The OED does not list it as a variant, but does include in its pages in some of its citations for other words in the passage. The MED records it and suggests that perhaps it is an error.
Note that this passage also contains the obscurely formed ornomancy. Note also that the headword form here is normalised.
c1500 (?a1475) John Lydgate
Assembly of the Gods ll. 862--70:
These folowyd Konnyng & thedyr with hym came,
With many ooñ moo offryng her seruyce
To Vertew at hat nede; but natwithstandyng than
Some he refusyd and seyde in nowyse
They shuld with hym go, and, as I coude auyse,
These were her names: fyrst, Nygromansy,
Geomansy, Magyk, and Glotony,
Adryomancy, Ornomancy, with Pyromancy,
Fysenamy also, and Pawmestry,
And all her sequelys, yef I shult nat ly.
Etymology
Variant Forms
Citations
In Dictionaries
Variant Forms
Middle English: aermacye, aeromance, aeromancye, aeromauncie,
aerymancie.
Early Modern English: aeromancie, æromancy, aëromancy,
aeromanty, eromancy, heromanty.
New Latin: aeromantia, aëromantia.
The forms with ë represent a
now obsolete typographical
convention which proscribed a pronunciation based on the Greek root, in
which the first two letters formed separate syllables,
that is, ay-eromancy. By some lexicographers it was applied
stringently to all words beginning aero-, but for the most
part it was applied rather haphazardly. A look at the entries in
OED for words beginning aero- is a good example of this
haphazardness. Presumably some lexicographers and authors thought
that the pronunciation was apparent enough (or "should" be apparent)
without typographical assistance.
The modern pronunciation (as air-omancy) presumably arose
from a lack of knowledge of the Greek language, and also under
the influence of the word air. The existence of the
form eromancy dates the pronunciation
back to the 17th century.
1546 ... (OED): heromancy.
[1533 Cornelius Agrippa De Occult Philosophia lvii: Aeromantia prognostica præebet per impressionnes aereas, per ventorum flatus, per irides, per halones, per nebulas et nubes, perque imaginationes in nubibes et visiones in aere.]
[1583 Weyer De praestigiis daemonum xii.: aeromanteia]
1594 Greene Frier Bacon & Frier Bongay (I. ii.
ll. 13-18):
Burden. Bacon we hear, that long we have suspect,
That thou art read in Magicks mysterie;
In Piromancie to diuine by flames;
To tell by Hadromaticke, ebbes and tides;
By Aeromancie, to discouer doubts,
To plaine out questions, as Apollo did.
1608 John Day Law-Trickes or who would have thought it
IV. ii (OED):
Deep Eromancy, or the pretious soule
Of Geomantique spells and Characters.
1620 J. Melton Astrologaster 69: If these apparitions are in the Ayre, then it is called Aeromancie.
1652 Gaule The Magastromancer xix. 165: ..Aeromancy, or divining by the ayr...
a1660 (1693) Urquhart tr. Rabelais Gargantua & Pantagruel iii. xxv. 133: Have you a mind (quoth Her Trippa) to have the truth of the matter yet more fully and amply disclosed unto you by..Aeromancy, (whereof Aristophanes in his Clouds maketh great estimation)...
1777 Brand Popular Antiquities (1844) iii. 329: [citing Gaule]
1797 Encyc. Brit. (3rd ed.) VII 66: Aeromancy was the art of divining by the air. This vain science has also come to us from the Pagans; but is rejected by reason as well as Christianity, as false and absurd.
1832 Hone Year Bk 1517/1: [citing Gaule (via Brand)]
1853 Mackay Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions 251: Aeromancy, or divining by the air. [citing Gaule]
1855 Elihu Rich in Smedley et al. Occult Sci. 333: aeromancy, meteoromancy, Includes every kind of divination by the phenomena of the air, particularly those of thunder, lightning, and fiery meteors.
1897 (Agrippa) Three Bks Occult Phil. lvii. 179: After the same manner, also, doth Aeromancy divine by airy impressions, by the blowing of the winds, by rainbows, by circles round about the moon and stars, by mists and clouds, and by imaginations in clouds and visions in the air.
1897 Urquhart tr. Rabelais Works of Rabelais iii. xxv. 161: ..by aeromancy...
1903 Daniels & Stevans Encyc. Occult Sci. (1971) iii. 1663: aeromancy - Divination by appearances in the air.
1904 Urquhart tr. Rabelais Gargantua & Pantagruel iii. xxv. 153: ..by aeromancy...
1920 L. Spence Encyc. Occult 4/1: Aeromancy: The art of foretelling future events by the observation of atmospheric phenomena, as, for example, when the death of a great man is presaged by the appearance of a comet. François de la Tour Blanche says that aeromancy is the art of fortune-telling by means of spectres which are made to appear in the air, or the representation by the aid of demons, of future events, which are projected on the clouds as if by a magic lantern "As for thunder and lightning," he adds, "these are concerned with auguries, and the aspect of the sky and of the planets belong to the science of astrology."
1931 Lock tr. de Givry Picture Museum of Sorcery (1963) viii. 301: Aeromancy was divination by examining the variations and different phenomena of the air; its nature is not very clear.
1951 Works of Rabelais III. xxv. 360: Have you a mind, quoth Her Trippa, to have the truth of the matter yet more fully and amply disclosed unto you by..aeromancy, whereof Aristophanes in his Clouds maketh great estimation..?
1953 Gaynor (ed.) Dict. Mysticism (1974) 6: Aeromancy: Divination by observing atmospheric conditions or ripples on the surface of water.
1955 Cohen tr. Rabelais Gargantua & Pantagruel iii. xxv. 357: ..by aeromancy...
1959 Robbins Encyc. of Witchcraft and Demonology 139: [citing Gaule] Aeromancy, or divining by the air.
1961 H.E. Wedeck Treasury of Witchcraft xii. 219: Aeromancy is a method that observes atmospheric conditions.
1963 M. Bessy Pict. Hist. Magic & Supernatural 41: In North America, the Navaho Indians draw fortune-telling pictures on sand, magical puzzle-pictures. Everything soon becomes an omen to be read. In this way were born: aeromancy (divination by the air)...
1970 Man, Myth & Magic v. 658: Aeromancy - by atmospheric phenomena; weather predicting.
1970 Zolar Encyc. of Ancient & Forbidden Knowledge 463: AEROMANCY: The divination of the future from the Air and sky. This goes beyond the range of weather prognostications and concentrates upon cloud shapes, comets, spectral formations, and other phenomena not normally visible in the Heavens. Even in modern times such visions have caused much speculation and consternation among human viewers.
1973 Gibson Complete Illust. Bk Div. & Prophecy (1989) 311: aeromancy: Divination from atmospheric conditions ranging from halos around the sun or moon to the unexpected appearance of heavenly bodies such as the comet of 44 B.C., which presaged the death of Julius Caesar, and that of a.d. 1066, which preceded the Norman Conquest of England. Mirages have also been responsible for omens of this type, as were the famous "Bowmen of Mons," huge spectral figures seen by British soldiers during World War I, which encouraged them to hold off the attacks of superior German forces, a phenomenon still not fully explained by natural means.
1973 L. Watson Supernature ix. 300: Precoginition means "knowing in advance," and systems of knowing cover just about every possible source of variation. They include aeromancy (divination by cloud shapes)... None of these need be taken seriously...
1983 Complete Bk Predictions 148: All the elements had an important part to play in the divination arts of the ancient world. But many of the details of aeromancy (divination by atmospheric conditions) and hydromancy (divination by water) have become obscure, leaving us with a few ways of using these arts in foretelling our future today. Winds, storms, clouds, rainbows - almost anything occurring in the sky - could be interpreted in aeromancy. The Etruscans and Babylonians were especially concerned with thunder and lightning; the Hindus interpreted the castles in the air formed by the shapes of clouds.
1985 N. Drury Dict. Mysticism & Occult 4/1: Aeromancy. Divination from the air and sky, using cloud shapes, comets, and other aerial formations.
1985 G. Luck Arcana Mundi 253: Aeromancy consisted in casting sand or dirt into the wind and studying the shape of the resulting dust cloud; or in throwing seeds into the wind, allowing them to settle on the ground, and interpretting their pattern (though this is also considered a form of aleuromancy).
1986 F. Gettings Encyc. Occult
1993 McCormack Q&A 69: aeromancy (chaomancy) - appearances in the air; weather forecasting. In Dictionaries
Recorded in the earliest English dictionaries. Bailey's
1727 definition
is rather of lecanomancy. His information
comes from Potter.
