Mystagogue
/ˈmɪs.tə.ɡɒɡ/noun
A person who initiates others into mysteries or esoteric knowledge.
Did you know?In Ancient Greek religious life, a mystagogue could be the person who initiated newcomers into sacred mysteries, so the word carries the eerie sense of someone who knows the hidden door and who gets to walk through it.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
mystagōgós
“an initiator into the mysteries; one who leads the initiated”
Classical Greek
Greek
mystḗrion
“a secret rite or hidden religious mystery”
Ancient Greek
Greek
mýstēs
“an initiate into secret rites”
Late Latin
Latin
mystagogus
“a guide or instructor in the mysteries”
14th Century
English
mystagogue
“one who initiates others into mysteries or secret rites”
Modern English
English
mystagogue
“a person who introduces others to esoteric or secret knowledge”