Need a more exact word for...

[Phyrebrat]

I need a word that means naysaying in a more God-fearing kind of way than what I have, and Roget's not helping. Alternatively I could tweak the syntax if you have anything that keeps the feel of the sentence.

the context is:

‘The unquiet dead…you mean Pastor Frances? Doctor Fell?’ The Earl rocked back on his heels, mouth agog, eyes wild all at once. They had been killed only that evening and could not be termed thus.

‘No…Those two were (as naysayish) as that ******* moor! The lock of the lake’s the key; ring true, say we, ring true!’ Coombes said.'*

Any ideas? Please.

*the 'lock of the lake' has to stay as it is part of a riddle as does 'ring true' which is part of a pagan chant.

 

[JaeDarcy]

Heretical?

(Only works if they've superseded disbelief with their own belief, probably... or if disbelief itself is considered verboten.)

 

[Phyrebrat]

Thanks Jae. I like it but the man in question is poorly educated and I can't see him using that.

(Also, why do I always think of Akhnaten when I see that word? )

pH

 

[JaeDarcy]

Heathen, maybe?
If it is religious belief they are naysaying.

 

[Alex The G and T]

Fractious. Contentious?

Or on a more poorly educated note, as you say, "bull-headed," "Pig-headed," "goatish," "Goat headed," "Rammish."

Somewhere in the middle, perhaps, "contrary."

 

[Phyrebrat]

Thanks. The jury's still out... I might end up changing the sentence if I can't get the right word.

pH

 

[Wruter]

Godforsaken?

 

[TheDustyZebra]

I know the word you're looking for, but I can't bring it to mind. I know, that's terribly helpful. But maybe it will percolate to the top soon.

 

[ratsy]

What if you just said 'as unbelieving' ...or blasphemous?

 

[Phyrebrat]

The thing is, they're devout Christians (Fell and Frances) and Coombes is the pagan. I know there's a word but it's flitting around my mind and I can't nail it down.

Sorry I'm being such a pain but it's important to giving the reader a red-herring about something.

pH

 

[Wruter]

Forsworn?

 

[JaeDarcy]

Obstinate? Contrary?

 

[Mad Alice]

Mulish? Bullheaded?antisocial fanatical hardheaded headstrong intolerant mulish obstinate opinionated ...... fundamentalist grim hard inflexible intransigent obstinate. orthodox, proselytizing, truthful, taciturn, close mouthy, secretive. Devout, humorless obsessives steeped in scruplousity? Unbearably pious?
Dogmatic? Virtuous? Cross grained?
If its after 1765, you can use the expression goody two shoes. As the children's book was published then quite widely. Previous to that Goody Two Shoes was used to describe a pompously snooty person, as early as 1670.

 

[Phyrebrat]

Haha! Thank you all. I have finally managed to recall the word!

I think the problem is that Barros (the 'moor') is not necessarily a Christian whereas Fell and Frances are. I was trying to compare two different positions with the same word.

It's "self-righteous" ...

Jae, thank you for all your help on this, and Mad Alice for an exhausting list! Wruter I like 'forsworn' - that'll be used elsewhere for sure!

Thanks again all and sorry for the folderol

pH