the world > the supernatural > supernatural being > evil spirit or demon > [noun] > familiar or possessing spirit > one possessed by or speaking for
the mind > mental capacity > expectation > foresight, foreknowledge > prediction, foretelling > divination > [noun] > practitioner of > female
the mind > mental capacity > expectation > foresight, foreknowledge > prediction, foretelling > divination through oracles > [noun] > medium or mouthpiece of the deity, oracle > one possessed by familiar spirit > female
the mind > mental capacity > expectation > foresight, foreknowledge > prediction, foretelling > divination through oracles > [noun] > medium or mouthpiece of the deity, oracle > priestess of Apollo, Pythia
society > faith > church government > member of the clergy > priest > kinds of priest > [noun] > ancient Greek > delivering oracles
a1393 J. Gower (Fairf.) iv. 1937 (MED) Samuel out of his kinde, Thurgh that the Phitonesse hath lered, In Samarie was arered Long time after that he was ded.
c1450 (c1380) G. Chaucer 1261 Ther saugh I pleye..Phitonesses [v.r. Fetonisses; Bodl. MS Phytonessys; Caxt., Th. phetonysses], charmeresses, Olde wicches, sorceresses, That use exorsisacions.
1489 (a1380) J. Barbour (Adv.) iv. 753 As quhylum did the Phitones [1487 St. John's Cambr. fetonass; 1616 Hart Pithonesse] That..Raysyt throw hyr mekill slycht Samuelis spyrite als tite.
1513 G. Douglas in tr. Virgil i. Prol. 212 Lyke as the spreit of Samuell, I ges, Rasit to King Saul was by the Phitones.
1587 Sir P. Sidney & A. Golding tr. P. de Mornay xv. 280 In a Pythonesse or in a possessed person.
1608 W. Perkins sig. 91 3v Satan hath his..Pythonisses.
1649 Bp. J. Taylor iii. xiv. 23 Asking counsel of a Pythonisse.
1702 L. Echard ii. v. 193 They were often follow'd by a Pythoness, a Maid Servant, actuated by a Spirit of Divination [cf. Acts 16:16].
1750 M. Jones 180 For I feel my Breast of a sudden prompted and inflamed, my eye sparkle and look wild, like the Pythoness when she had caught inspiration.
1808 A. Ranken IV. i. 49 He employed the abbot..to consult a famous Pythoness or witch of these times.
1823 Ld. Byron cvii. 54 She stood a moment as a Pythoness Stands on her tripod.
1885 R. Bridges ii. ix. 17 The chaunting Pythoness gave oracle, And thus in measured verse the sentence ran.
1926 Mar. 331/1 She inspired Lucy Page Gaston, pythoness of the Anti-Cigarette League, to write to Roosevelt.
1955 Dec. 279 The desire for children was used as a sanction against oath-breaking by the Pythoness of Delphi when she declared, ‘But oath-keeping men leave behind them a flourishing offspring.’
1991 6 Dec. 22/3 Pythonesses and psychopomps lead their host of lost souls through the pleasure grounds of a portentous Paris.