Despite the fact that this word existed in English from the Middles
Ages onwards it was apparently not very well known and is treated by
the early dictionaries as though it is a newish borrowing of
Classical origin, as all the other -mancy words. Blount (1656)
says that it comes from Latin aeromantia and Phillips (1658)
says that it is Greek. The concept of a separate language known as
Middle English was unheard of in the 17th century. The erudite and
widely-read Dr Johnson was not even familiar with the word. We know
this from the abbreviation Dict. which appears at the end
of his entry. This signifies that Johnson was
not certain that this word was "read in any book but the works of
lexicographers", and is to be "considered as resting only upon the
credit of former dictionaries".
The OED was the first dictionary to recognise the extra sense of
"weather forecasting" - which was then picked up by later
dictionaries. The last dictionary to persist with the aëro-
spelling was the Coles (1676), the last with æro- was
the Century (1899).
[1611 & 1632 Cotgrave Dictionarie of French & Eng. Tongues: Aeromantie. Diuination by the ayre.]
1616 Bullokar An English Expositor s.v. divination: Besides these there were also other diuinations, as namely Aeromancie, that which is gathered by apparitions in the aire.
1623 Cockeram The English Dictionarie: Eromancie, divination by things in the ayre.
1626 Cockeram The English Dictionarie (2nd ed.) (reverse dictionary): Diuination of things by the ayre, Aeromancy.
1656 Blount Glossographia s.v. divination: The
third and last manner of Divination is that which we call
Superstitious, whereof there has been among the Gentiles divers
different kinds. As namely..Aeromancy, by the Air.
Ibid.: Aeromancy (aeromantia) a kind of divination by
the air.
1658 Phillips New World of Eng. Words: Aeromancy, (Greek) a foretelling of things, by some certain signs in the air.
1676 Coles An Eng. Dict.: Aëromancy, g. divining by air.
1708 Kersey Dictionarium Anglo-Britannicum: Aeromancy, a Fore-telling of Things by certain Signs in the Air.
1727 Bailey The Universal Etym. Eng. Dict. i.: Æromancy [aeromanteia of aer, the Air, and manteia, Prophesy, Gr.] a foretelling future Events from certain Spectres or other Appearances in the Air, and sometimes thus; they folded their Heads in a Napkin, and having placed a Bowl full of Water in the open Air, they proposed their Question in a small whispering Voice, at which Time if the Water boiled or fermented, they thought what they had spoken of was approved and confirmed.
1755 Bailey An Universal Etym. Eng. Dict. (16th ed.): aeromancy [of Aer and manteia, Divination, Gr.] a divining or foretelling of Things by certain Signs in the Air. aeromantick, belonging to Divination by the Air.
1755 Johnson Dict. of the Eng. Lang. (1840): Aeromancy..The art of divining by the air. Dict.
1852 Roget Thes. § 511: ..by appearances in the air, Aeromancy...
1871 Ogilvie Imperial Dict. i.: aeromancy..Divination by means of the air and winds.
1881 New Sydenham Society's Lexicon I: Aeromancy ... Divination by air or substances contained in it.
1882 Worcester Dict. of the Eng. Lang.: aeromancy..A mode of divination from certain appearances in the air. Cotgrave.
1884 OED.
1899 Century Dict. (1902) i.: æromancy..by means of the air and winds or atmospheric phenomena: now sometimes used to denote the practice of forecasting changes in the weather.
1908 Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dict. i.: aeromancy..The art of divination or augury by atmospheric phenomena; hence, a forecasting of the weather or of atmospheric changes.
1909 Encyc. Dict. (Cassell's) i: aeromancy, aeromantie or aeromance..Divination by means of the air and its movement. ¶ Aëromanty is the spelling by Cotgrave; aëromancy that by Kersey and in modern books of reference.
1912 Webs. New Int. Dict.: aeromancy [main words list]
c1920 Cassell's New Eng. Dict.: aeromancy..Divination by means of aerial phenomona; forecasting the weather. [marked obsolete]
1955 Shipley Dict. Early Eng. (1963) 15: aeromancy. Divination - foretelling events, predicting the future - by appearances in the air.
1961 Webs. Third New Int. Dict.: aeromancy..divination from the state of the air or from atmospheric substances; also: weather forecasting.
1981 Macquarie Dict. (1st ed.): aeromancy..divination relating to the air and sky.
1984 Macquarie Thes. § 268.6: aeromancy (divination by air)
1986 Urdang (ed.) -Ologies & -Isms (3rd ed.) 208: aeromancy 1. the art or science of divination by means of the air or winds. 2. Humorous. weather forecasting. Cf. austromancy.
1987 Random House Dict.: aeromancy..the prediction of future events from observation of weather conditions.
1988 Chambers Eng. Dict.: aeromancy - divination by
atmospheric phenomena; weather forecasting.
This word, derived from the ancient Greek aichme point of a spear, is one of the numerous terms appearing in Shipley only. To which specific method of divination it is meant to refer to is not clear.
1955 Shipley Dict. Early Eng. (1963) 15:
aichmomancy, by sharp points.
1983 Complete Bk Predictions 136: Common
omens and superstitions 2. 1 HORSES (HIPPOMANCY)... 2 CATS
(AILUROMANCY) A cat washing its face or ears - Rain. A cat
washing one ear three times - Expect visitors from the direction in
which the cat is looking. A cat following you - Money...[etc.]
1986 P. Hellweg Insomniac's Dict. x. 76:
Ailuromancy - The way a cat jumps.
[1611 & 1632 Cotgrave Dictionarie of French & Eng. Tongues: Alebromantie. Diuination by barley meale mixed with wheat.]
1656 Blount Glossographia s.v. divination:
Alebromancy, by Barly meal mixed with Wheat.
Ibid.:
[alphabetised according to this spelling] Alebromancy
(Greek) divination by barley meal mixed with wheat.
1704 E. Cocker English Dict. (OED)
1884 OED.
This word is of the same vintage as alectryomancy, and arises from a slightly different Greek word, namely: alektor a rooster (as opposed to alektryon).
Variant Forms: alectromanchy (rare), alectromancy (showing elision), and electromancy. Also the New Latin form alectoromantia is to be met with.
I have included the alectro- forms under this headword following the OED. However, I cannot see why this could not equally be a variant of alectryo-. Presumably there is a good reason.
1758 Ann. Reg. 275/2 (OED): The mysteries of chyromancy, alectromanchy and catoptromanchy. 1777 Brand Popular Antiquities (1844) iii. 330: Alectromancy [citing Gaule]
1832 Hone Year Bk 1517/2: Alectromancy [citing Gaule (via Brand)]
1852 Mackay Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions 252: Alectromancy, by cocks. [citing Hone citing Gaule]
1855 Edward Smedley in Smedley et al. Occult Sci. 325: alectromancy, Or Alectoromantia, an ancient method of divination with a cock. In practising it, a circle must be made in a good close place, and this must be divided equally into as many parts as there are letters in the alphabet. Then wheat-corn must be placed on every letter, beginning with A, during which the depositor must repeat this verse, Ecce enim veritatum, &c. This must be done when the sun or moon is in Aries or Leo. A young cock, all white, should then be taken, his claws cut off, and these he should be forced to swallow with a little scroll of parchment made of lambskin upon which has been previously written [heb chars]. The diviner holding the cock should repeat, O Deus Creator omnium, qui firmamentum pulchritudine stellarum formâsti, constituens eas in signa et tempora, infunde virtutem tuam operibus nostris, ut per opus in eis consequamur effectum. Next, on placing the cock within the circle, he must repeat these two verses of the Psalms: Domine, dilexi decorum domûs tuæ et locum habitationis tuæ. Domine Deus virtutum, converte nos et ostende faciem tuam, et salvi erimus. These are exactly the midmost of the seventy-two verses mentioned under the head of Onimancy, and it is to be noted on the authority of an ancient Rabbi, that there is nothing in these seventy-two which is not of some cabalistic secret. The cock being within the circle, it must be observed from what letters he pecks the grains, and upon these others must be placed, because some names and words contain the same letters twice or thrice. These letters should be written down and put together, and they will infallibly reveal the name of the person concerning whom inquiry has been made; it is said, though the story is doubted, that the magician Jamblicus used this art to discover the person who should succeed Valens Cæsar in the empire, but the bird picking up but four grains, those which lay on the letters &thgr;, &egr;, &ogr;, &dgr;, left it uncertain whether Theodosius, Theodotus, Theodorus, or Theodectes, were the person designed. Valens, however, learning what had been done, put to death several individuals whose names unhappily began with those letters, and the magician, to avoid the effects of his resentment, took a draught of poison. (`Zonaras iii., Valens.') A kind of Alectromantia was also practised upon the crowing of the cock, and the periods at which it was heard.
