Pagai, Hind. A kind of short double oar, with broad ends resembling small scoops.
Paganalia, Paganales, R. A rustic festival which took place yearly towards the end of January or the beginning of February, seven days after the Sementivæ. It was the festival of villages (pagi) and of villagers (pagani), whence its name. Sacrifices were offered in honour of Proserpine, goddess of vegetation. As the old religion continued to prevail in the villages long after that of Christ was established in the towns, the words pagan and unbeliever gradually became synonymous.
Paganica (sc. pila), R. A ball covered with leather and stuffed with feathers or down; it took its name from the peasants or country people (pagani), who used it for playing a game the nature of which is not known.
Pagina, R. (lit. a thing fastened). This term, when synonymous with scheda, signifies a page of paper, the page of a volume; or else it serves to denote one of the columns of writing which cover a sheet of paper.
Pagoda, Hind. (1) A religious building of the Hindoos. The great ancient pagodas of India are monolithic temples hewn out of rocky mountains; but the term is also applied to temples built in the open air. (2) Gold coins formerly current in India were called pagodas.
Pagoda-stone. A limestone containing tapering fossil shells shaped like a Chinese pagoda at the top.
Pagodite. A stone much used by the Chinese for carving into pagodas and other ornaments.
Pagus, R. Any lofty site in the country capable of being easily turned into a fortified post by means of a few siege works. The name was extended to the country surrounding a fortified village; and each of the country tribes was divided by Numa into a certain number of pagi.
Paile. An old term used to denote a striped cloth of floss silk manufactured at Alexandria in Egypt, and thence a mantle, canopy, or pavilion.
Pala, It. An altar front. The Pala d’oro of St. Mark’s, Venice, is a celebrated specimen of Byzantine art. It is of silver-gilt ornamented with gems and enamels, with Greek and Latin inscriptions in niello, and representations from sacred and profane history. It was originally made at Constantinople in 976, but has been repaired in 1105, in 1209, and in 1345, by which it has lost much of its original character.