Methods of divination: Difference between revisions

'''Methods of divination''' can be found around the world, and many cultures practice the same methods under different names. During the [[Middle Ages]], scholars coined terms for many of these methods—some of which had hitherto been unnamed—in [[Medieval Latin]], very often utilizing the [[suffix]] {{lang|la|-mantia}} when the art seemed more mystical (ultimately from [[Ancient Greek]] {{wikt-lang|grc|μαντεία}}, {{grc-transl|μαντεία}}, 'prophecy' or 'the power to prophesy') and the suffix {{lang|la|-scopia}} when the art seemed more scientific (ultimately from Greek {{wikt-lang|grc|σκοπεῖν}}, {{grc-transl|σκοπεῖν}}, 'to observe'). Names like ''[[#D|drimimantia]]'', ''[[#N|nigromantia]]'', and ''[[#H|horoscopia]]'' arose, along with other [[pseudosciences]] such as [[phrenology]] and [[physiognomy]].<ref name="GraftonMost2010">{{cite book|author1=Anthony Grafton|author2=Glenn W Most|author3=Salvatore Settis|title=The Classical Tradition|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LbqF8z2bq3sC&pg=PA277|year= 2010|publisher=Harvard University Press|isbn=978-0-674-03572-0|page=277}}</ref>

 

 

The chapter "How Panurge consulteth with Herr Trippa" of ''[[Gargantua and Pantagruel]]'', a parody on occult treatises of [[Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa]], contains a list of over two dozen "mancies", described as "common knowledge".<ref>[[s:The Third Book/Chapter XXV]]</ref>

* '''[[aichmomancy]]''' {{IPAc-en|ˈ|ɛ|k|m|oʊ-|m|æ|n|s|i}}: by sharp objects (Greek {{transl|grc|aikhmē}}, spearhead + {{transl|grc|manteía}}, prophecy)

* '''[[ailuromancy]]'''/'''aeluromancy''' → see {{sm|[[#T|theriomancy]]}}

* '''[[alectormancy]]'''/'''[[alectromancy]]''' {{IPAc-en|ə|ˈ|l|ɛ|k|t|r|oʊ-|m|æ|n|s|i}}: by [[rooster]] sacrifice (Greek {{transl|grc|alektor}}, rooster + {{transl|grc|manteía}}, prophecy)

* '''[[alectryomancy]]'''/'''alectoromancy''': by rooster divination → see {{sm|[[#T|theriomancy]]}}

* '''[[arithmancy]]''': assigning numerical value to a word or phrase

* '''armomancy''' {{IPAc-en|ˈ|ɑːr|m|oʊ-|m|æ|n|s|i}}: by one's own shoulders (Latin {{wikt-lang|la|armus}}, shoulder + Greek {{transl|grc|manteía}}, prophecy)

* '''aruspicina''': study of entrails<ref>[[Thomas Hobbes|Hobbes, Thomas]]. ''[[Leviathan (Hobbes book)|Leviathan]]'' (1651). "Lastly, to the Prognostics [who] have added innumerable other superstitious ways of Divination[:]...Sometimes in the Entrails of a sacrificed beast; which was Aruspicina..."</ref>

* '''[[aspidomancy]]''' {{IPAc-en|ˈ|æ|s|p|ᵻ|d|oʊ-|m|æ|n|s|i}}: by sitting in a drawn circle or on a shield (Greek {{transl|grc|aspis}} [{{transl|grc|aspid-], shield + {{transl|grc|manteía}}, prophecy)

* '''bolomancy''' {{IPAc-en|ˈ|b|ɒ|l|oʊ-|m|æ|n|s|i}} → see {{sm|[[#B|belomancy]]}} (Greek {{transl|grc|bolē}}, arrow + {{transl|grc|manteía}}, prophecy)

* '''bone-throwing''' the tossing of pieces of bone or wood practiced by various cultures<ref>{{cite web |title=Definition of BONE-THROWING |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bone-throwing |website=www.merriam-webster.com |access-date=29 November 2020 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Definition of Bone-Throwing by Oxford Dictionary |url=https://www.lexico.com/definition/bone-throwing |website=Lexico Dictionaries {{!}} English |access-date=29 November 2020 |language=en}}{{dead link|date=September 2022|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

