What does psychopomp mean?

Definitions for psychopomp
psy·chopomp

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word psychopomp.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. psychopompnoun

    a conductor of souls to the afterworld

    "Hermes was their psychopomp"

Wiktionary

  1. psychopompnoun

    One who assists the souls of the dead to the afterlife.

  2. Etymology: From ψυχοπομπός.

Wikipedia

  1. Psychopomp

    Psychopomps (from the Greek word ψυχοπομπός, psychopompós, literally meaning the 'guide of souls') are creatures, spirits, angels, demons or deities in many religions whose responsibility is to escort newly deceased souls from Earth to the afterlife. Their role is not to judge the deceased, but simply to guide them. Appearing frequently on funerary art, psychopomps have been depicted at different times and in different cultures as anthropomorphic entities, horses, deer, dogs, whip-poor-wills, ravens, crows, vultures, owls, sparrows, and cuckoos. In the case of birds, these are often seen in huge masses, waiting outside the home of the dying.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Psychopompnoun

    a leader or guide of souls

  2. Etymology: [Gr. ; psychh` the soul + to send: cf. F. psychopompe.]

Wikidata

  1. Psychopomp

    Psychopomps are creatures, spirits, angels, or deities in many religions whose responsibility is to escort newly deceased souls to the afterlife. Their role is not to judge the deceased, but simply provide safe passage. Frequently depicted on funerary art, psychopomps have been associated at different times and in different cultures with horses, Whip-poor-wills, ravens, dogs, crows, owls, sparrows, cuckoos, and harts. In Jungian psychology, the psychopomp is a mediator between the unconscious and conscious realms. It is symbolically personified in dreams as a wise man or woman, or sometimes as a helpful animal. In many cultures, the shaman also fulfills the role of the psychopomp. This may include not only accompanying the soul of the dead, but also vice versa: to help at birth, to introduce the newborn child's soul to the world. This also accounts for the contemporary title of "midwife to the dying", or "End of Life Doula" which is another form of psychopomp work.

Matched Categories

How to pronounce psychopomp?

How to say psychopomp in sign language?

Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of psychopomp in Chaldean Numerology is: 9

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of psychopomp in Pythagorean Numerology is: 2


Translations for psychopomp

From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary

Get even more translations for psychopomp »

Translation

Find a translation for the psychopomp definition in other languages:

Select another language:

  • - Select -
  • 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
  • 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
  • Español (Spanish)
  • Esperanto (Esperanto)
  • 日本語 (Japanese)
  • Português (Portuguese)
  • Deutsch (German)
  • العربية (Arabic)
  • Français (French)
  • Русский (Russian)
  • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
  • 한국어 (Korean)
  • עברית (Hebrew)
  • Gaeilge (Irish)
  • Українська (Ukrainian)
  • اردو (Urdu)
  • Magyar (Hungarian)
  • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
  • Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Italiano (Italian)
  • தமிழ் (Tamil)
  • Türkçe (Turkish)
  • తెలుగు (Telugu)
  • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
  • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
  • Čeština (Czech)
  • Polski (Polish)
  • Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Românește (Romanian)
  • Nederlands (Dutch)
  • Ελληνικά (Greek)
  • Latinum (Latin)
  • Svenska (Swedish)
  • Dansk (Danish)
  • Suomi (Finnish)
  • فارسی (Persian)
  • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
  • հայերեն (Armenian)
  • Norsk (Norwegian)
  • English (English)

Word of the Day

Would you like us to send you a FREE new word definition delivered to your inbox daily?

Please enter your email address:


Citation

Use the citation below to add this definition to your bibliography:

Style:MLAChicagoAPA

"psychopomp." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 8 May 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/psychopomp>.

Discuss these psychopomp definitions with the community:

0 Comments

    Are we missing a good definition for psychopomp? Don't keep it to yourself...

    Image or illustration of

    psychopomp

    Credit »

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Chrome

    Get instant definitions for any word that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Firefox

    Get instant definitions for any word that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Browse Definitions.net

    Quiz

    Are you a words master?

    »
    cause to be embarrassed; cause to feel self-conscious
    A elate
    B abash
    C affront
    D scarper

    Nearby & related entries:

    Alternative searches for psychopomp: