizedek priesthood (Melchizedek being the high priest to whom Abraham paid tithes). As an authority, the priesthood is the authority by which a bearer may perform ecclesiastical acts of service in the name of God. Latter Day Saints believe that acts (and in particular, ordinances) performed by one with priesthood authority are recognized by God and are binding in heaven, on earth, and in the afterlife.


title: Priest

text: There is some variation among the Latter Day Saint denominations regarding who can be ordained to the priesthood. In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), all worthy males above the age of 12 can be ordained to the priesthood. However, prior to a policy change in 1978, the LDS Church did not ordain men or boys who were of black African descent. The LDS Church does not ordain women to any of its priesthood offices. The Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (now the Community of Christ), the second largest denomination of the movement, began ordaining women to all of its priesthood offices in 1984. This decision was one of the reasons that led to a schism in the church, which prompted the formation of the independent Restoration Branches movement from which other denominations have sprung, including the Remnant Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.


title: Priest

text: Islam has no sacerdotal priesthood. There are, however, a variety of academic and administrative offices which have evolved to assist Muslims with this task, such as the imāms and the mullāhs; a full discussion can be found at Clergy#Islam.


title: Priest

text: A Mandaean priest refers to an ordained religious leader in Mandaeism. In Mandaean scriptures, priests are referred to as "Naṣuraiia" (Naṣoraeans). All priests must undergo lengthy ordination ceremonies, beginning with tarmida initiation. Mandaean religious leaders and copyists of religious texts hold the title "Rabbi" or in Arabic 'Sheikh'.


title: Priest

text: All Mandaean communities traditionally require the presence of a priest, since priests are required to officiate over all important religious rituals, including masbuta, masiqta, birth and wedding ceremonies. Priests also serve as teachers, scribes, and community leaders.


title: Priest

text: Priests have lineages based on the succession of "ganzibria" priests who had initiated them. Priestly lineages, which are distinct from birth lineages, are typically recorded in the colophons of many Mandaean texts. The position is not hereditary, and any Mandaean male who is highly knowledgeable about religious matters is eligible to become a priest.


title: Priest

text: Hindu priests historically were members of the Brahmin community. Priests are ordained and trained as well. There are two types of Hindu priests, "pujaris" ("swamis", "yogis", and "gurus") and "purohits" ("pundits"). A "pujari" performs rituals in a temple. These rituals include bathing the "murtis" (the statues of the gods/goddesses), performing "puja", a ritualistic offering of various items to the Gods, the waving of a "ghee" or oil lamp also called an offering in light, known in Hinduism as "aarti", before the "murtis". "Pujaris" are often married.


title: Priest

text: A "purohit", on the other hand, performs rituals and saṃskāras (sacraments), yajnas (sacrifices) outside of the temple. There are special "purohits" who perform only funeral rites.


title: Priest

text: In many cases, a "purohit" also functions as a "pujari". Both women and men are ordained as "purohits" and "pujaris".


title: Priest

text: A Zoroastrian priest are called a Mobad and they officiate the "Yasna", pouring libations into the sacred fire to the accompaniment of ritual chants. The Mobad also prepare drinks for the "haoma" ritual.


title: Priest

text: In Indian Zoroastrianism, the priesthood is reserved for men and is a mostly hereditary position, but women have been ordained in Iran and North America as a mobedyar, meaning an assistant mobed.


title: Priest

text: The Taoist priests (道士 "master of the Dao" p. 488) act as interpreters of the principles of Yin-Yang 5 elements (fire, water, soil, wood, and metal p. 53) school of ancient Chinese philosophy, as they relate to marriage, death, festival cycles, and so on. The Taoist priest seeks to share the benefits of meditation with his or her community through public ritual and liturgy (p. 326). In the ancient priesthood before the Tang, the priest was called "Jijiu" ("libationer" p. 550), with both male and female practitioners selected by merit. The system gradually changed into a male only hereditary Taoist priesthood until more recent times (p. 550,551).


title: Priest

text: The Shinto priest is called a ", originally pronounced "kamunushi", sometimes referred to as a . A kannushi is the person responsible for the maintenance of a Shinto shrine, or "jinja", purificatory rites, and for leading worship and veneration of a certain "kami". Additionally, priests are aided by " for many rites as a kind of shaman or medium. The maidens may either be family members in training, apprentices, or local volunteers.


title: Priest

text: "Saiin" were female relatives of the Japanese emperor (termed "saiō") who served as High Priestesses in Kamo Shrine. "Saiō" also served at Ise Shrine. "Saiin" priestesses usually were elected from royalty. In principle, "Saiin" remained unmarried, but there were exceptions. Some "Saiin" became consorts of the emperor, called "Nyōgo" in Japanese. The "Saiin" order of priestesses existed throughout the Heian and Kamakura periods.


title: Priest

text: The Yoruba people of western Nigeria practice an indigenous religion with a chiefly hierarchy of priests and priestesses that dates to AD 800–1000. Ifá priests and priestesses bear the titles Babalawo for men and Iyanifa for women. Priests and priestesses of the varied Orisha are titled Babalorisa for men and Iyalorisa for women. Initiates are also given an Orisa or Ifá name that signifies under which deity they are initiated. For example, a Priestess of Osun may be named Osunyemi, and a Priest of Ifá may be named Ifáyemi. This traditional culture continues to this day as initiates from all around the world return to Nigeria for initiation into the priesthood, and varied derivative sects in the New World (such as Cuban Santería and Brazilian Umbanda) use the same titles to refer to their officers as well.


title: Priest

text: In Brazil, the priests in the Umbanda, Candomblé and Quimbanda religions are called "pai-de-santo" (literally "Father of saint" in English), or "babalorixá" (a word borrowed from Yoruba "bàbálórìsà", meaning "Father of the Orisha"); its female equivalent is the "mãe-de-santo" ("Mother of saint"), also referred to as "ialorixá" (Yoruba: "iyálórìsà").


title: Priest

text: According to traditional Wiccan beliefs, every member of the religion is considered a priestess or priest, as it is believed that no person can stand between another and the Divine. However, in response to the growing number of Wiccan temples and churches, several denominations of the religion have begun to develop a core group of ordained priestesses and priests serving a larger laity. This trend is far from widespread, but is gaining acceptance due to increased interest in the religion.