1880 J. Grant Mysteries of all Nations xl. 368: There was an art among the Greeks known as Alectoromantia, by which future events were made known by means of a cock's movements. A circle was made on the ground, and divided into twenty-four equal parts, in each of which spaces was written one of the letters of the alphabet, and upon each of these letters was laid a grain of wheat. This done, the fowl was turned loose, and watched to ascertain the order in which the grains were picked up. The letters corresponding to those grains were formed into words, and supplied an answer to important questions.
1893 Howitt tr. Ennemoser Hist. of Magic ii. 453: alectoromantia - is a kind of divination performed by means of a cock, which was used among the Greeks...
1920 L. Spence Encyc. Occult 13/1: [copying Smedley]
1931 Lock tr. de Givry Picture Museum of Sorcery (1963) viii. 302: Alectoromancy, or alectryomancy, is divination by a cock; it is a famous and very ancient method.
1963 M. Bessy Pict. Hist. Magic & Supernatural 41: In North America, the Navaho Indians draw fortune-telling pictures on sand, magical puzzle-pictures. Everything soon becomes an omen to be read. In this way were born: ..alectromancy (from a cock), alectryomancy and alphitomancy (divination from grains of wheat) and also alveromancy (divination from barley).
1970 Man, Myth & Magic v. 658: Alectromancy - by a cock picking up grain.
1973 K. Ellis Prediction and Prophecy iv. 61: In electromancy, a grain of wheat was placed by each letter and a cock set in the centre of the circle. A note was made of the letters from which the cock ate the grain.
1986 F. Gettings Encyc. Occult Alectromancy.
1986 P. Hellweg Insomniac's Dict. x. 76: Alectoromancy (also alectryomancy, alectromancy) By means of a cock with grains of corn.
1993 McCormack Q&A 70: alectromancy - a
cock picking up grain.
1731 Bailey Dict. (OED): Alectoromancy, an ancient divination, in which they made use of a cock in discovering secret and unknown transactions of future events.
1755 Johnson Dict. of the Eng. Lang. (1840): Alectryomancy, or Alectoromancy. n.s. [alektryon, and manteia.] Divination by a cock. Dict.
1852 Roget Thes. § 511: ..by a cock picking up grains, Alectryomancy (or Alectoromancy)...
1882 Worcester Dict. of the Eng. Lang.: alectoromancy..Alectryomancy.
1884 OED. Note.
1899 Century Dict. (1902) I: alectoromancy.. Same as alectryomancy. [marked obsolete]
1908 Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dict. i.: alectoromancy..Same as alectryomancy.
1912 Webs. New Int. Dict.: alectoromancy [minor words list]
1955 Shipley Dict. Early Eng. (1963) 15: alectromancy, by a cock's picking up grains.
1961 Webs. Third New Int. Dict. [as variant]
1974 Mrs. Byrne's Dict.: aeromancy..fortunetelling by air or wind; weather forecasting.
1986 Urdang (ed.) -Ologies & -Isms (3rd ed.) 208: alectoromancy, alectryomancy - a form of divination by recording the letters revealed as a cock eats kernels of corn that cover them.
1987 Random House Dict.: [as variant]
2. (loosely) any divination involving a rooster. (specifically) a. a once common mode of divination in which, firstly, a circle of letters (originally twenty-four in number, since j, v are the same as i, u) is laid out with some sort of grain placed on each letter. Next a rooster is let pick at the grains, thus selecting letters to create a divinatory message or sign. The chosen letters could be either read in order of selection, or rearranged to make an anagram. b.the observing of chickens feeding in order to gain omens. c. divination by the crowing of a rooster.
[1656 Blount]
a1660 (1693) Urquhart tr. Rabelais Gargantua & Pantagruel iii. xxv. 134: ..or yet by Alectryomancy.
1684 Phil. Trans. XIV. 706 (OED): The author singles Alectryomancy for the subject of this book.
1897 Urquhart tr. Rabelais Works of Rabelais iii. xxv. 163: ..by alectryomancy...
1904 Urquhart tr. Rabelais Gargantua & Pantagruel iii. xxv. 154: ..by alectryomancy...
1920 L. Spence Encyc. Occult 13/2: In the fourth song of the Caquet Bonbec, of Jonquieres, a poet of the fourteenth century, the details of an operation in alectryomancy are exactly and curiously set forth.
1931 Lock tr. de Givry Picture Museum of Sorcery (1963) viii. 302: Alectoromancy, or alectryomancy, is divination by a cock; it is a famous and very ancient method.
1951 Works of Rabelais III. xxv. 361: Or yet by alectryomancy.
1955 Cohen tr. Rabelais Gargantua & Pantagruel iii. xxv. 359: Or perhaps by alectryomancy.
1959 Robbins Encyc. of Witchcraft and Demonology 139. [citing Gaule; but altering spelling] Alectryomancy, by cocks or poultry.
1961 H.E. Wedeck Treasury of Witchcraft xii. 220: Alectryomancy employs a cock that pecks grain placed on letters of the alphabet.
1963 M. Bessy Pict. Hist. Magic & Supernatural 41: In North America, the Navaho Indians draw fortune-telling pictures on sand, magical puzzle-pictures. Everything soon becomes an omen to be read. In this way were born: ..alectryomancy and alphitomancy (divination from grains of wheat) and also alveromancy (divination from barley). Note.
1970 Zolar Encyc. of Ancient & Forbidden Knowledge 463: ALECTRYOMANCY: A bird, a black hen or white gamecock, is allowed to pick grains of corn from a circle of letters, thus forming words with Prophetic significance. Another method is to recite the letters of the alphabet, making note of those at which the cock crows.
1973 Gibson Complete Illust. Bk Div. & Prophecy (1989) i. 3: In later centuries, alectryomancy was revived along with other ancient divinatory arts, and mention is made of it by various writers of the Middle Ages.
1973 L. Watson Supernature ix. 300: Precoginition means "knowing in advance," ans systems of knowing cover just about every possible source of variation. They include..alectryomancy (in which a bird is allowed to peck grains of corn from letters of the alphabet)... None of these need be taken seriously...
1983 Complete Bk Predictions 142: Alectryomancy Predicting from the eating patterns of sacred chickens.
1984 Bill Hartson & Jill Dawson The Ultimate Irrelevant Encyclopedia: Divination by cock is called alectryomancy. Grains of corn are arranged in a circle, each grain covering one letter of the alphabet. A cock is placed at the centre of the circle and spells out its prediction according to which grains it pecks at. The succession of the Roman Emperor Theodosius was thus predicted by a couple of smart alectryomancers.
1985 N. Drury Dict. Mysticism & Occult 8/1: Alectryomancy. Divination through the actions of birds, often a black hen or a gamecock. In Africa, where this is practised, the diviner sprinkles grain on the ground and allows the birds to peck at it. When the bird has finished, the seer interprets the patterns that remain on the ground.
1985 G. Luck Arcana Mundi 251: Alectryomancy was another method by which the Romans explored the will of gods. It consisted in consulting the sacred chickens that were carried along on military campaigns. If, before a battle, the chickens ate the food so greedily that some of it fell from their beaks, this was considered an excellent omen.
1986 P. Hellweg Insomniac's Dict.
[1611 & 1632 Cotgrave Dictionarie of French & Eng. Tongues: Alectryomantie: f. Diuination by a Cocke; or by the Cocke stone.]
1656 Blount Glossographia s.v. divination: The
third and last manner of Divination is that which we call
Superstitious, whereof there has been among the Gentiles divers
different kinds. As namely..Alectryomancy, by a Cock.
Ibid.: Alectryomancy (Greek) divination by a Cock or
by the Cock-stone. Cotgr.
1658 Phillips New World of Eng. Words: Alectryomancy, (Greek) a certain kinde of divination among the ancients, which was done by a Cock.
1676 Coles An Eng. Dict.: Alectryomancy, g. Cock-divination.
1727 Bailey The Universal Etym. Eng. Dict.: alectryomancy [Alectryomantia, L. of 'Alektryomantiea of 'Alektor a Cock, and manteia, Gr. Divination] a very mysterious Divination, in which they made use of a Cock in discovering secret and unknown Transactions or future Events. The Method was this; they first wrote on the Dust the 24 Letters of the Alphabet, and laid a grain of Wheat or Barley upon every one of them; then having prepared a Cock magically, they let him loose among them, and those Letters out of which he picked the Corns being put together, were thought to declare whatever they had a Mind to know.
