| E. Cobham Brewer 1810–1897. Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 1898. |
| | | Horn-gate. | | |
One of the two gates of “Dreams;” the other is of ivory. Visions which issue from the former come true. This whim depends upon two Greek puns; the Greek for horn is keras, and the verb krano or karanoo means “to bring to an issue,” “to fulfil; so again elephas is ivory, and the verb elephairo means “to cheat,” “to deceive.” The verb kraino, however, is derived from kra, “the head,” and means “to bring to a head;” and the verb elephairo is akin to el chus, “small.” | 1 |
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Anchi’ses dismisses Æne’as through the ivory gate, on quitting the infernal regions, to indicate the unreality of his vision. | 2 |
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| “Sunt geminæ somni portæ, quarum altera fertur |
Cornea, qua veris facilis datur ex tus umbris; |
| Altera candenti perfecta nitens elephanto; |
| Sed falsa ad cœlum mittunt insomnia Manës.” | |
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Virgil: Æneid, vi. 894, etc. |
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