title: Priest

text: The dress of religious workers in ancient times may be demonstrated in frescoes and artifacts from the cultures. The dress is presumed to be related to the customary clothing of the culture, with some symbol of the deity worn on the head or held by the person. Sometimes special colors, materials, or patterns distinguish celebrants, as the white wool veil draped on the head of the Vestal Virgins.


title: Priest

text: Occasionally, the celebrants at religious ceremonies shed all clothes in a symbolic gesture of purity. This was often the case in ancient times. An example of this is shown to the left on a Kylix dating from c. 500 BC where a priestess is featured. Modern religious groups tend to avoid such symbolism and some may be quite uncomfortable with the concept.


title: Priest

text: The retention of long skirts and vestments among many ranks of contemporary priests when they officiate may be interpreted to express the ancient traditions of the cultures from which their religious practices arose.


title: Priest

text: In most Christian traditions, priests wear clerical clothing, a distinctive form of street dress. Even within individual traditions it varies considerably in form, depending on the specific occasion. In Western Christianity, the stiff white clerical collar has become the nearly universal feature of priestly clerical clothing, worn either with a cassock or a clergy shirt. The collar may be either a full collar or a vestigial tab displayed through a square cutout in the shirt collar.


title: Priest

text: Eastern Christian priests mostly retain the traditional dress of two layers of differently cut cassock: the "rasson" (Greek) or "podriasnik" (Russian) beneath the outer "exorasson" (Greek) or "riasa" (Russian). If a pectoral cross has been awarded it is usually worn with street clothes in the Russian tradition, but not so often in the Greek tradition.


title: Priest

text: Distinctive clerical clothing is less often worn in modern times than formerly, and in many cases it is rare for a priest to wear it when not acting in a pastoral capacity, especially in countries that view themselves as largely secular in nature. There are frequent exceptions to this however, and many priests rarely if ever go out in public without it, especially in countries where their religion makes up a clear majority of the population. Pope John Paul II often instructed Catholic priests and religious to always wear their distinctive (clerical) clothing, unless wearing it would result in persecution or grave verbal attacks.


title: Priest

text: Christian traditions that retain the title of priest also retain the tradition of special liturgical vestments worn only during services. Vestments vary widely among the different Christian traditions.


title: Priest

text: In modern Pagan religions, such as Wicca, there is no one specific form of dress designated for the clergy. If there is, it is a particular of the denomination in question, and not a universal practice. However, there is a traditional form of dress, (usually a floor-length tunic and a knotted cord cincture, known as the "cingulum"), which is often worn by worshipers during religious rites. Among those traditions of Wicca that do dictate a specific form of dress for its clergy, they usually wear the traditional tunic in addition to other articles of clothing (such as an open-fronted robe or a cloak) as a distinctive form of religious dress, similar to a habit.


title: Priest

text: In ancient Judaism, the Priests (Kohanim) had a whole class of Levites as their assistants in making the sacrifices, in singing psalms and in maintaining the Temple. The Priests and the Levites were in turn served by servants called Nethinim. These lowest level of servants were not priests.


title: Priest

text: An assistant priest is a priest in the Anglican and Episcopal churches who is not the senior member of clergy of the parish to which they are appointed, but is nonetheless in priests' orders; there is no difference in function or theology, merely in 'grade' or 'rank'. Some assistant priests have a "sector ministry", that is to say that they specialize in a certain area of ministry within the local church, for example youth work, hospital work, or ministry to local light industry. They may also hold some diocesan appointment part-time. In most (though not all) cases, an assistant priest has the legal status of assistant curate, although not all assistant curates are priests, as this legal status also applies to many deacons working as assistants in a parochial setting.


title: Priest

text: The corresponding term in the Catholic Church is "parochial vicar" – an ordained priest assigned to assist the pastor (Latin: "parochus") of a parish in the pastoral care of parishioners. Normally, all pastors are also ordained priests; occasionally an auxiliary bishop will be assigned that role.


title: Priest

text: In Wicca, the leader of a coven or temple (either a high priestess or high priest) often appoints an assistant. This assistant is often called a 'deputy', but the more traditional terms 'maiden' (when female and assisting a high priestess) and 'summoner' (when male and assisting a high priest) are still used in many denominations.


title: Leinster

text: Leinster ( ; or ) is one of the provinces of Ireland, situated in the southeast and east of Ireland. The province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige. Following the 12th-century Norman invasion of Ireland, the historic "fifths" of Leinster and Meath gradually merged, mainly due to the impact of the Pale, which straddled both, thereby forming the present-day province of Leinster. The ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial purposes. In later centuries, local government legislation has prompted further sub-division of the historic counties.


title: Leinster

text: Leinster has no official function for local-government purposes. However, it is an officially recognised subdivision of Ireland and is listed on ISO 3166-2 as one of the four provinces of Ireland. "IE-L" is attributed to Leinster as its "country sub-division" code. Leinster had a population of 2,858,501 according to the preliminary results of the 2022 census, making it the most populous province in the country. The traditional flag of Leinster features a golden harp on a green background.


title: Leinster

text: The Gaelic Kingdom of Leinster before 1171, considerably smaller than the present-day province, usually did not include certain territories such as Meath, Osraige or the Viking cities of Wexford and Dublin.


title: Leinster

text: The first part of the name "Leinster" derives from "Laigin", the name of a major tribe that once inhabited the area. The latter part of the name derives either from the Irish "tír" or from the Old Norse "staðr", both of which translate as "land" or "territory".


title: Leinster

text: Úgaine Mór (Hugony the Great), who supposedly built the hill fort of Dún Ailinne, near Kilcullen in County Kildare, united the tribes of Leinster. He is a likely, but uncertain, candidate as the first historical king of Laigin (Leinster) in the 7th century BC. Circa 175/185 AD, following a period of civil wars in Ireland, the legendary Cathair Mor re-founded the kingdom of Laigin. The legendary Finn Mac Cool, or Fionn mac Cumhaill, reputedly built a stronghold at the Hill of Allen, on the edge of the Bog of Allen.


