To kiss the scavenger’s daughter, to suffer punishment by this instrument of torture, to be beheaded by a guillotine or some similar instrument.
Sceaf [Sheef], one of the ancestors of Woden. So called because in infancy he was laid on a wheatsheaf, and cast adrift in a boat; the boat stranded on the shores of Sleswig, and the infant, being considered a gift from the gods, was brought up for a future king.—Beowulf (an Anglo-Saxon epic, sixth century).
Scepticism (Father of Modern), Pierre Bayle (1647-1706).
Schacabac, “the hare-lipped,” a man reduced to the point of starvation, invited to a feast by the rich Barmecide. Instead of victuals and drink, the rich man set before his guest empty dishes and empty glasses, pretending to enjoy the imaginary foods and drinks. Schacabac entered into the spirit of the joke, and did the same. He washed in imaginary water, ate of the imaginary delicacies, and praised the imaginary wine. Barmecide was so delighted with his guest, that he ordered in a substantial meal, of which he made Schacabac a most welcome partaker.—Arabian Nights (“The Barber’s Sixth Brother”). (See [Shaccabac].)
Schah´riah, sultan of Persia. His wife being unfaithful, and his brother’s wife too, Schahriah imagined that no woman was virtuous. He resolved, therefore, to marry a fresh wife every night, and to have her strangled at daybreak. Scheherazādê, the vizier’s daughter, married him notwithstanding, and contrived, an hour before daybreak, to begin a story to her sister, in the sultan’s hearing, always breaking off before the story was finished. The sultan got interested in these tales; and, after a thousand and one nights, revoked his decree, and found in Scheherazadê a faithful, intelligent, and loving wife.—Arabian Nights’ Entertainments.
Schah´zaman, sultan of the “Island of the children of Khal´edan,” situated in the open sea, some twenty day’s sail from the coast of Persia. The sultan had a son, an only child, named Camaral´zaman, the most beautiful of mortals. Camaralzaman married Badoura, the most beautiful of women, the only daughter of Gaiour (2 syl.), emperor of China.—Arabian Nights (“Camaralzaman and Badoura”).
Schaibar (2 syl.), brother of the fairy Pari-Banou. He was only eighteen inches in height, and had a huge hump both before and behind. His beard, though thirty feet long, never touched the ground, but projected forwards. His moustaches went back to his ears, and his little pig’s eyes were buried in his enormous head. He wore a conical hat, and carried for quarterstaff an iron bar of 500 lbs. weight at least.—Arabian Nights (“Ahmed and Pari-Banou”).
Schamir (The) that instrument or agent with which Solomon wrought the stones of the Temple, being forbidden to use any metal instrument for the purpose. Some say the Schamir´ was a worm; some that it was a stone; some that it was “a creature no bigger than a barleycorn, which nothing could resist.”
Scheherazade [Sha.ha´.ra.zah´.de], the hypothetical relater of the stories in the Arabian Nights. She was the elder daughter of the vizier of Persia. The sultan, Schahriah, exasperated at the infidelity of his wife, came to the hasty conclusion that no woman could be faithful; so he determined to marry a new wife every night, and strangle her at daybreak. Scheherazādê, wishing to free Persia of this disgrace, requested to be made the sultan’s wife, and succeeded in her wish. She was young and beautiful, of great courage and ready wit, well read, and an excellent memory, knew history, philosophy, and medicine, was besides a good poet, musician, and dancer. Scheherazadê obtained permission of the sultan for her younger sister, Dinarzadê, to sleep in the same chamber, and instructed her to say, one hour before daybreak, “Sister, relate to me one of those delightful stories which you know, as this will be the last time.” Scheherazadê then told the sultan (under pretence of speaking to her sister) a story, but always contrived to break off before the story was finished. The sultan, in order to hear the end of the story, spared her life till the next night. This went on for a thousand and one nights, when the sultan’s resentment was worn out, and his admiration of his sultana was so great that he revoked his decree.—Arabian Nights’ Entertainments. (See [Moradbak].)
Roused like the Sultana Scheherazadê, and forced into a story.—C. Dickens, David Copperfield (1849).