Britannica Student Encyclopedia - 2010

texts in what is now India over hundreds

of years, beginning in about 1500 BC.

For a long time they passed down the

texts of the Veda by reciting them. Eventually

they wrote the texts down. Hindus

today still study the Veda.

The earliest parts of the Veda are four

collections of hymns (songs and poems)

known as the Vedas. The first, the

Rigveda, contains more than 1,000

hymns about Hindu gods and rituals.

The Yajurveda helped priests follow

these rituals. The Samaveda contains

verses that priests chanted or sang. The

Atharvaveda includes magic spells and

rituals. It differs from the other Vedas

because it is based more on everyday

religious ideas than on the lives of the

gods.

The Veda also includes the Brahmanas,

the Aranyakas, and the Upanishads.

These texts comment on the earlier

Vedas. They explain the importance and

deeper meanings of Hindu rituals and

beliefs.

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Hinduism • India

Vegetable

Vegetables are the leaves, stems, roots, or

other parts of certain plants that people

eat. Vegetables usually come from herbaceous

plants. Herbaceous plants have

stems that are softer than the woody

stems of bushes and trees.

Brahma was a major god of

Hinduism. He was often shown

holding a number of objects,

including the sacred Hindu text

called the Rigveda.

Shoppers at a farmers’ market choose from

a variety of fresh vegetables.

60 Veda BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA

 

Many vegetables grow aboveground.

Lettuce, spinach, brussels sprouts, and

cabbage are the leaves of plants. Asparagus

spears are stems. Broccoli, cauliflower,

and artichokes are flowers.

Other vegetables grow underground.

Root vegetables are the roots of plants.

These include carrots, beets, turnips,

radishes, and sweet potatoes. Tubers are

a kind of underground stem. Potatoes

are the most commonly eaten tuber.

Garlic and onions are plant bulbs, which

are underground buds.

Some foods that people call vegetables

are really fruits. Cucumbers, squashes,

eggplants, and pumpkins are all fruits.

They contain seeds, while true vegetables

do not.

Vegetables are an important part of a

healthy diet. They contain water, vitamins,

minerals, and fiber. People eat

many fresh vegetables raw. They drink

the juice of some raw vegetables, especially

carrots. People also eat baked,

boiled, fried, steamed, and grilled vegetables.

They often add vegetables to

soups, stews, and casseroles. Most fresh

vegetables spoil quickly, but they can be

canned or frozen for later use.

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Fruit • Leaf • Plant • Root

Velazquez, Diego

Diego Velazquez was one of Spain’s

greatest painters. He is especially famous

for his portraits (pictures of people).

Velazquez was born in 1599 in Seville,

a city in southern Spain. At the age of

about 12 he went to work as an

apprentice, or helper, in an artist’s

studio.

At first Velazquez painted scenes of

everyday life. But in 1623 he became

court painter to King Philip IV of Spain.

A court painter’s job was to make paintings

of the royal family and the high

officials and nobles of the kingdom. As

court painter Velazquez lived in Madrid,

the capital of Spain.

Velazquez spent the years between 1629

and 1631 in Italy studying Italian art.

He returned and became the Spanish

court painter once again.

Las Meninas is one of the most famous

works by Diego Velazquez. It shows a

scene in the artist’s own studio in the palace

of the king of Spain. The king’s 5-year-old

daughter has been brought in for a visit.

Two older girls—the maids of honor—look

after her. Velazquez himself stands at left,

holding a paintbrush.

BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Velazquez, Diego 61

 

Velazquez had other duties as well. He

went to Italy for a second time in 1649

to buy art for the king’s collections.

While in Rome he painted a famous

picture of Pope Innocent X, the head of

the Roman Catholic church.

Back in Madrid, Velazquez painted some

of his greatest works, including Las

Meninas (The Maids of Honor). He

died on August 6, 1660.

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Painting

Velociraptor

The name Velociraptor means “quick

plunderer.” This dinosaur was named

for its speed when hunting its prey. It

belongs to the group of dinosaurs called

dromaeosaurs, or “terrible-clawed lizards.”

They are also known as raptors.

When and Where Velociraptor

Lived

Velociraptor lived about 99 to 65 million

years ago. Fossil remains of Velociraptor

have been found in Asia. In Mongolia

scientists uncovered the skeleton of a

Velociraptor locked in a battle with a

dinosaur called Protoceratops. This find

presents a picture of the violent struggle

for survival during prehistoric times.

Physical Features

Velociraptor was a small dinosaur that

ran on its two back legs. It reached a

length of about 6 feet (2 meters) and

weighed up to 100 pounds (45 kilograms).

The most striking feature of

Velociraptor was the curved claw on each

foot. Velociraptor had long, muscular legs

and arms. The head of Velociraptor was

low and long, and its snout was flat. Its

jaws contained razor-sharp teeth useful

for ripping apart flesh.

Behavior

Velociraptor was a meat-eating dinosaur

that often preyed upon smaller animals.

Scientists believe that it pounced on its