Variants of the term “charisma,” however, predate Sohm as well as biblical sources, and have roots in classical Greek mythology—the graces, Charites, and in particular the goddess Charis (Smith 1998). The term charis signifies much in classical Greek; in addition to gratitude (as in eucharist), it can refer to charm, excitement, beauty, pleasure as well as allurement (Maclachlan 1996).