title: Leinster

text: In the 4th and 5th centuries AD, after Magnus Maximus had left Britain in 383 AD with his legions, leaving a power vacuum, colonists from Laigin settled in North Wales, specifically in Anglesey, Carnarvonshire and Denbighshire. In Wales some of the Leinster-Irish colonists left their name on the Llŷn Peninsula (in Gwynedd), which derives its name from "Laigin".


title: Leinster

text: In the 5th century, the emerging Uí Néill dynasties from Connacht conquered areas of Westmeath, Meath and Offaly from the Uí Enechglaiss and Uí Failge of the Laigin. Uí Néill Ard Righ attempted to exact the "Boroimhe Laighean" (cattle-tribute) from the Laigin from that time, in the process becoming their traditional enemies.


title: Leinster

text: After the death of the last Kildare-based King of Laigin, Murchad Mac Dunlainge in 1042, the kingship of Leinster reverted to the Uí Cheinnselaig sept based in the southeast in present-day County Wexford. This southern dynasty provided all the later Kings of Leinster.


title: Leinster

text: Leinster includes the extended "English Pale", counties controlled directly from Dublin, at the beginning of the 1600s. The other three provinces had their own regional "Presidency" systems, based on a Welsh model of administration, in theory if not in fact, from the 1570s and 1580s up to the 1670s, and were considered separate entities. Gradually "Leinster" subsumed the term "The Pale", as the kingdom was pacified and the difference between the old Pale area and the wider province, now also under English administration, grew less distinct.


title: Leinster

text: The expansion of the province took in the territory of the ancient Kingdom of Mide encompassing much of present-day counties Meath, Westmeath and Longford with five west County Offaly baronies. Local lordships were incorporated during the Tudor conquest of Ireland and subsequent plantation schemes.


title: Leinster

text: Other boundary changes included County Louth, officially removed from Ulster in 1596, the baronies of Ballybritt and Clonlisk (formerly Éile Uí Chearbhaill in the county palatine of Tipperary) in Munster becoming part of Leinster in 1606, and the 'Lands of Ballymascanlon' transferred from Armagh to Louth circa 1630. The provincial borders were redrawn by Cromwell for administration and military reasons, and the Offaly parishes of Annally and Lusmagh, formerly part of Connacht, were transferred in 1660.


title: Leinster

text: The last major boundary changes within Leinster occurred with the formation of County Wicklow (1603–1606), from lands in the north of Carlow (which previously extended to the sea) and most of southern Dublin. Later minor changes dealt with "islands" of one county in another. By the late 1700s, Leinster looked as shown in the above map of 1784.


title: Leinster

text: The province is divided into twelve traditional counties: Carlow, Dublin, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Longford, Louth, Meath, Offaly, Westmeath, Wexford and Wicklow. Leinster has the most counties of any province, but is the second smallest of the four Irish provinces by land area. With a population of 2,858,501 as of 2022, it is the island's most populous province. Dublin is the only official city in the province, and is by far its largest settlement.


title: Leinster

text: As is the norm for language in Ireland, English is the primary spoken language, but there is an active Irish-speaking minority in the province. According to the Census of Ireland of 2011, there were 18,947 daily speakers of Irish in Leinster outside the education system, including 1,299 native speakers in the small Gaeltacht of Ráth Chairn. As of 2011, there were 19,348 students attending the 66 Gaelscoils (Irish-language primary schools) and 15 Gaelcholáistí (Irish-language secondary schools) in the province, primarily in the Dublin area.


title: Leinster

text: A number of sporting and cultural organisations organise themselves on provincial lines, including Leinster Rugby, the Leinster Cricket Union, Leinster Hockey Association and Leinster GAA. While Leinster GAA is made up primarily of the traditional counties of the province, GAA teams from Galway, Kerry and Antrim have played in the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship, as has a team from London; Galway won the title in 2012. Participation of these counties is based on their performances in the Christy Ring Cup.


title: Bachata (music)

text: Bachata is a genre of music that originated in the Dominican Republic in the 20th century. It is a fusion of southwestern European influences, mainly Spanish guitar music, with indigenous Taino and Sub Saharan African musical elements, representative of the cultural diversity of the Dominican population.


title: Bachata (music)

text: The first recorded compositions of bachata was done by José Manuel Calderón in 1962 ("Borracho de amor") from the Dominican Republic. Bachata originates from bolero and son (and later, from the mid-1980s, merengue). The original term used to name the genre was "amargue" ("bitterness", "bitter music" or "blues music"), until the mood-neutral term "bachata" became popular. The form of dance, bachata, also developed with the music.


title: Bachata (music)

text: Bachata arose in the poor and working class areas of the country. During the 1960s and early 1970s, while bachata was known as amargue music, it was seen as music of the lower class by middle-upper-class Dominicans. The genre's popularity rose in the 1980s and early 1990s when the rhythm began to reach the mainstream media. The genre was declared an Intangible Cultural Heritage of humanity by UNESCO.


title: Bachata (music)

text: The genre mixed the pan-Latin American style called bolero with more elements coming from son, and the troubadour singing tradition common in Latin America. During much of its history, bachata music was disregarded by middle-upperclass Dominican society and associated with rural underdevelopment and crime. As recently as the 1980s, bachata was considered too vulgar, crude and musically rustic to be broadcast on television or radio in the Dominican Republic.


title: Bachata (music)

text: In the 1990s, however, bachata's instrumentation changed from nylon string Spanish guitar and maracas of traditional bachata to the electric steel string and guira of modern bachata. Bachata further transformed in the 21st century with the creation of urban bachata styles by bands such as Monchy y Alexandra and Aventura. These new modern styles of bachata became an international phenomenon, and today bachata is one of the most popular styles of Latin music.


title: Bachata (music)

text: The typical bachata group consists of five instruments: requinto (lead guitar), segunda (rhythm guitar), bass guitar, bongos and güira. The segunda serves the purpose of adding syncopation to the music. Bachata groups mainly play a straightforward style of bolero (lead guitar instrumentation using arpeggiated repetitive chords is a distinctive characteristic of bachata), but when they change to merengue-based bachata, the percussionist will switch from bongo to a tambora drum. In the 1960s and 1970s, maracas were used instead of güira. The change in the 1980s from maracas to the more versatile güira was made as bachata was becoming more dance oriented.


