Chapter Kent to Kildare of K by Brewer's Readers Handbook

Khadijah, daughter of Khowailed; Mahomet’s first wife, and one of the four perfect women. The other three are Fâtima, the prophet’s daughter; of Imrân; and Asia, wife of the Pharaoh drowned in the Red Sea.

Khawla, one of the sorceresses in the caves of Dom-Daniel, “under the roots of th e ocean.” She is called “the woman-fiend,” “fiercest of the enchanter brood.” She had heard that one of the race of Hodeirah would be their destruction, so Okba was sent forth to cut off the whole race. He succeeded in killing eight, but one named Thalaba escaped. Abdaldar was chosen to hunt him up and kill him. He found the boy in an Arab’s tent, and raised the dagger, but ere the blow fell, the murderer himself was killed by the death-angel.—Southey: Thalaba the Destroyer (1797).

Khidir or Chidder, the tutelary god of voyagers; his brother Elias is the tutelary god of travellers. The two brothers meet once a year at Mina, near Mecca.—Mouradgea d’Ohsson: History of the Ottoman Empire (1821).

Khorassan (The Veiled Prophet of), Mokanna, a prophet-chief, who wore a veil under pretence of shading the dazzling light of his countenance. The truth is, he had lost an eye, and his face was otherwise disfigured in battle. Mokanna assumed to be a god, and maintained that he had been Adam, Noah, and other representative men. When the sultan Mahadi environed him so that escape was impossible, the prophet poisoned all his followers at a banquet, and then threw himself into a burning acid, which wholly consumed his body.—Moore: Lalla Rookh (“The Veiled Prophet, etc.,” 1817).

Kickleburys on the Rhine (The), “A Christmas Book,” by Thackeray (1851).

Kifri, a giant and enchanter, the impersonation of atheism and blasphemy. After some frightful blasphemies, he hurled into the air a huge rock, which fell on himself and killed him, “for self-murderers are generally infidels or atheists.”—Sir C. Morell [J. Ridley]: Tales of the Genii (“The Enchanter’s Tale,” vi., 1751).

Kil, in the names of places, means a “cell, cloister, or chapel.”

Kilbarchan (Scotland), Kil-bara-cin, the kil on the hill-top. Kilcrin (Ireland), the little kil.
Kildare is Kil- dara, the “kil of the oak.” St.
Bridget built her first cell under a large oak.
Kilham (Yorkshire), the chapel close.
Kilkenny, the kil or cloister of St. Kenny or Canicê.
Kilmore (Ireland), the big kil.
Kilsyth (Ireland), the great kil (sythe, “great”).
Icolmkil (Scotland), is I-columb-kil, i.e. the “island of St. Columb’s cell.” The Culdee institutions of St. Columb were established in 563, for the purpose of converting the Picts to Christianity.

Kildare, famous for the fire of St. Bridget, which was never allowed to go out. St. Bridget returns every twentieth year to tend to the fire herself. Part of the chapel of St. Bridget still remains, and is called “The Fire-house.”

Like the bright lamp that shone in Kildare’s holy fane,

And burned through long ages of darkness and storm.

Moore: Irish Melodies, iii. (“Erin, O Erin!” 1814)

Apud Kildariam occurrit ignis Sanctæ Brigidæ quem inextinguebilem vocant.—Giraldus Cambrensis: Hibernia, ii. 34 (1187)