Pyrolatry

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /pɪˈɹɒlətɹi/

Definitions

1. The practice of worshipping fire or a divine being associated with fire encompasses both reverence for heat and flames and an ideological framework surrounding fire deities
2. This term describes the veneration of fire, including both literal flames and metaphorical interpretations of fire in various religious contexts
3. Within certain belief systems, the concept entails both the respect towards fire as a natural element and its symbolism in cultural rituals and mythology

Etymology: Pyrolatry is a plain compound with a clear shape: "pyro-", from Greek "pyr" meaning fire, joined to "-latry", from Greek "latreia", meaning worship or service. Together they describe the worship of fire. The second element is the more interesting one, because "-latreia" was the Greek word for religious service, and English borrowed it as a suffix in the same way it borrowed "-cracy" and "-phobia." Its most familiar relative is "idolatry," which is "idol" plus "-latry," so the two words share a pattern that marks devotion to an object. The word therefore describes a practice rather than a single belief. Religions that treated fire as sacred, such as Zoroastrianism with its fire temples, are the usual examples, though the term itself is a descriptive label applied from outside rather than a name used by the worshippers. Its use in English is largely confined to scholarly and comparative writing about religion.

Synonyms: fire worship