BAN (OHG. ban, bann, AS. burn, order under threat of hence Fr. ban, public proclamation). A word derived from a root signifyine. 'to "to proclaim.' which meaning it retained in the phrase buns or banns (q.v.) of marriage. In feudal times it denoted a summons to arms, and also the military force thus summoned. The latter meaning it retains in several countries of Europe—as in France. where the National Guard is classed as the ban and the arriere-ban, or reserve; and in Ger ninny, where the two divisions of the Landicehr are distinguished as the first and second bans, respectively. In the Middle Ages, the deli, or bannuni was a sentence of outlawry pronounced against those who escaped from justice, or re fused to submit to trial. We often read of re fractory princes. and even cities in Germany, being placed 'under the ban of the Empire. The following are the terms of banning used in an old formula: "We declare thy wife a widow and thy children orphans; we restore all thy feudal tenures to the lord of the manor; thy private property we give to thy ehildren, and we devote thy body and flesh to the beasts of the forest and fowls of the air. In all ways and in every place here others find peace and safety, thou shalt find none; and we banish thee into the four roads of the world—in the devil's name." Be sides these sentences of outlawry, many other announcements were accompanied with denuncia tions and imprecations. When a grant of land was made for a religious purpose, or When a charter of liberties was granted, the transaction was proclaimed in public with certain cere monies. and curses were denounced against any one who should violate the deed. Thus banning, or publishing. came to be associated with curs ing; and hence the origin of the popular use of the word. It occurs in this sense in Shake speare, Milton, and other early writers. The phrase 'ban of the Church' is the equivalent of the term excommunication (q.v.).
BAN, or BA'NUS (ban, in Southern Slavic and Hungarian, from Persian ban, lord; ef. Russ. and Pol. pan, master, lord). The title given to some of the military chiefs who guarded the southern boundaries of the Hungarian King dom. It is equivalent to the German markgraf. The Ban was appointed by the King and his appointment was ratified by the Diet. In
political. judicial, and military affairs, his powers were almost royal, especially within his own territory. In times of war he led the troops of his banat (q.v.). Among the Lanais were those of Dalmatia, Croatia, Sla vonia, and Bosnia. Their boundaries were con stantly changing with the encroachments of the Turks. In the Sixteenth Century there was formed the double banat of Dalmatia and Croatia. In the reign of Maria Thereisa the Ban was acknowledged to be the third dignitary of the Kingdom of Hungary; appointed a member of the Hungarian Council of Government, and President of the Council of the Banat: and was made the bearer of the Golden Apple (the symbol of sovereignty) at the coronation of the King. In 1849, Croatia, Slavonia, and Dalmatia became Austrian erown-lands; but by the usgleich of 1867 Croatia and Slavonia were restored to Hun gary. and continued as a haunt, with a special local administration for internal affairs.
BAN. ban. Ai ATIJA (181S-190:31. A promi nent poet of the Southern Slays. He was horn at Dubrovnik (Ragusa), where he received a good education, a part of which consisted in a thor ough knowledge of French and Italian. He trav eled extensively over the Balkan Peninsula, made his literary debut with Italian lyrics (Il terre monto di Ragusa ; II dloscorito; Rad imiro), and settled in Belgrade (1844) as tutor to the daugh ters of Prince Alexander Karageo•gevitoh. For their benefit lie wrote The Woman's Educator (3 vols., Belgrade. 18471. From 1849 till 1853 be published the literary magazine Dubrovnik, at the city of the same name. Besides a drama, illej•imu, he published in his native tongue 'Various Songs (1853). mostly on erctie and po litical themes, and the following year was ap pointed instructor in French and Italian at the Belgrade Lyceum. The adverse criticism evoked by his ode addressed to the Sultan forced him to resign this post and spend the rest of his life in literary labors and travel. Among his tragedies the most noteworthy arc Dobrilo and .11ilenka: Tsar Lazar; The Death of Prince Dobroslar: Jun Has (1884) ; Martha the stutholder: or, The Fall of Norgo•od the Great (1SS1).