heliolatry

American  

[hee-lee-ol-uh-tree] / ˌhi liˈɒl ə tri /

noun

1. worship of the sun.

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heliolatry British  

/ ˌhiːlɪˈɒlətrɪ /

noun

1. worship of the sun

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Other Word Forms

• heliolater noun
• heliolatrous adjective

Etymology

Origin of heliolatry

First recorded in 1820–30; helio- + -latry

Explanation

Heliolatry is the worship of the sun, a practice common in many ancient cultures that saw the sun as a powerful deity. The word heliolatry combines the Greek root for "sun," helios, with the Greek suffix -latry, meaning "worship." Many ancient cultures, including the ancient Egyptians and the Inca of South America, practiced heliolatry; they believed the sun was a god who controlled life and the seasons. Today, while heliolatry is not common, humans still recognize the importance of the sun as the source of heat and light that enables life on Earth as we know it.

Example Sentences

The heliolatry organized principally for political ends by the Incas of Peru, stands alone in the religions of the red race.

From The Myths of the New World A Treatise on the Symbolism and Mythology of the Red Race of America by Brinton, Daniel Garrison

Too many of them apply to it facile generalizations, such as "heliolatry," "animism," "ancestral worship," "primitive philosophizing," and think that such a sesame will unloose all its mysteries.

From American Hero-Myths A Study in the Native Religions of the Western Continent by Brinton, Daniel Garrison