1740 Dyche & Pardon New General Eng. Dict.: alectryomancy (s.) an ancient sort of divination...
1755 Bailey An Universal Etym. Eng. Dict. (16th ed.): alectryomancy [of 'Alektor and manteia, Prophecy, Gr.] a Divination by Cocks.
1755 Johnson Dict. of the Eng. Lang. (1840) Alectryomancy, or Alectoromancy. n.s...Divination by a cock. Dict.
1852 Roget Thes. § 511: ..by a cock picking up grains, Alectryomancy (or Alectoromancy)...
1871 Ogilvie Imperial Dict. i.: alectryomancy..An ancient practice of foretelling events by means of a cock. The twenty-four letters were laid on the ground, and a grain of corn on each; a cock was then permitted to pick up the grains, and the letters under the grain selected, being formed into words, were supposed to foretel the event desired.
1881 New Sydenham Society's Lexicon I: Alectryomantia ... Divination from the order in which a cock picked up grains distributed on an alphabet.
1882 Worcester Dict. of the Eng. Lang.: alectryomancy.. Divination by a cock; attempting to foretell by a cock. Bailey.
1884 OED.
1899 Century Dict. (1902) i.: alectryomancy..An ancient practice of foretelling events by means of a cock. The letters of the alphabet were traced on the ground in squares within a circle, and a grain of corn was placed on each; a cock was then permitted to pick up the grains, and the letters under them, being formed into words in the order of their selection by the cock, were supposed to foretell the event. Sometimes written alectoromancy.
1908 Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dict. i.: alectryomancy..Divination by the order in which grains covering letters of the alphabet traced on the ground were eaten by a cock.
1909 Encyc. Dict. (Cassell's) I:
1912 Webs. New Int. Dict. alectryomancy [main words list]
1961 Webs. Third New Int. Dict.: alectryomancy.
1981 Macquarie Dict. (1st ed.) alectryomancy..a form of divination whereby a bird, usually a black hen or a white gamecock, is allowed to pick grains of corn from a circle of letters, thus forming words.
1984 Macquarie Thes. § 268.6: alectryomancy (cocks picking up grain)
1986 Urdang (ed.) -Ologies & -Isms (3rd ed.) 208: alectoromancy, alectryomancy - a form of divination by recording the letters revealed as a cock eats kernels of corn that cover them.
1987 Random House Dict.: alectryomancy..an ancient
form of divination, using a rooster to select grains of food
placed on letters of the alphabet. Also, alectoromancy.
The assertion that the use of fortune cookies is a modern-day
survival is a fine example of a widely held notion that is
as prevalent as it is wrong. In much of the
literature of folk-lore, superstition, witch-craft, the occult, etc.,
there is made a habit of finding some analogous practice from ancient
times and thence stating that the modern-day practice is a
survival. The term survival implies a continuation of
the practice throughout the intervening years, presumedly unrecorded
and underground. It is as though the idea that the two similar practices
may have had separate geneses, one ancient, the other modern, is out
of the question, though this is often more likely to be the case. In this
instance the proposition that the ancient Greek aleuromancy continued
beyond the end of the Grecian period, was somehow transported to China,
then lost to the Chinese, except to those who emmigrated to North
America and took up the restaurant trade, is ludicrous. Similarly
impossible is the alternate proposition that the whole of
humanity, (or at least the Greeks as well as the Chinese) in
ancient times practised some common form of aleuromancy, of which
the making of fortune cookies is the only vestige remaining.
This practice of guilelessly identifying supposed survivals is quite old.
That it is still common is no wonder since many influential books
and authors have indulged in it quite freely. It can be seen
throughout Brand's Popular Antiquities, a hugely
popular book that went in to numerous editions, and it occurs
in much of the literature on witchcraft due to the theories and works
of Margaret Murray. Sir James Fraser's all-important Golden Bough
constantly cites connections between ancient beliefs and more recent
practices, but, at least in the examples I am familiar with, is cautious
in doing so and always cites numerous instances to back up his assertions.
Other examples of this "survival" notion in this document are to be seen
at: alomancy, ceromancy,
chartomancy, ovomancy
and xylomancy.
[1656 Blount]
a1660 (1693) Urquhart tr. Rabelais Gargantua & Pantagruel iii. xxv. 133: By Alentomancy, mixing the Flower of Wheat with Oatmeal.
1855 Elihu Rich in Smedley et al. Occult Sci. 329: aleuromancy , or alphitomancy, Was a method of divination, or rather ordeal by flour or bread. Probably, it differed very little from the corsned or cursed bread of the Anglo-Saxons [see Note]. "Another species of purgation," says Blackstone, "probably sprung from a presumptuous abuse of revelation in the dark ages of superstition, was the corsned, or morsel of execration - being a piece of cheese or bread, of about an ounce in weight, which was consecrated with a form of exorcism, desiring the Almighty that it might cause convulsions and paleness, and to find no passage if the man was really guilty; but might turn to health and nourishment, if he was innocent" (`Commentaries,' vol. iv., p.345). It is stated by several authorities that Earl Godwin was choked by the corsned. For the form of the exorcism, another writer has referred to Spelman's `Glossarium,' p.439, and he adds, "barley bread was used in preference to any other, apparently for no reason but that, being more difficult of mastication, it had more chance of choking."
1893 Howitt tr. Ennemoser Hist. Magic ii. 461: Among the various other kinds of divination not here mentioned may be enumerated Chilomancy performed with keys; Alphitomancy or Aleuromancy, by flour; Keraunoscopia, by the consideration of thunder; Eychnomancy, [sic] by lamps; Ooscopy, by eggs; Licanomancy by a basin of water; Palpitatim, Salisatio, by the pulsation or motion of some member etc.
1897 Urquhart tr. Rabelais Works of Rabelais iii. xxv. 161: By alentomancy, mixing the flour of wheat with oatmeal.
1904 Urquhart tr. Rabelais Gargantua & Pantagruel iii. xxv. 153: By alentomancy...
1903 Daniels & Stevans Encyc. Occult Sci. (1971) III 1662: aleuromancy - Was the means of picking out a guilty person. He was given a piece of barley bread and cheese an ounce of which he must swallow at once. If he choked he was guilty, otherwise innocent.
1913 Halliday Greek Div. ix. 185: ..aleuromancy..was of sufficient importance to create for Apollo the cult title aleuromantis...
1920 L. Spence Encyc. Occult 13/2: Aleuromancy: A species of divination practised with flour. Sentences were written on slips of paper, each of which were rolled up in a little ball of flour. These were thoroughly mixed up nine times, and divided amongst the curious, who were waiting to learn their fate. Apollo, who was supposed to preside over this form of divination, was surnamed Aleuromantis. So late as the nineteenth century the custom lingered in remoter districts.
c1928 Urquhart tr. Rabelais Gargantua and Pantagruel iii. xxv. 486: By Alentomancy...
1931 Lock tr. de Givry Picture Museum of Sorcery (1963) viii. 302: Aleuromancy and alphitomancy were almost analogous processes; cakes were made of wheat or barley flour which could not be swallowed by anyone guilty of a given misdeed.
1951 Works of Rabelais III. xxv. 361: By aleuromancy, mixing the flour of wheat with oatmeal.
1955 Cohen tr. Rabelais Gargantua & Pantagruel iii. xxv. 358: ..by aleuromancy, mixing wheat with flour...
1961 H.E. Wedeck Treasury of Witchcraft xii. 220: Messages, enclosed in balls of dough, become prophetic of the future. This method, known as aleuromancy, is still in use among the Chinese.
1963 M. Bessy Pict. Hist. Magic & Supernatural 41: In North America, the Navaho Indians draw fortune-telling pictures on sand, magical puzzle-pictures. Everything soon becomes an omen to be read. In this way were born: ..alectromancy (from a cock), alectryomancy and alphitomancy (divination from grains of wheat) and also alveromancy (divination from barley).
1970 Zolar Encyc. of Ancient & Forbidden Knowledge 463: ALEUROMANCY: This requires slips with answers to questions which are rolled in balls of dough and baked. These are mixed up and one is chosen at random and presumably will be fulfilled. Our modern 'fortune cookies' are a survival of this Ancient ritual.
