Hierophants

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A hierophant is a person who reveals sacred knowledge and mysteries, acting as a priest or spiritual guide, and also serving as an interpreter of mystical truths in religious contexts
2. An individual who acts as a religious leader entrusted with disclosing hidden spiritual teachings and guiding worshippers
3. A figure who serves as an intermediary, explaining and imparting secret religious knowledge and rituals to followers

Etymology: "Hierophant" is the plural of the noun in question, so its history is essentially that of the singular. The word comes from ancient Greek "hierophantes," built from "hieros" (sacred) and "phainein" (to show, to make appear), so the literal sense is "one who shows the sacred things." In Athens, the hierophant was the chief priest of the Eleusinian Mysteries, the secret rites honoring Demeter and Persephone, and he was the one who revealed the sacred objects to initiates. English borrowed the word in the 1600s, and it has kept its ceremonial tone ever since. Its meaning stayed close to the Greek original, with a figure who interprets hidden religious truths for the uninitiated, and it is now used more broadly for anyone who claims special access to esoteric knowledge.

Synonyms: priests, sacred interpreters, religious leaders, spiritual guides, clergy