* '''brizomancy''' → see {{sm|[[#O|oneiromancy]]}} (Greek {{transl|grc|brizein}}, to be sleepy + {{transl|grc|manteía}}, prophecy)

* '''brontomancy'''/'''brontoscopy''' {{IPAc-en|ˈ|b|r|ɒ|n|t|oʊ-|m|æ|n|s|i}}: by thunder (Greek {{transl|grc|brontē}}, thunder + {{transl|grc|manteía}}, prophecy)

*** '''[[aleuromancy]]²''' {{IPAc-en|ə|ˈ|lj|ʊər|oʊ-|m|æ|n|s|i}}: by [[fortune cookie]]s (of the same origin as {{sm|[[#A|aleuromancy]]}}¹)

*** '''[[bibliomancy]]''' {{IPAc-en|ˈ|b|ɪ|b|l|i|oʊ-|m|æ|n|s|i}}: by the [[Bible]] (Greek {{transl|grc|biblion}}, book + {{transl|grc|manteía}}, prophecy)

*** '''stoicheomancy'''/'''stoichomancy''': by the ''[[Iliad]]'' and the ''[[Odyssey]]'' or the ''[[Aeneid]]'' (Greek {{transl|grc|stoikheion}}, element + {{transl|grc|manteía}}, prophecy; to the Greeks, [[Homer]]'s writings were held in similar esteem to the Christian [[Bible]] or the Muslim [[Qur'an|Quran]], as were [[Virgil]]'s writings to the Romans, making them the basic — or elementary — reading material in each culture)

* '''[[cheiromancy]]'''/'''chiromancy'''→ see {{sm|[[#S|somatomancy]]}}

* '''[[Dream interpretation]]'''

* '''[[dream question]]s''': by dreaming

* '''drimimancy'''/'''drymimancy''' {{IPAc-en|ˈ|d|r|ɪ|m|ᵻ|m|æ|n|s|i}}: by [[bodily fluids]] (Greek {{transl|grc|drimus}}, pungent + {{transl|grc|manteía}}, prophecy)

 

* '''[[favomancy]]''' → see {{sm|[[#C|cleromancy]]}}

* '''felidomancy''' → see {{sm|[[#T|theriomancy]]}} (Latin {{wikt-lang|la|fēlēs}} [{{lang|la|fēlid-}}], cat + Greek {{transl|grc|manteía}}, prophecy)

* '''fractomancy''' {{IPAc-en|ˈ|f|r|æ|k|t|oʊ-|m|æ|n|s|i}}: by [[fractal]]s (English ''{{not a typo|[[fractal|fract(al)]]}}'' + Greek {{transl|grc|manteía}}, prophecy)

* '''fructomancy'''/'''fructimancy''': by fruit (Latin {{wikt-lang|la|frūctus}}, fruit + Greek {{transl|grc|manteía}}, prophecy)

* '''gastromancy²''' {{IPAc-en|ˈ|ɡ|æ|s|t|r|oʊ-|m|æ|n|s|i}}: by guttural sounds (Greek {{transl|grc|gastēr}}, belly + {{transl|grc|manteía}}, prophecy)

* '''[[geomancy]]''' {{IPAc-en|ˈ|dʒ|iː|oʊ-|m|æ|n|s|i}}: by earth (Greek {{wikt-lang|grc|γαῖα|{{grc-transl|γαῖα}}}}|{{wikt-lang|grc|γῆ|{{grc-transl|γῆ}}}}, earth + {{transl|grc|manteía}}, prophecy)

* '''geloscopy''' {{IPAc-en|dʒ|ᵻ|ˈ|l|ɒ|s|k|oʊ-|p|i}}: by laughter (Greek {{transl|grc|gelōs}}, laughter + {{transl|grc|-skopiā}}, observation)

* '''[[gematria]]''': by the [[Hebrew alphabet]] (Greek {{transl|grc|gē}}, earth + {{transl|grc|-metriā}}, measurement)