1973 Collier's Encyc. x. 211/1: Aleuromancy...flour
1973 Gibson Complete Illust. Bk Div. & Prophecy (1989) 311: ALEUROMANCY: Divination by predictions written on slips of paper and baked in cakes that are chosen at random by interested persons, like Chinese fortune cookies. This has also survived in the custom of baking a coin or ring in a large cake, which is then divided among guests, one of whom is lucky and finds the gift.
1983 Complete Bk Predictions 104: Aleuromancy This is said to have been in common practice until the ninth century. All the possible answers to a specific question were written on slips of paper, and these were then rolled up and baked inside small balls of dough. The querant chose a ball at random, and broke it open to find the answer. The tradition survives today in the "fortune cookies" available in some Chinese restaurants. Customers choose one of the small hollow pastries, and break it open to find the slip of paper that tells their fortune.
1985 N. Drury Dict. Mysticism & Occult 8/1: Aleuromancy. Divination practised with flour. Among the ancient Greeks, the procedure was as follows: sentences were composed, written on small pieces of paper, and rolled up in balls of flour. The balls were then mixed up nine times and distributed to those who were eager for information on their destiny. Apollo presided over this form of divination. Aleuromancy is not widely practised today, but modern-day fortune cookies are a form of this type of fortune-telling.
1985 G. Luck Arcana Mundi 253:
Aeromancy consisted in casting sand or dirt into the wind and
studying the shape of the resulting dust cloud; or in throwing seeds into
the wind, allowing them to settle on the ground, and interpretting their
pattern (though this is also considered a form of aleuromancy).
Ibid. ..if flour is thrown on the flames, this is a form of
aleuromancy...
1986 F. Gettings Encyc. Occult
1986 P. Hellweg Insomniac's Dict. x. 74: Aleuromancy - Meal of flour.
1993 McCormack Q&A 69. ALEUROMANCY - with flour or meal.
[1611 & 1632 Cotgrave Dictionarie of French & Eng. Tongues Alebromantie. Diuination by barley meale mixed with wheat.]
1656 Blount Glossographia
s.v. divination: The
third and last manner of Divination is that which we call
Superstitious, whereof there has been among the Gentiles divers
different kinds. As namely..Alebromancy, [sic] by Barly
meal mixed with Wheat.
Ibid. [alphabetised according to
this spelling] Alebromancy (Greek) divination by barley
meal mixed with wheat.
1676 Coles An Eng. Dict.: Alevromancy,
g. Divination by Barly and Wheat.
Ibid. Aleuromancy,
g. Cake-Divination.
1708 Kersey Dictionarium Anglo-Britannicum: Aleuromancy, a kind of Sooth-saying, by Bread, or Cake-Paste.
1755 Bailey An Universal Etym. Eng. Dict. (16th ed.) ALEUROMANCY [of 'Aleuron Meal and manteia, Gr. Prophecy] a Divination by Cake or Paste.
1852 Roget Thes. § 511: ..by meal, Aleuromancy...
1871 Ogilvie Imperial Dict. i.: aleuromancy..A kind of divination by meal, used by the ancients.
1881 New Sydenham Society's Lexicon I: Aleuromantia ... Divination by meal of barley.
1882 Worcester Dict. of the Eng. Lang.: aleuromancy.. Divination by means of flour. Craig.
1884 OED.
1899 Century Dict. (1902) I: aleuromancy.. A method of divination by meal of flour, practised by the ancients.
1908 Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dict. i.: aleuromancy..Divination by the agency of meal or flour.
1909 Encyc. Dict. (Cassell's) I
1912 Webs. New Int. Dict.: aleuromancy [minor words list]
1955 Shipley Dict. Early Eng. (1963) 15: aleuromancy, by dough.
1961 Webs. Third New Int. Dict.: aleuromancy
1974 Mrs. Byrne's Dict.: aleuromancy..fortunetelling with flour or meal.
1981 Macquarie Dict. (1st ed.): aleuromancy..a form of divination in which fortune cookies are used.
1984 Macquarie Thes. § 268.6: aleuromancy (fortune cookies)
1986 Urdang (ed.) -Ologies & -Isms (3rd ed.) 208: aleuromancy an old form of divination using meal or flour. - aleuromantic, adj.
1987 Random House Dict.: aleuromancy..(in ancient times)
the use of flour as a means of divination.
The word itself, appears to be only recorded only in dictionaries and
books on the occult. The OED records it as a variant of halomancy, but
when that word is consulted only one citation appears, Websters (1864),
where the form is indeed alomancy. Since it is not labelled
rare-0 then one must assume that the OED had citations of the
h form, though ones later than 1864. OED misses the fact that
in 1852 the h form appears in Roget's Thesaurus, even
though this source is cited in other OED -mancy entries.
What is remarkable is the fact that, in a time of prescriptive
dictionaries, the lexicogrpahers of the day did not mark the form
alomancy as incorrect or erroneous.
Presumably Roget and Webster had original sources for the word, or perhaps they both had the same source and Roget etymologically normalised the form. As yet I have not been able to discover a 19th century (or earlier) primary source.
1864 Websters (OED): alomancy.
1871 Ogilvie Imperial Dict. i.: alomancy..Divination by salt.
1882 Worcester Dict. of the Eng. Lang.: alomancy.. Divination by salt. Ogilvie.
1884 OED. [cross-referenced to halomancy]
1899 Century Dict. (1902) I: alomancy.. Same as halomancy.
1912 Webs. New Int. Dict.: alomancy [minor words list]
1908 Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dict. i.: alomancy..Same as halomancy.
1909 Encyc. Dict. (Cassell's) I: alomancy..Imagined divination by salt.
1920 L. Spence Encyc. Occult 16/1: Alomancy: Divination by means of salt, of which process little is known. It is this science which justifies people in saying that misfortune is about to fall on the household when the salt cellar is overturned.
1961 H.E. Wedeck Treasury of Witchcraft xii. 220: Salt is used in alomancy...
1970 Zolar Encyc. of Ancient & Forbidden Knowledge 463: ALOMANCY: The divination by salt, which accounts for some of our modern superstitions.
1973 Gibson Complete Illust. Bk Div. & Prophecy (1989) 311: ALOMANCY or HALOMANCY: Use of salt in various divinations, probably dating from its ancient use as an offering to pagan gods, because of its scarcity and necessity. From that developed other rites in which salt played a significant part; hence any careless waste of such a precious substance was sure to rouse the wrath of the presiding deities[.] This has survived in the modern superstition that spilling salt brings bad luck.
1981 Macquarie Dict. (1st ed.): alomancy..divination be means of salt.
1985 N. Drury Dict. Mysticism & Occult 9/1: Alomancy. Divination by sprinkling salt. The diviner interprets future events by analyzing the patterns made by this action. Alomancy has probably given rise to the superstition that spilling salt is unlucky. Misfortune is averted by casting a small amount of the salt over the left shoulder.
1986 F. Gettings Encyc. Occult
1986 P. Hellweg Insomniac's Dict. x. 74: Halomancy (alomancy) Salt.
1986 Urdang (ed.) -Ologies & -Isms (3rd ed.)
208: alomancy halomancy.
1652 Gaule The Magastromancer xix. 166: ..Alphitomancy, by meal, flower, or branne...
a1660 (1693) Urquhart tr. Rabelais Gargantua & Pantagruel iii. xxv. 133: By Alphitomancy, cried up by Theocritus in his Pharmeketria.
1777 Brand Popular Antiquities (1844) iii. 330: [citing Gaule]
1832 Hone Year Bk 1517/2: [citing Gaule (via Brand)]
1852 Mackay Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions 252: Alphitomancy, by meal, flour, or bran. [citing Hone citing Gaule]
1893 Howitt tr. Ennemoser Hist. Magic ii. 461: Among the various other kinds of divination not here mentioned may be enumerated Chilomancy performed with keys; Alphitomancy or Aleuromancy, by flour; Keraunoscopia, by the consideration of thunder; Eychnomancy, by lamps; Ooscopy, by eggs; Licanomancy by a basin of water; Palpitatim, Salisatio, by the pulsation or motion of some member etc.
1897 Urquhart tr. Rabelais Works of Rabelais iii. xxv. 161: By alphitomancy...
1904 Urquhart tr. Rabelais Gargantua & Pantagruel iii. xxv. 153: By alphitomancy...
1903 Daniels & Stevans Encyc. Occult Sci. (1971) III 1662: [copied from Howitt 1893]
1913 Halliday Greek Div. ix. 185: Ooskopy..libanomancy..and aleuromancy..belong to the same order of sub-rites. [footnote] Also phyllomancy, alphitomancy, krithomancy...
