hierophant

English

Etymology

From (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Ancient Greek ἱεροφάντης (hierophántēs), from ἱερός (hierós, “holy”) + φαίνω (phaínō, “I show, make known”)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈhaɪəɹəˌfænt/

Noun

hierophant (plural hierophants)

1. An ancient Greek priest who interpreted sacred mysteries, especially the priest of the Eleusinian mysteries.
2. An interpreter of sacred mysteries or arcane knowledge.
   • 1975, Peter Porter, “Baroque Quatrains Dedicated to James Fenton”, in Living in a Calm Country:

     Ambassadors of northern countries stand / Impassive while our hierophants intone / Long canticles of Christ the Contraband: / Our grandees' hearts are shrunk to kidney stones.

   • 1987, Peter Porter, “A Tribute to my enemies”, in The Automatic Oracle:

     No, I must play creator / And make them up, these hierophants.

3. One who explains or makes a commentary.

Quotations

• 1837, Edward Bulwer-Lytton, Athens: Its Rise and Fall:

  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.

• 1947, Malcolm Lowry, Under The Volcano:

  What did even the hierophants of science know of the potencies of, for them unvintageable evil?

Derived terms

• hierophantic
• hierophantically

Related terms

• hierophany

Translations

ancient Greek priest

• Bulgarian: първожрец m (pǎrvožrec)
• Dutch: opperpriester (nl)
• French: prêtre (fr) mpontif m
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• German: Hierophant m
• Japanese: 聖師 (seishi, shōshi)

interpreter of sacred mysteries

• Dutch: hiërofant
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• French: hiérophante (fr) m

one who explains or makes a commentary

• French: hiérophante (fr) m
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}

See also

• hieromnemon