title: Bachata (music)

text: Although the first official bachata song was released in 1962, bachata music had already existed informally in "el campo", the rural or countryside parts of the Dominican Republic where it originated. Prior to the 1960's, at the time of Trujillo's dictatorship accompanied by censorship, the word "bachata" meant an impromptu party in el campo, characterized by its melancholy and bittersweet lyrics, singing, and dancing. Informal bachateros at the time were majority poor, working class people and so was their audience. Given the initial demographics of bachata music’s audience and musicians, Trujillo harbored negative emotions towards bachata music and stigmatized it. As a result, bachata became synonymous with poverty, delinquency, lack of education, and prostitution to the middle and upper-class Dominican society. Bachata was also referred to as "música cachivache", or music of little worth, and "música de guardia", or music for low ranking military and police men. Still, Bachata music prevailed through the 50s as poor, working class people played bachata music in bars and brothels. Bachateros also participated in the informal music sector where they paid studios to record songs on records or vinyls and sold them to people and establishments for low prices. Establishments like colmados in el campo bought popular bachata recordings and played them on jukeboxes for their customers to listen to while shopping.


title: Bachata (music)

text: The 1960's signal the immense spread of bachata music—the decade saw the birth of the Dominican music industry and of the bachata music which would dominate it.


title: Bachata (music)

text: Following Trujillo's death and end of his dictatorship in 1961, there was an opening for bachata music within the music industry amidst the loosened restrictions. The end of Trujillo's dictatorship motivated people from el campo to migrate to Santo Domingo, the capital of the largest city in the Dominican Republic—before then, strict migration policies prevented the movement of people within and outside the country. As people settled in the city, they continued to play Bachata music because it allowed them to express the struggle and poverty they experienced in the city. Along with Bachata's audience in the city, bachateros from el campo who also migrated to Santo Domingo took advantage of the city's growing music industry.


title: Bachata (music)

text: The music industry increased music production and broadcasting after the end of Trujillo's dictatorship. When it came to bachata music, music industry leaders began recording, producing, and broadcasting bachata songs as long as musicians had the financial means to pay for the service. Soon enough, José Manuel Calderón recorded the first official bachata songs released on 45 rpm and got air-time on the radio stations for select songs ("Borracho de amor" and "Que será de mi (Condena)"). Following Calderon's bachata debut, recordings by the likes of such as Rodobaldo Duartes, Rafael Encarnacion, Ramoncito Cabrera, El Chivo Sin Ley, Corey Perro, Antonio Gómez Sacero, Luis Segura, Louis Loizides, Eladio Romero Santos, Ramón Cordero were also released. Ramon Pichardo, an entrepreneur, offered bachateros the option to finance records—paying the service fee in installments—and publish them on a record label. Singers such as Melinda Rodriguez and Tatico Henríquez were a few of the rural artists who were able to take advantage of this opportunity and start careers in the Dominican music industry. While the bachatas recorded in the 1960s had a distinct Dominican style, they were regarded at the time as a variant of bolero, as the term "bachata", which originally referred to an informal party, had not yet come into use.


title: Bachata (music)

text: As studios began recording bachata music in the 1960s, bachata music listeners beyond the countryside were exposed to the music. Radio Guarachita, hosted by Radhamés Aracena in 1966, was the only radio station at the time that played and centered bachata music. Aracena broadcast popular bachata songs produced in the 60s and worked with bachateros to produce music. Listeners regarded Bachata music as a variant of bolero—the difference being that bachata music was guitar-based meanwhile bolero was not—since the term "bachata""" still referred to impromptu parties.


title: Bachata (music)

text: Even though Bachata music began to spread, anti-bachata sentiment from Trujillo's rule continued into the 60's. A campaign ensued to brand bachata in this negative light. Middle and upper-class Dominican society denounced bachata, calling bachata music a form of cultural backwardness. Bachata music had lyrics with sexual meaning or references, which was frowned upon by middle-upper-class Dominicans because bachateros did not have academic backgrounds. Since Bachata music was not widely accepted by society for its "vulgar and sensual" nature, middle and upper-class people refrained from listening and dancing to Bachata music to protect their reputation. They attached a negative connotation to the word "bachata" and used it as an insult to the music.


title: Bachata (music)

text: In the 1970s, bachata music was hardly played on radio stations other than Radio Guarachita and unmentioned on television and in print. Bachateros were also barred from performing in upper-class venues. Bachateros were barred from performing in high society venues. Even so, many Bachateros performanced in bars, brothels, and small venues in poor city neighborhoods and el campo. Bachata music became known as "la musica de amargue", or bitter music, because it was still influenced by despair, sex, and hardship, which only fueled anti-bachata sentiment in middle-upper-class Dominican society. Despite its unofficial censorship, bachata remained widely popular, while orchestral merengue benefited from the country's major publicity outlets.


title: Bachata (music)

text: By the 1980s, different styles of Bachata music began to appear. Blas Durán took "la musica de amargue" and "introduced musical innovations such as an electric rather than acoustic lead guitar, faster tempi, and multitrack recording." Durán was the first to record with electric guitar in his 1987 bachata-merengue song, "Mujeres hembras." Due to popular demand, more radio stations began playing bachata, and bachateros soon found themselves performing on television as well. Bachata style merengues, or guitar merengues, also began to appear. Other Dominican bachateros that emerged from this time period were Marino Perez and Leonardo Paniagua. Beyond the Dominican Republic, Dominican people continued to migrate outside the Dominican Republic years after Trujillo's death, carrying bachata music with them where they went such as New York City.


title: Bachata (music)

text: By the early 1990s, the sound was further modernized and the bachata scene was dominated by two new artists: Luis Vargas and Antony Santos. Both incorporated a large number of bachata-merengues in their repertoires. Santos, Vargas and the many new style bachateros who would follow achieved a level of stardom that was unimaginable to the bachateros who preceded them—they were the first generation of pop bachata artists. It was also at this time that bachata began to emerge internationally as a music of Hispanic dance-halls.


