HIEROPHANT


Meaning of HIEROPHANT in English

n.

Chief priest of the Eleusinian Mysteries in ancient Greece.

His main task was to display the sacred objects during the celebration of the mysteries and explain their secret meaning to initiates. The priest was usually an old, celibate man with a forceful voice, chosen from the Eumolpids, one of the original clans of Eleusis. Upon election, he cast aside his former name and was called only hierophantes .

Britannica Concise Encyclopedia.      Краткая энциклопедия Британика.