military dances
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
The oldest of all dances executed with swords, javelins, and bucklers. Said to be invented by Minerva to celebrate the victory of the gods over the Titans.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “military dances” mean?
The oldest of all dances executed with swords, javelins, and bucklers. Said to be invented by Minerva to celebrate the victory of the gods over the Titans.
Is “military dances” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.