title: Bachata (music)

text: Juan Luis Guerra's Grammy-winning 1992 release, "Bachata Rosa", is credited with making the genre more acceptable and helping bachata achieve legitimacy and international recognition. Although he used the word "bachata" in the album title, his songs have a more traditional bolero sound.


title: Bachata (music)

text: By the beginning of the 21st century, the bachata group Aventura had taken the bachata envisioned by Juan Luis Guerra in the early 1990s to new heights. Led by lead singer Anthony "Romeo" Santos, they revolutionized and modernized the genre. They sold out Madison Square Garden numerous times and released countless top ten hits on the hot Latin charts including two number one hits "Por un segundo" and "Dile al Amor". Other big bachata acts in the decade included "Monchy y Alexandra" and Los Toros Band.


title: Bachata (music)

text: Today, parallel to bachata music, fusion genres arose in Western countries such as the US, combining some of the rhythmic elements of bachata music with elements of Western music such as hip hop, R&B, pop, techno and more. This fusion genre became popular among Western audiences, and often includes covers of Western pop songs played on MTV and non-Latin radio stations. Notable artists of the new fusion genre are Prince Royce, Xtreme and Toby Love, among others. By 2011, former Aventura member Romeo Santos also joined the fusion bandwagon, releasing several new albums which became popular in the US and other Western countries. Not only has bachata's popularity changed but so has its lyrics; before the lyrics were mostly about a cheating relationship and hurt feelings but now it talks about love and is more romantic. According to "Bachata: Música Del Pueblo" (""Bachata: Music of the People"") the writers said: "In the past decade, bachata has been transformed from a ballad-style guitar music of the rural poor in the Dominican Republic to the hottest new music in the international Latino music market."


title: HAL Laboratory

text: HAL Laboratory started off making games for the MSX system and VIC-20. After financial strain brought on from the development of "Metal Slader Glory" (1991) for the Famicom, Nintendo offered to rescue HAL from bankruptcy on the condition that HAL employee Satoru Iwata was appointed as its president, which he became between 1993 and 2000. Iwata later became president of Nintendo.


title: HAL Laboratory

text: The logo 'Inutamago' was commissioned in 1998 by then HAL Laboratory president, Satoru Iwata. This was handled by Shigesato Itoi who went through many different ideas. He went with the theme of 'an unexpected bond...one that brings the birth of something new' which would lead to the idea of a dog incubating eggs in a nest. The actual design was created by Mr. Akiyama of HAL. The design was indoctrinated by HAL Laboratory in 1998 although the reception at first was lukewarm.


title: HAL Laboratory

text: In many of its games during the early to mid-1990s it used the name HALKEN, derived from their Japanese name. Some of its early titles were also released as HAL America Inc. (HAI), a North American subsidiary of the company led by Yash Terakura and based in Beaverton, Oregon, USA.


title: HAL Laboratory

text: In August 2001, HAL Laboratory and Nintendo established Warpstar, Inc. in a joint venture (where each part owns 50% of the company) with the objective to manage the Kirby IP along with its copyright, which the decision for the creation of the company was mainly for "" anime series. After the end of the anime, the company still exists and now works with license and supervision of the character in games, merchandise and other media.


title: HAL Laboratory

text: For years, the company's development center at Tokyo was located within the eighth floor of the Nintendo Tokyo Prefecture Building which itself is located Nihombashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, but in August 2003, the company announced that a restructuration was happening and that the development center at the building would be relocated to HAL's main office building in Kanda Suda-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo. While this change happened on the Tokyo-based company, the Yamanashi part of HAL was unaffected by the changes of the company.


title: HAL Laboratory

text: In 2017, HAL Laboratory announced that they would develop and self-publish games for mobile devices with the brand HAL Egg and focusing on completely new characters and franchises, with different types of design than what the developers of the company usually do. The first title launched by them was Part Time UFO. The company released a miniature version of the MZ-80C computer in October 2017 and a miniature version of the PC-8001 in October 2019


title: HAL Laboratory

text: In 2020, HAL Laboratory updated their employee numbers from 169 to 195 and the company came back to the new Nintendo Tokyo Building with its main office and the Tokyo development studio, being on the same building along with Nintendo EPD Tokyo, Nintendo PTD Tokyo, 1-Up Studio and Game Freak like a keiretsu. The studio in Yamanashi was unaffected by that move.


title: Ali Landry

text: Ali Germaine Landry (born July 21, 1973) is an American actress, model, and beauty pageant titleholder who won Miss USA 1996. She played Rita Lefleur on the UPN sitcom "Eve" and was the Doritos Girl in a 1998 Super Bowl commercial. In 1998, she was named by "People" magazine as one of 50 most beautiful people in the world.


title: Ali Landry

text: Landry was named after Ali MacGraw after her mother had seen the 1970 film "Love Story". Landry grew up in Cecilia, Louisiana, the daughter of Renella (Ray) and Gene Allen Landry. Landry is of French (Cajun) descent. She attended Cecilia High School, graduating in 1991. In high school, she was captain of the cheerleaders. She attended the University of Southwestern Louisiana, now University of Louisiana at Lafayette, and majored in mass communication. She is a member of Kappa Delta sorority.


title: Ali Landry

text: Her first foray into pageantry came in 1990 when she was crowned Miss Louisiana Teen USA. She represented Louisiana in the 1990 Miss Teen USA pageant held in Biloxi, Mississippi in July 1990, where she placed first in the preliminary swimsuit and evening gown competitions, but was ranked seventh during the final competition.


title: Ali Landry

text: In 1995, Landry won the 1996 Miss Louisiana USA title, becoming the first former Miss Louisiana Teen USA to win the Miss Teen USA crown. She went on to compete in the 1996 Miss USA pageant, which was broadcast live from South Padre Island, Texas in February 1996 – she placed third highest after the preliminary competition and second highest on average during the final Top 10 competition. She was the highest placed of the Top 6 finalists and eventually went on to win the 1996 title.


title: Ali Landry

text: She is the first former Miss Teen USA delegate to win the Miss USA crown outright (her predecessor Shanna Moakler, previously Miss Rhode Island Teen USA, Miss New York USA and first runner-up to Miss USA Chelsi Smith, only inherited the title after Smith became Miss Universe).


