Pagan Clergical Titles

## General

* Priest/Priestess - Popular in Wiccan and Neo-Wiccan Circles and other organizations with degrees of membership. Also popular in general for a simple title everyone is aware of.
* Cleric - While technically correct is generally not used because of Fantasy RPG connections
* Shaman - Specifically used in a lot of Animistic traditions. Modern use of the term has come into question due to the specific Tengri/Mongolian Origins of the term, and it academically being used and appropriated to describe people in other Animistic cultures that may have their own term and just generally being used disrespectfully.

## Nova Roma (Roman Paganism)

* Pontiff - Historic, but not used often as Pontiff is technically a title used by Roman Catholic Bishops.
	+ Pontifex Maximus High Priest even less so as it is a common title for the Catholic Pope, and no one currently in the Roman Revivalist Movement can truly claim that kind of power.
* Flamen - General Roman Word for priest, *Flamines Maiores* is also used and means Major Priest.
	+ **Flamen Quirinalis** or high priest of the god Quirinus, Deified Romulus and God of the Roman State.
	+ **Flamen Martialis** or high priest of the official state cult of Mars, the god of war
	+ ***Flamen Dialis*** was the high priest of Jupiter
* Flaminicia - Flamen Feminime
* Vestal - Specifically refers to Virginal Priestess' of Vesta
* *Curio Maximus -* A Historically Obscure Priesthood that had authority over a *curia*e, Sometimes Modernly use to represent the High Priest of small pagan groups.
* *Luperci* - the *Luperci* ("brothers of the wolf") were a priesthood specifically associated with the rites and traditions of the Lupercalia Festival
* Augur - Priest connected to the practice of Augury
* Damatrix - the title of the Priestess; of the goddess Bona Dea
* Bacchant - Priest of Bacchus
* Epulones - Priest in charge of feast
* Sacerdotes - Minor Priest not belonging to a Collegia or other recognized organization. Generally worshiped minor or local gods and took care of shrines and worked more directly with the populace. Effectively 'Everyday Priest'

## Hellenismos (Greek Paganism)

### Eleusian Mystery Titles

* *Hierophantes - Male High Priest*
* Daduchos or Daduchus, or Dadouchos - Literal translation torch-bearer, second highest rank of priest
* *Dadouchousa* – a female priestess who assisted the Dadouchos
* *Panageis* ('the holy') or *melissae* ('bees') – a group of priestesses who lived a life secluded from men

### Other

* *Hierei - Generic title for priest in general*
	+ Normally, their office related only to a specific sanctuary or Greek temple.
* *Hiereia -feminine form of Hierei,*
	+ *Hiereiai as a group*
* Theoroi - Roughly Translates to 'observer' or 'viewer',
* Asclepiad - Generally used by Clergy with medical knowledge, most often associated with the Hero/God Asclepius
* Iatromantis - is a Greek word whose literal meaning is most simply rendered "physician-seer," reported to be a more Shamanistic title
* Arrephoros - title given to, especially young (historically 7-11), Devotees (higher then lay-person but lower then true clergy) of women in the cult of Athena Polias
* *Gerarai* , also known by the latinized form *Gerarae*, were priestesses of Dionysus

## Etruscan Paganism

* Haruspex - person trained to practice a form of divination called **haruspicy** (*haruspicina*), the inspection of the entrails (*exta*—hence also **extispicy** (*extispicium*)) of sacrificed animals, especially the livers of sacrificed sheep and poultry.
* Nethsra - Haruspex Feminine
* Cechase - looked after the *cecha* or *rath*, Keeper of sacred things
* Netsvis - Generic Term for a Priest/Diviner
* Eisnev - Term for Priestess
* Natrencu - Term for Priestess

## Norse/Scandinavian Paganism

* Gothi - Spiritual Adviser of a Community, Clan, or other Norse Grouping
* Gythia - Gothi Feminine
* Völva - Feminine Practioner of Seithr (seiðr) Magic
* *Seiðmaðr - Masculine Practioner of Seithr Magic, Historically seemed frowned upon but still respected*
* Vitki - Technically not a Clergical title but sometimes used in that fashion, Refers to someone who uses the magic of the Runes in written form.
* Trollkarl - Male Practioner of Trolldom
* Trollkonna - Female Practioner of Trolldom

## Proto-Germanic

* Gudija - \*gudjan/gudaz meaning“god” + \*-jan meaning "run"/"rune", effectively means 'one who seeks knowledge of the gods', sometimes used as a minor clerigical title in heathen circles.

## **Manalanusko (Open Finnish Paganism)**

* Tietäjä - 'Seer' Title meaning 'One Who Knows'.

## Slavic Paganism

* Volkhv - Traditional name fore Eastern-Slavic Priest. Translatable as wiseman, wizard, sorcerer, magus, possibly a cognate of the norse Volva.
* Zhrets - Traditional name for South Slavic and Polish Priest. Translates too "one who makes sacrifices"
* *Zhritsa* - Zhret Feminine
* *Vedunya - 'Seeress'*

## Kemetic Paganism

* Hem-Netjer - Servant of the Netjeru
	+ hem-netjer-tepi - 'first servant of the Netjeru', Equivalent of 'High Priest'
	+ Hem Ra - Priest of Ra, would be the format of god specific priest
* Hemet-Netjer - Hem-Netjer Feminine
* Wab-Priest - Initiated Priest, carried out the essential but fairly mundane tasks of taking care of the temple complex and performing whatever function they were called upon for, such as helping to prepare for festivals. responsible for the purity of the ritual and the cleanliness of sacred rooms, tools, paraphenalia, and priesthood.
* Hour-Priests - astronomers who kept the calendar, determined lucky and unlucky days, interpreted omens and dreams.
* Swnw-Priest - General Medicinal Practitioner Priest
* Sau-Priest - combined medicine and magic.
* A Ka-Priest - paid by a family to perform the daily offerings at the tomb of the deceased.
* Sem priests - the embalmers who mummified the corpse and recited the incantations while wrapping the mummy. The sem priests were highly respected because they were responsible for the precise utterance of the spells which would guarantee eternal life to the deceased. An interesting exception was the sem priest who would make the actual incision in the body to remove the organs. However he was treated the rest of the time, after this procedure, he was ritually insulted by his peers and chased down the road, most likely to ward off evil spirits associated with causing injury to the body.
* Hery-Heb or Cheriheb - 'lecturer Priest', He had not only to read the texts of the rituals, but in some ceremonies was a kind of prayer leader or choirmaster. In the early times, members of the royal family had this rank and office.
* The **sesh per ankh** - the learned priesthood (including mathematicians, doctors, and scientists)
* Sesh Ked - (temple artists)