English
wikipedia
Etymology
Greek hiero-, 'holy' + 'phainein', 'to show'.
Noun
en-noun
- An ancient Greek priest who interpreted sacred mysteries, especially the priest of the Eleusinian mysteries.
- An interpreter of sacred mysteries or arcane knowledge.
- One who explains or makes a commentary.
Quotations
1837: The exhibition of ancient statues, relics, and symbols, concealed from daily adoration (as in the Catholic festivals of this day), probably, made a main duty of the Hierophant. — Edward Bulwer-Lytton, Athens: Its Rise and Fall, 1837
1894: Thus I became the hierophant of those three worthy and talented men, who, in spite of their literary accomplishments, were not wise, since they were infatuated with occult and fabulous sciences, and believed in the existence of phenomena impossible in the moral as well as in the physical order of things. — Arthur Machen, translation of Memoirs of Jacques Casanova de Seingalt, 1894.
1975: Ambassadors of northern countries stand / Impassive while our hierophants intone / Long canticles of Christ the Contraband: / Our grandees' hearts are shrunk to kidney stones. — Peter Porter, in 'Baroque Quatrains Dedicated to James Fenton', in Living in a Calm Country, 1975
1987: No, I must play creator / And make them up, these hierophants. — Peter Porter, in 'A Tribute to my enemies', in The Automatic Oracle, 1987
Derived terms
rfc-level|Derived terms at L4+ not in L3 POS section
hierophantic
hierophantically
See also
Hieromnemon
te:hierophant
vi:hierophant
zh:hierophant
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