ophiolatry
/,ɔfi'ɔlətri/
Definition
Noun: - The worship of snakes: The religious veneration, adoration, or ritualistic practice centered on snakes or serpent deities.
Usage
"Ophiolatry" is a formal, specialized term used primarily in academic contexts such as anthropology, religious studies, and history. It describes a specific type of religious or cultic practice.
Examples
- The ancient Minoan civilization is often cited for its practices of ophiolatry, as evidenced by artifacts depicting goddesses with snakes.
- Anthropologists have studied the tribe's rituals, identifying elements of ophiolatry in their ceremonies.
- Ophiolatry was a component of several ancient religions, where the snake was seen as a symbol of fertility or rebirth.
Advanced Usage
- The term can be used metaphorically in literary or critical analysis to describe an excessive or irrational devotion to something dangerous or deceptive, akin to worshipping a serpent.
- The critic accused the movement of a kind of cultural ophiolatry, blindly venerating charismatic but harmful ideologies.
Variants and Related Words
- Ophiolater (noun): A practitioner or adherent of ophiolatry; one who worships snakes.
- Ophiolatrous (adjective): Pertaining to or characterized by the worship of snakes.
- The ophiolatrous rites were performed in the sacred grove.
Synonyms
- Serpent worship: A more common, descriptive synonym for ophiolatry.
- Snake veneration: Another descriptive term with the same meaning.
Word Origin and Notes
- Etymology: Derived from the Greek words (ὄφις) meaning "serpent" or "snake," and from (λατρεία) meaning "worship" or "service."
- This is a highly specific term. In general discourse, the phrase "snake worship" is far more likely to be understood.
Noun
-
the worship of snakes
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