title: Ali Landry

text: Landry competed in the 1996 Miss Universe pageant held in Las Vegas in May that year. She placed first in the preliminary competition and was ranked second in the evening gown and interview events during the final competition. She was second going into the next round of six delegates, but she was eliminated after the judges' questions.


title: Ali Landry

text: Until 1999, Landry was the only former Miss Teen USA delegate to compete at Miss Universe. Her record at all three pageants was not surpassed until 2000 when Miss USA 2000, Lynnette Cole made the top 5 at all three pageants.


title: Ali Landry

text: Landry has done much modeling for photographers and magazines. As a spokeswoman for the Doritos chips brand, she appeared in celebrated TV commercials airing during the 1998, 1999 and 2000 Super Bowl football games. She was named by "People" magazine as one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world in 1998. Her house was featured on E!'s celebrity homes and on MTV's "Cribs". She has been listed as one of "FHM" magazine's 100 Sexiest Women in the World numerous times. She was twice named on "Stuff Magazine"'s 100 Sexiest Women list. Askmen.com has named her one of the 50 Most Beautiful Women and 99 Most Desirable Women in the World.


title: Ali Landry

text: In 2002, she hosted the second season of the hidden-camera series "Spy TV". From 2003 to 2006, she was a regular cast member of the UPN sitcom "Eve".


title: Ali Landry

text: Landry has participated in the show "Fear Factor" and was runner-up. She is an avid athlete and also participated in the Boston Marathon.


title: Ali Landry

text: She has hosted the English and Spanish-language versions of "Spotlight to Nightlight", an interview show on Yahoo! where she talks with celebrity mothers about parenting issues. She also launched a lifestyle line, Belle Parish in 2009. Belle Parish launched with a children's clothing line in September 2009, to be in stores spring 2010. The line is inspired by her Southern upbringing and the keepsake items her mother saved from her childhood.


title: Ali Landry

text: Landry starred in (and was the executive producer of) TV Guide Network's show, "Hollywood Moms' Club", in November 2011. For the year 2012 she was the new face and spokesmodel of "Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula", following in the footsteps of celeb moms Samantha Harris and Laila Ali who previously posed for Palmer's.


title: Ali Landry

text: Landry met actor and TV personality Mario Lopez when he presented the Miss Teen USA 1998 pageant and she was a commentator.


title: Ali Landry

text: They were engaged during the summer of 2003 and married on April 24, 2004, in a Roman Catholic ceremony in front of 50 guests at the exclusive Las Alamandas resort outside Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Two weeks later, she had the marriage annulled after learning that Lopez was unfaithful during his bachelor party before the wedding.


title: Ali Landry

text: She married film director Alejandro Gómez Monteverde on April 8, 2006, in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. They have three children: a daughter born in July 2007, and sons born in October 2011 and July 2013. Their son Valentin's middle name was inspired by Pope Francis, as Landry and Monteverde met him while she was pregnant and he blessed the baby.


title: Ali Landry

text: Her father-in-law, Juan Manuel Gómez Fernández, and brother-in-law, Juan Manuel Gómez Monteverde, were found dead with fatal head wounds in Pueblo Viejo, in the Mexican state of Veracruz, on September 19, 2015, approximately two weeks after they were kidnapped from their home in nearby Tamaulipas. On November 9, 2015, six people were arrested for the kidnapping and murder of Gómez Fernández and Gómez Monteverde. The suspects were allegedly holding six Central American migrants hostage at the time of their arrest, according to the Chief of the Mexican Federal Police.


title: Ali Landry

text: Landry and her husband Alejandro Monteverde made the film "Bella" together. "Bella" was directed by Monteverde and was produced by their business partners Sean Wolfington, Eduardo Verástegui, Leo Severino, and Denise Pinckley. Monteverde and the filmmakers received honors for "Bella" from the Toronto Film Festival, the Smithsonian and the White House. The Smithsonian Latino Center honored Monteverde with their "Legacy Award". Monteverde was also given the "Outstanding American by Choice" award for "Bella"'s positive contribution to Latino art and culture in the U.S.


title: Ali Landry

text: US President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush saw the film and invited Monteverde to sit with Laura Bush in her private box during the annual State of the Union speech in 2007.


title: Muhammad al-Mahdi

text: Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥasan al-Mahdī () is believed by the Twelver Shia to be the last of the Twelve Imams and the eschatological Mahdi, who will emerge in the end of time to establish peace and justice and redeem Islam.


title: Muhammad al-Mahdi

text: Hasan al-Askari, the eleventh Imam, died in 260 AH (873-874 CE), possibly poisoned by the Abbasids. Immediately after his death, his main representative, Uthman ibn Sa'id, claimed that the eleventh Imam had an infant son named Muhammad, who was kept hidden from the public out of fear of Abbasid persecution. Uthman also claimed to represent Muhammad, who had entered a state of occultation. Other local representatives of al-Askari largely supported these assertions, while the Shia community fragmented into several sects over al-Askari's succession. All these sects, however, are said to have disappeared after a few decades except the Twelvers, who accept the son of al-Askari as the twelfth and final Imam in occultation.


title: Muhammad al-Mahdi

text: Uthman was followed by three more agents, collectively known as the Four Deputies, who were regarded by the Twelver community as representatives of Muhammad al-Mahdi. This period, later termed the Minor Occultation, ended after about seventy years with the death of the fourth agent, Abu al-Hasan al-Samarri (). He is said to have received a letter from Muhammad al-Mahdi shortly before his death. The letter predicted the death of Abu al-Hasan in six days and announced the beginning of the complete occultation, later called the Major Occultation, which continues to this day. The letter, ascribed to Muhammad al-Mahdi, added that the complete occultation would continue until God granted him permission to manifest himself again in a time when the earth would be filled with tyranny.


title: Muhammad al-Mahdi

text: The Twelver theory of occultation crystallized in the first half of the fourth (tenth) century based on rational and textual arguments. This theory, for instance, sets forth that the life of Muhammad al-Mahdi has been miraculously prolonged, arguing that the earth cannot be void of the Imam as the highest proof of God. In the absence of the Hidden Imam, the leadership vacuum in the Twelver community was gradually filled by jurists. It is popularly held that the Hidden Imam occasionally appears to the pious. The accounts of these encounters are numerous and widespread among the Twelvers.