1920 L. Spence Encyc. Occult 16/2:
Alphitomancy: A method of divination carried out with the help of
barley, which has been practised since the earliest days.
Ibid.
There was said to be near Lavinium a sacred wood, where
Alphitomancy was practised in order to test the purity of
women. The priests kept a serpent, or, as some say, a dragon, in a
cavern in the wood. On certain days of the year the young women were
sent thither, blind-folded, and carrying a cake made of barley flour and
honey. The devil, we are told, led them by the right road. Those who
were innocent had their cakes eaten by the serpent, while the cakes of
the others were refused.
1931 Lock tr. de Givry Picture Museum of Sorcery (1963) viii. 302: Aleuromancy and alphitomancy were almost analogous processes; cakes were made of wheat or barley flour which could not be swallowed by anyone guilty of a given misdeed.
1951 Works of Rabelais III. xxv. 361: By alphitomancy, cried up by Theocritus in his Pharmaceutria.
1953 Gaynor (ed.) Dict. Mysticism (1974) 9: Alphitomancy: An ancient form of divination of the guilt or innocence of an accused individual by making him swallow a piece of barley loaf, which was supposed to produce indigestion in the guilty.
1955 Cohen tr. Rabelais Gargantua & Pantagruel iii. xxv. 358: By alphitomancy, described by Theocritus in his Pharmaceutria...
1959 Robbins Encyc. of Witchcraft and Demonology 139: [citing Gaule] Alphitomancy, by meal, flour, or bran.
1961 H.E. Wedeck Treasury of Witchcraft xii. 220: ..wheat or barley cakes, used in a kind of trial by ordeal in the Middle Ages, constituted alphitomancy.
1963 M. Bessy Pict. Hist. Magic & Supernatural 41: In North America, the Navaho Indians draw fortune-telling pictures on sand, magical puzzle-pictures. Everything soon becomes an omen to be read. In this way were born: ..alectromancy (from a cock), alectryomancy and alphitomancy (divination from grains of wheat) and also alveromancy (divination from barley).
1970 Zolar Encyc. of Ancient & Forbidden Knowledge 463: ALPHITOMANCY: A form which utilizes special cakes which are digestible by persons with a clear conscience, but are distasteful to all others.
1973 Gibson Complete Illust. Bk Div. & Prophecy (1989) 311: ALPHITOMANCY: Determining an accused person's innocence by having him swallow a piece of a specially baked barley loaf, with choking or other ill-effects marking him as guilty. In the year 1053, Earl Godwin of Wessex, England, collapsed while taking this test to support a false oath, and died a few days later. This case has frequently been cited as a strong argument in favor of alphitomancy as a divinatory process.
1983 Complete Bk Predictions 140: Alphitomancy enabled the seers to detect lies or dishonesty with special cakes made of wheat or barley flour - these were supposed to be swallowed easily by those of a clear conscience, but to choke liars or wrong-doers. A similar ordeal was known in medieval English law, but the special cakes were replaced by a consecrated "trial slice" of bread or cheese.
1985 N. Drury Dict. Mysticism & Occult 9/1: Alphitomancy. Divination by means of a leaf of barley, used to identify a culprit. Pieces of the leaf would be given to a group of accused persons. The innocent would suffer no ill effects, but the culprit would have an attack of indigestion and thereby identify himself.
1986 F. Gettings Encyc. Occult
1986 P. Hellweg Insomniac's Dict. x. 74: Alphitomancy - Barley meal.
1993 McCormack Q&A 70: ALPHITOMANCY - with barley meal.
[1611 & 1632 Cotgrave Dictionarie of French & Eng. Tongues Alphitomantie. Diuination by barley meale.]
1656 Blount Glossographia s.v. divination. The
third and last manner of Divination is that which we call
Superstitious, whereof there has been among the Gentiles divers
different kinds. As namely..Alphitomancy, by Barly meal.
Ibid. Alphitomancy (Gr.) divination by barley meal.
1658 Phillips New World of Eng. Words: Alphitomancy, (Greek) a divination by Barley meal.
1676 Coles An Eng. Dict.: Alphitomancy, g. Divination by barley-meal.
1727 Bailey The Universal Etym. Eng. Dict.:
ALPHITOMANCY of Alphita Barley Meal, and manteia,
Gr. Divination,] a sort of Divination by Barley-Meal.
ALPHITOSCOPIST..a Diviner by barley Meal.
1755 Bailey An Universal Etym. Eng. Dict. (16th ed.): ALPHITOMANCY, Divination by Barley-meal. Gr.
1852 Roget Thes. § 511: ..by meal, Aleuromancy, Alphitomancy...
1855 E. Rich, see aleuromancy.
1882 Worcester Dict. of the Eng. Lang.: alphitomancy.. Divination by means of barley-meal. Ogilvie.
1884 OED.
1899 Century Dict. (1902) I: alphitomancy.. Divination by means of barley-meal.
1908 Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dict. i.: alphitomancy..Divination with barley-meal.
1909 Encyc. Dict. (Cassell's) I
1912 Webs. New Int. Dict. alphitomancy [minor words list]
1955 Shipley Dict. Early Eng. (1963) 15: alphitomancy, by barley meal.
1974 Mrs. Byrne's Dict.: alphitomancy..fortunetelling with barley meal.
1981 Macquarie Dict. (1st ed.): alphitomancy..a means of divination using special cakes that are said to have a pleasant taste only for persons with a clear conscience.
1984 Macquarie Thes. § 268.6: alphitomancy (barley meal)
1986 Urdang (ed.) -Ologies & -Isms (3rd ed.) 208: alphitomancy a form of divination involving the examination of barley.
1987 Random House Dict.: alphitomancy..the use of
barley meal as a means of divination.
Not recorded elsewhere. Derived from ancient Greek amathos sand.
1955 Shipley Dict. Early Eng. (1963) 16:
amathomancy, dust.
1816 in Monthly Magazine xlii. 22 (OED): His Ambulomancy, and many other foolish observances.
1884 OED [labelled 'rare'].
1899 Century Dict. (1902) I: ambulomancy.. Divination by walking. [Rare.]
1908 Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dict. i.: ambulomancy..[Rare.] Divination by walking.
1912 Webs. New Int. Dict.: ambulomancy [minor words list; labelled rare]
1986 Urdang (ed.) -Ologies & -Isms (3rd ed.)
208: ambulomancy a form of divination involving walking,
usually in circles. Cf. gyromancy.
The caul is any part of the amnionic sac that happens to be attached
to a new-born's head. Usually there is no caul and hence it was
perceived as signifying something special when one did appear. Thus
a great host of beliefs grew up surrounding the caul over the
centuries in many disparate cultures, and since cauls occur on
the head of babies, the association with them has
always been favourable. If it just so happened that it was common
for amniotic membrane to be attached to the feet then a very different
mythology would have arisen around the topic. At any rate, the caul
has always been associated with good luck and beneficial powers.
It was believed in Europe that children born with cauls were lucky, and
that they had second sight or could see into the spirit world. This
belief was also found alive in the 19th century in the East Indies.
Also, possessing a caul meant sure victory in any contests entered
into, thus cauls were previously in great demand by attorneys, a
practice that was ridiculed by Sir Thomas Browne in his Pseudoxia
Epidemica (Vulgar Errors) in 1646.
In Scotland the caul was known as the happy hoo, sely hoo,
syly hoffe or the sillyhoo, which all literally mean the
"lucky hood". This is identical to the German name glückshaube.
In Palsgrave's 1540 translation of the Latin play Acolastus, dating
from 1525, we find the passage:
May not men...thinke, that I was borne in a good
howre, or that I was borne with a syly hoffe on
myn heed.
Lastly, cauls, which are easily dried and kept, were believed to be
a specific against drowning and shipwreck. Thus cauls were often sold
amongst sailors for a high price. One was sold in London's shipping
district as recently as 1915.
Apart from the definition provided by Lewis Spence, and later
writers following him, I cannot find any other evidence that
the colour of the caul itself was used to predict the future. All
the sources I can uncover unequivocably state that a caul signifies
good luck.
[1713 Fabricii Bibliographia Antiquaria xii. 410: Amniomantia, divination per amnium s[ive] membranam tertiam embryonis.]
