Both Uses of
heathen
in
The Return of the King
- We will burn like heathen kings before ever a ship sailed hither from the West.†
Chpt 5.4 *heathen = someone who is not civilized or not moral OR an offensive term for a person who does not believe in a preferred religion
- And only the heathen kings, under the domination of the Dark Power, did thus, slaying themselves in pride and despair, murdering their kin to ease their own death.†
Chpt 5.7
Definitions:
-
(1)
(heathen) someone who is not civilized or not moral -- typically said humorously
or:
an offensive term for a person who does not believe in a preferred religion -- especially someone who grew up in a culture that is not familiar with the religion -
(2)
(meaning too rare to warrant focus) meaning too rare to warrant focus:
More rarely, heathen can refer to a person who lacks culture or good taste.