title: Muhammad al-Mahdi

text: Abu al-Qasim Muhammad ibn Hasan al-Askari, the eschatological savior in Twelver Islam, is known by many titles, including al-Mahdi (), al-Qa'im (), al-Montazar (), Saheb al-Zaman (), al-Gha'ib (), al-Hojja/Hojjat Allah (), Sahib al-Amr (), Sahib al-Haqq (), Baqiyat Allah ().


title: Muhammad al-Mahdi

text: The title al-Qa'im signifies the rise against tyranny, though a () hadith from the sixth Shia Imam, Ja'far al-Sadiq, connects this title to the rise of al-Qa'im after his death. As a hadith, this report is not viewed as reliable by experts, writes Majlesi, especially because it contradicts the Twelver belief that the earth cannot be void of Imam at any time, as the (). Majlesi also suggests that death might be meant figuratively in this hadith, referring to the forgotten memory of al-Qa'im after his long occultation.


title: Muhammad al-Mahdi

text: Sachedina notes that the titles al-Qa'im and Sahib al-Amr have more of a political emphasis than the eschatological title al-Mahdi. The title al-Hujja, on the other hand, highlights the religious function of the savior. Indeed, every Shia Imam is viewed as , the (highest) proof of God, through whom the inner meanings of the Quran become accessible after the death of the prophet. This title is more pronounced for the twelfth Imam, however, possibly because of a related hadith from the tenth Imam, Ali al-Hadi.


title: Muhammad al-Mahdi

text: Until their deaths, the tenth and eleventh Shia Imams (Ali al-Hadi and Hasan al-Askari, respectively) were held under close surveillance in the garrison town of Samarra by the Abbasids, who are often responsible in Shia sources for poisoning the two Imams. The two Imams witnessed the deterioration of the Abbasid caliphate, as the imperial authority rapidly transitioned into the hands of the Turks, particularly after al-Mutawakkil.


title: Muhammad al-Mahdi

text: Contemporary to the tenth Imam, the Abbasid al-Mutawakkil violently prosecuted the Shia, partly due to the renewed Zaydi opposition. The restrictive policies of al-Mutawakkil towards the tenth Imam were later adopted by his son, al-Mu'tamid, who is reported to have kept the eleventh Imam under house arrest without any visitors. Instead, al-Askari is known to have mainly communicated with his followers through a network of representatives. Among them was Uthman ibn Sa'id, who is said to have disguised himself as a seller of cooking fat to avoid the Abbasid agents, hence his nickname al-Samman.


title: Muhammad al-Mahdi

text: Tabatabai suggests that these restrictions were placed on al-Askari because the caliphate had come to know about traditions among the Shia elite, predicting that the eleventh Imam would father the eschatological Mahdi.


title: Muhammad al-Mahdi

text: Al-Askari died in 260 (873-874) without an obvious heir. The death of the eleventh Imam divided his followers into several sects and created widespread confusion (), particularly in Iraq. Immediately after the death of al-Askari, his main agent, Uthman ibn Sa'id, claimed that the Imam had an infant son, named Muhammad, who was kept hidden from the public out of fear of Abbasid persecution. As the closest associate of al-Askari, this assertion by Uthman was largely supported by other representatives of al-Askari. Those who accepted the imamate of this Muhammad later formed the Twelvers.


title: Muhammad al-Mahdi

text: Some others held that the imamate ceased with al-Askari and the Waqifites maintained that the eleventh Imam would later reemerge as the eschatological Mahdi. Others concluded that Muhammad ibn al-Hadi, a deceased brother of al-Askari, must have been the true Imam. Yet others accepted the imamate of Ja'far ibn al-Hadi, another brother of al-Askari. Some believed that the twelfth Imam would be born in the end of time to a descendant of al-Askari, and some left the Shia community.


title: Muhammad al-Mahdi

text: All these sects, however, are said to have disappeared within a hundred years except the group that went on to become the Twelver Shia.


title: Muhammad al-Mahdi

text: When al-Askari died without leaving an obvious heir, the traditions and predictions attributed to earlier Imams were largely the basis for the existence of the son of al-Askari as the twelfth Imam; see Twelver doctrine of occultation.


title: Muhammad al-Mahdi

text: As for the details of his birth, Twelver sources report that the son of al-Askari was born around 255 (868). He was named Abu al-Qasim Muhammad, the same name and as the Islamic prophet, though he is more commonly known as Muhammad al-Mahdi (). His birthdate is given differently, but most sources seem to agree on 15 Sha'ban, which is celebrated by the Shia for this occasion. The Twelver accounts describe that, except for a few trusted associates, the existence of al-Mahdi was kept secret since the Abbasids sought to eliminate the son of al-Askari, whom persistent rumors described as a savior. Hussain writes that the infant must have been sent to Medina, where al-Askari's mother lived.


title: Muhammad al-Mahdi

text: The birth of al-Mahdi is often compared in Twelver sources to the birth of Moses in the Quran, who was miraculously saved from the pharaoh. As a child Imam, al-Mahdi is also often compared to Jesus, since both are viewed as the proof of God () and both spoke with the authority of an adult while still a child.


title: Muhammad al-Mahdi

text: Al-Mahdi is said to have been born to Narjis, a slave-girl whose name is given by various sources as Sawsan, Rayhana, Sayqal, and Maryam. The first three are names of flowers and were likely given to her by her owner in keeping with the practice of the day. Her origin is recorded as the Byzantine empire or Nubia, and some accounts state that she was bought providentially by an agent of al-Hadi, who recognized by clairvoyance in her the future mother of al-Mahdi. In the same vein, the detailed accounts of Majlesi and Tusi describe Narjis as a captured grand-daughter of the Byzantine emperor and a pious woman who learned about her future union with al-Askari in a dream, though these accounts have been described as hagiographic. Possibly the correct account is given by al-Mufid, who writes that Narjis was a slave-girl, born and raised in the house of Hakima, daughter of al-Jawad (the ninth Imam) and paternal aunt of al-Askari.