1912 Webs. New Int. Dict.: amniomancy [minor words list]
1920 L. Spence Encyc. Occult 23/1: Amniomancy: Divination by means of the caul, or membrane which sometimes envelopes the head of a child at birth. From an inspection of this caul, the wise women predict the sort of future the baby will have. If it be red, happy days are in store for the child, or if lead-coloured, he will have misfortunes.
1961 H.E. Wedeck Treasury of Witchcraft xii. 220: The caul on a child's head, at birth, was examined in amniomancy.
1963 M. Bessy Pict. Hist. Magic & Supernatural 41: The amniotic membrane, which occasionally envelops the head of the newborn, led to amniomancy.
1970 Man, Myth & Magic v. 658: Amniomancy - by a caul.
1973 K. Ellis Prediction and Prophecy iii. 42: In amniomancy, the ancient Greeks inspected the caul at birth. If it was pinkish, the baby would be lucky; if bluish, unlucky.
1973 Gibson Complete Illust. Bk Div. & Prophecy (1989) 312: AMNIOMANCY: A term applied to traditional predictions made regarding a child that is born with a membranous caul over its head.
1986 F. Gettings Encyc. Occult
1986 P. Hellweg Insomniac's Dict. x. 80: Amniomancy - the embryonic sac.
1986 Urdang (ed.) -Ologies & -Isms (3rd ed.)
208: amniomancy a form of divination by examining the
embryonic sac or amniotic fluid.
1973 Gibson Complete Illust. Bk Div. &
Prophecy (1989) i. 6: This could very well be titled
"anagramalectryomancy," for that is exactly what it is, but the shorter
term of "anagrammatic divination" is preferable, as it is more
understandable. Either way, it adds up the same.
Derived from ancient Greek anthos a flower. Not recorded in OED or other standard dictionaries.
1955 Shipley Dict. Early Eng. (1963) 16:
anthomancy, flowers (She loves me, she loves me not!)
1986 P. Hellweg Insomniac's Dict. x. 76: Anthomancy -
Flowers.
The word is coined from anthraco-, the modern scientific word element signifying "coal", which comes from the ancient Greek anthrak-, the stem of anthrax coal.
1899 Century Dict. (1902) I: anthracomancy.. Divination by means of burning coals.
1908 Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dict. i.: anthracomancy..Divination by observation by burning coals.
1910 Encyc. Dict. (Cassell's) supp.
1912 Webs. New Int. Dict.: anthracomancy [minor words list]
1974 Mrs. Byrne's Dict.: anthracomancy..fortunetelling with burning coal.
1986 Urdang (ed.) -Ologies & -Isms (3rd ed.) 208: anthracomancy the art of divination through the study of burning coals. - anthracomantic. adj.
1993 McCormack Q&A 70: ANTHRACOMANCY - burning coal.
Not recorded in OED, although a similar error (i.e. alebromancy) is. This is possibly due to the fact that the definition seems incorrect anyhow.
A word similar in form, anthroscopy, is sometimes seen, but only in very recent texts, where it is defined as "divination by the features" (Q&A). Is this a recent mistake for the (admittedly uncommon) anthroposcopy? All up, an ugly kettle of fish.
1656 Blount Glossographia: Anthromancy (Gr.) divination by the raising of dead men.
1676 Coles An Eng. Dict.: Antromancy,
g. Divination by consulting the dead. [alphabetised between
Amian and Anzigues, but far away from other words
beginning ant-]
Derived from New Latin anthropomantia, from ancient Greek anthropos human being; cf. F anthropomancie.
Variant Forms: (early) anthropomancia, anthropomancie, (erroneous) antinopomancy.
1652 Gaule The Magastromancer xix. 165: ..Antinopomancy, [sic] by the entrails of men, women and children...
[1656 See Blount anthromancy]
a1660 (1693) Urquhart tr. Rabelais Gargantua & Pantagruel iii. xxv. 134: By Anthropomancy, practised by the Roman Emporer Heliagabolus; it is somewhat irksom, but thou wil endure it well enough, seeing thou art destinated to be a Cuckold.
1777 Brand Popular Antiquities (1844) iii. 329:
Antinopomancy [citing Gaule].
Ibid. 330. In Holiday's Marriage
of the Arts, 4to., is introduced a species of divination not in the above
ample list of them, entitled Anthropomancie.
Ibid. 420:
[index] "Anthropomancia," iii, 300.
1832 Hone Year Bk 1517/2: [citing Holiday, via Brand]
1853 Mackay Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions 252: Anthropomancy, by the entrails of human beings. [citing Hone citing Gaule]
1891 John G. Bourke Scatalogic Rites of all Nations xl. 272: The Romans were addicted to this mode of divination [sc. uromancy], which Schurig incorrectly styles "Anthropomancy."
1897 Urquhart tr. Rabelais Works of Rabelais iii. xxv. 163: By anthropomancy...
1904 Urquhart tr. Rabelais Gargantua & Pantagruel iii. xxv. 154: By anthropomancy...
1920 L. Spence Encyc. Occult 27/1: Anthropomancy: Divination by the entrails of men or women. This horrible usage is very ancient. Herodotus said the Menelaus, detained in Egypt by contrary winds, sacrificed to his barbarous curiosity, two children of the country, and sought to discover his destiny by means of anthropomancy. Heliogabalus practised this means of divination. Julian the Apostate, in his magical operations, during his nocturnal sacrifices, cause, it is said, a large number of children to be killed, so that he might consult their entrails.
1953 Gaynor (ed.) Dict. Mysticism (1974) 12: Anthropomancy: The ancient art of divination by examining the intestines of a dead person - specifically, of a human sacrifice.
1951 Works of Rabelais III. xxv. 361: By anthropomancy, practised by the Roman Emperor Heliogabalus. It is somewhat irksome, but thou wilt endure well enough, seeing thou art destined to be a cuckold.
1955 Cohen tr. Rabelais Gargantua & Pantagruel iii. xxv. 358: By anthropomancy, which was employed by Heliogabalus, Emperor of Rome.
1959 Robbins Encyc. of Witchcraft and Demonology 139: [citing Gaule] Antinopomancy, by the entrails of women and children.
1961 H.E. Wedeck Treasury of Witchcraft xii. 220: The Roman Emperor Julian, the Apostate, is said to have consulted the intestines of sacrificed children: a method known as anthropomancy.
1970 Zolar Encyc. of Ancient & Forbidden Knowledge 463: ANTHROPOMANCY: An Ancient and long-outlawed form of human sacrifice.
1973 Gibson Complete Illust. Bk Div. & Prophecy (1989) xiii. 312: ANTHROPOMANCY: A form of divination used by ancient Egyptians and Greeks, involving human sacrifice and the dissection of bodies. It continued intermittently through the period of the Roman Empire and was probably revived by notorious practitioners of black arts during the Middle Ages.
1985 N. Drury Dict. Mysticism & Occult 12/2: Anthroposophy. Barbaric form of divination using human entrails - usually of virgins or young children. According to legend, the magician Julian the Apostate sacrificed a number of children during his ritual workings, in order to evaluate their entrails. Anthropomancy was also practiced in ancient Egypt.
1986 F. Gettings Encyc. Occult
1995 The X-files: Mulder: Satanists take
the eyeballs and leave the body, not vice versa. Not in anything
but modern myths.
Policeman 1: He's gouging eyes for no reason?
Scully: No. Nobody does anything without a reason. We've
already composed a profile of the killer. [Hands over manila
folder] We offer possible explanations for the nature of
his attacks and also his choice of victims.
Policeman 1: Does it explain the entrails?
Mulder: Anthropomancy. [pause] It was once believed that you
could divine your own future by vivisecting a human being and
studying its entrails. [Leans over table and places face
close to the entrails]
Policeman 2: [With disgusted disbelief] So this guy
is hacking up people in order to see his future?
[1656 See Blount anthromancy]
1731 Bailey (OED).
1740 Dyche & Pardon New General Eng. Dict.:
anthropomancy (s.) a kind of divination performed by inspecting the
entrails of a dead man.
1852 Roget Thes. § 511: ..by the entrails of a human sacrifice, Anthropomancy...
1871 Ogilvie Imperial Dict. i.: anthropomancy..Divination by inspecting the entrails of a human being.
1881 New Sydenham Society's Lexicon I: 1882 Worcester Dict. of the Eng. Lang.: anthropomancy.. Divination by the inspection of a human body. Dunglison.
1885 OED.
1899 Century Dict. (1902) I: anthropomancy.. Divination by inspecting the entrails of a human being.
1908 Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dict. i.: anthropomancy..Divination by inspection of human entrails.
