hierophant

American  

[hahy-er-uh-fant, hahy-ruh-, hahy-er-uh-] / ˈhaɪ ər əˌfænt, ˈhaɪ rə-, haɪˈɛr ə- /

noun

1. (in ancient Greece) an official expounder of rites of worship and sacrifice.

2. any interpreter of sacred mysteries or esoteric principles; mystagogue.

---

hierophant British  

/ ˈhaɪərəˌfænt /

noun

1. (in ancient Greece) an official high priest of religious mysteries, esp those of Eleusis

2. a person who interprets and explains esoteric mysteries

---

Other Word Forms

• hierophantic adjective
• hierophantically adverb

Etymology

Origin of hierophant

1670–80; < Late Latin hierophanta < Greek hierophántēs, equivalent to hiero- hiero- + -phántēs, derivative of phaínein to show, make known

Example Sentences

To the delighted worshipers, Cody Goodfellow, here a Most Exalted Hierophant, delivered a sermon that started with growled mentions of “doom-engines, black and red,” “great hammers of the scouring” and so on.

From New York Times

We are moving into the present moment with Instructor No. 5 or the Hierophant.

From Los Angeles Times

“It would do,” I affirmed with some disdain, “perfectly well. I have a woman’s heart, but not where you are concerned; for you I have only a comrade’s constancy; a fellow-soldier’s frankness, fidelity, fraternity, if you like; a neophyte’s respect and submission to his hierophant: nothing more—don’t fear.”

From Literature

I stood motionless under my hierophant’s touch.

From Literature

But a successful heist leads to catastrophic complications when Sancia receives warning that an ancient, impossibly powerful scriver is en route to Tevanne — a hierophant, one of the original creators of their magic technology.

From New York Times