CultureAugust 15, 2026

hierophantic

HY-er-uh-FAN-tik

Definition

Relating to or characterized by the ability to reveal, manifest, or interpret sacred mysteries.

Etymology

Derived from the Greek 'hierophantēs', which combines 'hieros' (sacred) and 'phainein' (to show or reveal); historically, a hierophant was a priest who initiated others into religious mysteries.

In the news

Salarrué believed that he, as an artist, possessed hierophantic powers that allowed him to provide the symbolic key to spiritual enlightenment for his viewers.

Salarrué: A Theosophical Artist in El Salvador

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Bitter Winter

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