* '''[[hepatoscopy]]'''/'''hepatomancy''' {{IPAc-en|ˈ|h|ɛ|p|ə|t|oʊ-|m|æ|n|s|i}} (also '''haruspicy''', '''haruspication'''): by liver (Greek {{transl|grc|hēpar}} [{{transl|grc|hēpat-}}], liver + {{transl|grc|-skopiā}}, observation)

* '''hieromancy'''/'''hieroscopy''' {{IPAc-en|ˈ|h|aɪər|oʊ-|m|æ|n|s|i}}: by studying sacrifices' entrails (Greek {{transl|grc|hieros}}, holy + {{transl|grc|manteía}}, prophecy)

* '''[[horoscope|horoscopy]]''' {{IPAc-en|h|oʊ-|ˈ|r|ɒ|s|k|oʊ-|p|i}}: aspect of the Stars at nativity<ref>[[Thomas Hobbes|Hobbes, Thomas]]. ''[[Leviathan (Hobbes book)|Leviathan]]'' (1651). "Lastly, to the Prognostics [who] have added innumerable other superstitious ways of Divination[:]...Sometimes in the aspect of the Stars at their Nativity; which was called Horoscopy, and esteemed a part of judiciary Astrology..."</ref> (Greek {{transl|grc|hōrā}}, season + {{transl|grc|-skopiā}}, observation)

* '''hydatomancy''': by rainwater (Greek {{transl|grc|hudatis}}, raindrop + {{transl|grc|manteía}}, prophecy)

 

==I==

* '''[[ichnomancy]]''' {{IPAc-en|ˈ|ɪ|k|n|oʊ-|m|æ|n|s|i}}: by footprints (Greek {{transl|grc|ikhnos}}, track + {{transl|grc|manteía}}, prophecy)

* '''ichthyomancy''' → see {{sm|[[#T|theriomancy]]}}

 

==P==

* '''pallomancy''': by [[pendulum]]s (Greek {{transl|grc|pallein}}, to sway + {{transl|grc|manteía}}, prophecy)

* '''[[papyromancy]]''': by folding paper, especially [[banknote|paper money]] (Greek {{transl|grc|papūros}}, papyrus paper + {{transl|grc|manteía}}, prophecy)

* '''pedomancy''' → see {{sm|[[#S|somatomancy]]}} (from ''podomancy'', influenced by Latin {{wikt-lang|la|pēs}} [{{lang|la|pēd-}}], foot)

* '''Shufflemancy''': by the use of an electronic media player such as an electronic playlist, iPod, or other medium wherein one skips a certain number of songs and the lyrics and/or tune of the song is the answer to the divinatory question

* '''[[sideromancy]]''': by burning straw with an iron (Greek {{transl|grc|sidēros}}, [[ironing|iron]] + {{transl|grc|manteía}}, prophecy)

* '''skatharomancy''': by beetle tracks (Greek {{transl|grc|skatharōn}}, spot + {{transl|grc|manteía}}, prophecy)

* '''{{lang|gd|[[slinneanachd]]|italic=unset}}'''/'''{{lang|gd|slinnanacht|italic=unset}}''': by animal shoulder blades ([[Scottish Gaelic]] {{lang|gd|slinnean}}, shoulder blade)

* '''uranomancy'''/'''ouranomancy''': by the sky (Greek {{transl|grc|ouranos}}, firmament + {{transl|grc|manteía}}, prophecy)

* '''[[uromancy]]'''/'''urimancy''': by [[urine]] (Greek {{transl|grc|ouron}}, urine + {{transl|grc|manteía}}, prophecy)

 

==V==

* '''videomancy''': by [[film]]s (English ''[[video]]'' + Greek {{transl|grc|manteía}}, prophecy)

 

==X==

* '''xenomancy''': by strangers (Greek {{transl|grc|xenos}}, stranger + {{transl|grc|manteía}}, prophecy)

 

==Y==

* '''zoomancy''' → see {{sm|[[#T|theriomancy]]}} (Greek {{transl|grc|zōion}}, being + {{transl|grc|manteía}}, prophecy)

* '''zygomancy''': by weights (Greek {{transl|grc|zugon}}, yoke, balance + {{transl|grc|manteía}}, prophecy)

 

==See also==