title: Muhammad al-Mahdi

text: The death of al-Askari in 260 (873-874) followed a brief illness, during which the Abbasid al-Mu'tamid sent his doctors and servants to attend the Imam. Considering that al-Askari did not have an obvious heir, it has been suggested that the caliph intended to closely monitor al-Askari from within his residence. After the death of al-Askari, there are reports that his residence was searched and the women were examined for pregnancy, possibly in the hope of finding his heir. A female servant of al-Askari was held for a while, perhaps due to false rumors of her pregnancy designed to distract the Abbasids in their search.


title: Muhammad al-Mahdi

text: Al-Askari left his estate to his mother, Hadith, to the exclusion of his brother, Ja'far, who had earlier unsuccessfully laid a claim to the imamate after the death of their father, al-Hadi. Ja'far repeated his claims to the imamate after the death of al-Askari, which this time found a following in the form of the now-extinct Ja'fariyya and Fathiyya sects. He also contested al-Askari's will and raised the case with the authorities. Al-Askari was apparently childless, and Hadith was thus regarded as the sole inheritor in Shia law. The caliph, however, ruled the inheritance to be divided between Hadith and Ja'far.


title: Muhammad al-Mahdi

text: Immediately after the death of al-Askari in 260 (873-874), Uthman al-Amri () claimed that al-Askari had a young son, named Muhammad, who had entered a state of occultation () due to the Abbasid threat to his life. As the special representative of al-Askari, Uthman also claimed that he had been appointed to represent the son of the eleventh Imam. A Shia tradition attributed to the sixth Imam, Ja'far al-Sadiq, states that this threat was specific to Muhammad al-Mahdi, who was expected to rise, unlike his predecessors who practiced religious dissimulation () and were politically quiescent.


title: Muhammad al-Mahdi

text: Twelver sources detail that al-Mahdi made his only public appearance to lead the funeral prayer for his father instead of his uncle, Ja'far. It is also said that the occultation took place in the family home in Samarra, where currently a mosque stands, under which there is a cellar () that hides a well (Bi'r al-Ghayba, ). Into this well, al-Mahdi is said to have disappeared.


title: Muhammad al-Mahdi

text: In his new capacity as the caretaker of the office of imamate, Uthman received petitions and made available their responses, sometimes in writing. As the closest associate of al-Askari, most of al-Askari's local representatives continued to support Uthman. However, there might have been doubts among the Shia about his authority to collect and manage the religious funds.


title: Muhammad al-Mahdi

text: Uthman later introduced his son, Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn Uthman (), as the next representative of al-Mahdi. Abu Ja'far, who served for some forty years, has been credited with the unification of the mainstream Shia behind the son of al-Askari as the twelfth Imam in concealment. In turn, as his replacement, Abu Ja'far nominated Abu al-Qasim al-Husayn ibn Ruh al-Nawbakhti (), who is said to have been a well-respected figure in the Abbasid court. Under Abu al-Qasim, it is reported that the communications with the Hidden Imam resumed after a lapse of about twenty-five years.


title: Muhammad al-Mahdi

text: This period, later termed the Minor Occultation (), ended after about seventy years with the death of the fourth agent, Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn Muhammad al-Samarri (), who is said to have received a letter from al-Mahdi shortly before his death. The letter predicted the death of Abu al-Hasan in six days and announced the beginning of the complete () occultation, later called the Major Occultation (). The letter, ascribed to al-Mahdi, added that the complete occultation would continue until God granted him permission to manifest himself again in a time when the earth would be filled with tyranny. The letter emphasized that anyone claiming to be the deputy of the Imam henceforth had to be considered an imposter. This and similar letters to the four agents and other Shia figures are said to have had the same handwriting, suggesting that they were written by the Hidden Imam.


title: Muhammad al-Mahdi

text: The number of these agents was not limited to four in early Shia sources. Sachedina suggests that the later stress of the Twelver literature on the four deputies () was likely due to their prominence in Baghdad, the Shia center of the time. Similarly, Momen reckons that al-Askari's network of the representatives () likely continued to operate during the Minor Occultation of al-Mahdi. Indeed, Ibn Babawayh () speaks of other trusted men of the Hidden Imam in different cities in addition to the four agents. Sachedina writes that the Shia community lacked a notable figure to replace the fourth agent after his death.


title: Muhammad al-Mahdi

text: The authority of the four agents on behalf of the Hidden Imam was challenged by some Shia figures, more so during the term of the third agent, al-Nawbakhti. For instance, Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn Ali al-Shalmaghani turned against al-Nawbakhti and claimed to be the rightful agent of al-Mahdi, before denouncing the concept of occultation as a lie. Another instance was a disciple of al-Askari, named al-Karkhi, who was later condemned in a rescript, said to be written by al-Mahdi. Some miracles are also ascribed to the four agents, perceived by the faithful to be the result of their initiation by the Hidden Imam.


title: Muhammad al-Mahdi

text: At the time, the occultation of al-Mahdi was likely not a radical change for his followers. Indeed, the tenth and eleventh Imams were already effectively in occultation for the majority of the Shia, as both Imams were held nearly isolated in Samarra by the Abbasid caliphs. It also appears that the idea of occultation was a well-established concept for the Shia and the related traditions were already in circulation among them. These traditions forecasted the occultation and rise of a future Imam, referred to as al-Qa'im () and less frequently as al-Mahdi. These traditions were appropriated by various Shia sects in different periods. For instance, they were used by the Waqifites to argue that Musa al-Kazim, the seventh Imam, had not died but was in occultation. Even earlier, the now-extinct Kaysanites denied the death of Muḥammad ibn al-Hanafiyya and awaited his return.


title: Muhammad al-Mahdi

text: The political situation of the Shia in Iraq improved after the rise of the Buyid dynasty in the fourth (tenth) century. Perhaps it was the relative safety of the Shia that prompted the second agent to issue a rescript to the effect that al-Mahdi remained in occultation to avoid the burden of commitment () to unjust rulers of the time who were the usurpers of the Imam's right in the Shia view. Ibn Babawayh () suggested that the situation remains unknown until the reappearance of al-Mahdi but also added that the large population of the Shia did not necessarily guarantee his safety.