heathenship means heathendom.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, heathenship ranks #2,374 of 14,451 for Most Whimsical Words, #3,361 of 14,431 for Most Betrayed by Its Sound, #7,082 of 14,423 for Most Sublime Words, #7,100 of 14,440 for Most Satisfying to Say.
Why “heathenship” is a great word
The state, condition, or collective body of heathens. From Middle English *hæðene-scipe*, from Old English *hǣþensċipe*, equivalent to Old English *hǣþen* ("heathen, pagan") + the suffix *-sċipe* (denoting state or condition). Unlike "heathendom," which suggests a bounded physical realm, or "paganism," a modern, reclaimed term for nature-worship, heathenship is the abstract condition of dwelling spiritually beyond the pale. It is the barred door of a Saxon longhouse on a winter night, the smoke of a sacrifice curling into a northern sky, and the profound solitude of a worldview untouched by a distant church bell—not a geography, but the quiet shape of a soul formed by a different wind.
Etymology
From Middle English hæðene-scipe, from Old English hǣþensċipe; equivalent to heathen + -ship. Compare Middle Dutch heidijnscap, Middle Low German heidenschop, German Heidenschaft, Danish hedenskab.
Words closest in meaning
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