1909 Encyc. Dict. (Cassell's) I [cites Webs]
1912 Webs. New Int. Dict.: anthropomancy [minor words list]
1955 Shipley Dict. Early Eng. (1963) 16: anthropomancy, human entrails.
1961 Webs. Third New Int. Dict.: anthropomancy
1981 Macquarie Dict. (1st ed.): anthropomancy..divination using human entrails.
1984 Macquarie Thes. § 268.6: anthropomancy (human entrails)
1986 Urdang (ed.) -Ologies & -Isms (3rd ed.) 208: anthropomancy a form of divination using the entrails of dead men. - anthropomantist, n. - anthropomantic, adj.
1993 McCormack Q&A 70: ANTHROPOMANCY - the entrails of a human sacrifice.
There are not many copies of Gaule's Magastromancer extant, and
it has not, to my knowledge, ever been reprinted. Thus, in all likelihood,
most of the later recorders of Gaule's words have taken them from Brand's
Popular Antiquities where Gaule's list is reproduced verbatim (with
only a small addition).
Evidently Brand did not understand that there was a typographical
error in Gaule and separately notes the word anthropomancie as
"not in the above ample list". Hone faithfully reproduced this in his
famous Year Book, and the error was not rectified until
Mackay's Extraordinary Popular Delusions. The Gibson's, who almost
certainly did not get their evidence from an original copy of Gaule, continue
the error to the point of defining it separately.
OED avoids Gaule's erroneous form and cites another example of the word from a latter part of the same text.
[1652 Gaule The Magastromancer xix. 165: ..Antinopomancy, [sic] by the entrails of men, women and children...]
1777 Brand Popular Antiquities (1844) iii. 329:
[citing Gaule] ..Antinopomancy, by the entrails of men, women
and children...
Ibid. 330: In Holiday's Marriage of the Arts,
4to., is introduced a species of divination not in the above ample list of
them, entitled Anthropomancie.
1832 Hone Year Bk 1517/1: [citing Gaule (via Brand)]
1959 Robbins Encyc. of Witchcraft and Demonology 139: [citing Gaule] Antinopomancy, by the entrails of women and children.
1973 Gibson Complete Illust. Bk Div. &
Prophecy (1989) xiii. 312: ANTINOPOMANCY: Similar to
anthropomancy but somewhat more gruesome, as children were among
the principal victims.
Derived from the ancient Greek apantomai to meet.
Possibly coined by Spence. Not in OED.
1953 Gaynor (ed.) Dict. Mysticism (1974) 13: Apantomancy: Divination by means of any object that happens to meet the eye.
1961 H.E. Wedeck Treasury of Witchcraft xii. 220: Even objects that lie about haphazardly were fit for mantic purposes. The prcatice was called apantomancy.
1970 Zolar Encyc. of Ancient & Forbidden Knowledge 463: APANTOMANCY: A method which forecasts from chance meetings with animals, birds, and other creatures. It may be said to include modern omens of the 'black cat' variety. The classic was the founding of Mexico City on the spot where Ancient Aztec soothsayers saw an eagle flying from a cactus and carrying a live snake. This omen represents the Mexican coat-of-arms of today.
1973 Gibson Complete Illust. Bk Div. & Prophecy (1989) 312. APANTOMANCY: Divination from omens depending on observations of chance objects, meeting certain types of animals, or other unusual occurrences. In ancient times such events were frequently interpreted by oracles, and their importance persisted through the Middle Ages, even up to modern times. From them have stemmed countless superstitions that many people still believe may bring them good or bad luck, though the interpretations may vary in different localities.
1973 L. Watson Supernature ix. 300: Precoginition means "knowing in advance," and systems of knowing cover just about every possible source of variation. They include..apantomancy (chance meetings with animals)... None of these need be taken seriously...
1981 Macquarie Dict. (1st ed.) apantomancy..forecasting from chance meetings with animals, as a black cat.
1984 Macquarie Thes. § 268.6 apantomancy (meetings with animals)
1986 F. Gettings Encyc. Occult
Also, it may be noted that the minute red spiders which are commonly called money spiders are meant to foretell of some financial gain in the near future.
Not in OED or other dictionaries.
Derived from ancient Greek arachne a spider; also a legendary woman, a skillful weaver of Colophon, changed into a spider by the goddess Minerva.
1983 Complete Bk Predictions 136: Common
omens and superstitions 2. 1 HORSES (HIPPOMANCY)... 2 CATS
(AILUROMANCY)... 3 SPIDERS (ARACHNOMANCY) Seeing a
spider in the morning - Grief. Seeing a spider at noon - Anxiety. Seeing
a spider in the evening - Financial loss. Seeing a spider spinning a web
- Some sources say this indicates that there is a plot against you, others
that you will receive a gift, probably new clothes. ...[etc.]
Ibid. 142: Arachnomancy Predicting from the appearance
and behavior of spiders.
The forms of number divination that arithmancy referred to were different to those currently in use. The exploration of the mystical aspects of numbers dates back to at least Babylonian times. However, the greatest influence was by the Greek mathematician Pythagoras (c.582--c.500 BC) and his philosophical followers known as the Pythagoreans. All great magicians and occult theoreticians have had something to say about numbers and their meanings, including Cornelius Agrippa, John Dee, Edward Kelly, and Robert Fludd.
Variant Forms: (early) arithmancie, arythmancy; (new) arithomancy. Also arithmomancy.
[1583 Weyer De praestigiis daemonum xiii.: arythmanteia]
1597 King James Daemonologie (1924) 14: Of this roote last spoken of [sc. astrology], springs innumerable branches; such as the knowledge of natiuities; the Chiromancie, Geomantie, Hydromantie, Arithmantie, Physiognomie: & a thousand others: which were much practiced, & holden in great reuerence by the Gentiles of olde.
1652 Gaule The Magastromancer xix. 165: ..Arithmancy, by numbers...
1777 Brand Popular Antiquities (1844) iii. 329: [citing Gaule]
1832 Hone Year Bk 1517/2: [citing Gaule (via Brand)]
1852 Mackay Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions 252: Arithmancy, by numbers. [citing Hone citing Gaule]
1920 L. Spence Encyc. Occult 36/1: Arithmancy: (Sometimes called wrongly Arithmomancy). Divination by means of numbers. The Greeks examined the number and value of the letters in the names of two combatants, and predicted that he whose name contained most letters, or letters of the greatest value, would be the victor.
1959 Robbins Encyc. of Witchcraft and Demonology 139: [citing Gaule] Arithmancy, by numbers.
1969 Vincent Foster Hopper Medieval Number Symbolism 125: Divination and the Black Arts took numerous forms on which it is not necessary to dwell further, unless it be to remark that all of them utilized the magic properties of number in their rituals and that one of them, arithmancy, relied entirely on the mysteries of the decimal system.
1970 Man, Myth & Magic v. 658: Arithmancy - by numbers.
1970 Zolar Encyc. of Ancient & Forbidden Knowledge 464: ARITHMANCY or ARITHMOMANCY: The Ancient form of Numerology that applies chiefly to divination through numbers and letter values...
1973 Gibson Complete Illust. Bk Div. & Prophecy (1989) 312: ARITHMANCY or ARITHMOMANCY: Fortunetelling by numbers.
1983 Complete Bk Predictions 117: Numerology, which was also known as numeromancy or arithomancy, used to be practiced as a form of general divination; today its practitioners are mainly concerned with character analysis and potential.
1985 N. Drury Dict. Mysticism & Occult 16/1: Arithmancy. Greek and Chaldean method of divination by numbers.
1993 McCormack Q&A 70: ARITHOMANCY - numbers.
1656 Blount Glossographia: Arithmancy (Gr.) Divination made by number, which hath consideration and contemplation of Angelic vertues; of names, signacles, Natures, and Conditions, both of divels and other Creatures.
1658 Phillips New World of Eng. Words: Arithmancy, (Greek) a divination by numbers.
1676 Coles An Eng. Dict.: Arithmancy, g. Divination by numbers.
1740 Dyche & Pardon New General Eng. Dict.: arithmancy (s.) a sort of prophesying, or divination by certain numbers.
1755 Bailey An Universal Etym. Eng. Dict. (16th ed.): ARITHMANCY [of arithmos Number, and manteia Divination, Gr.] Divination by Numbers.
1755 Johnson Dict. of the Eng. Lang. (1840): Arithmancy..A foretelling future events by numbers. Dict.
1852 Roget Thes. § 511: ..by numbers, Arithmancy...
1871 Ogilvie Imperial Dict. i.: arithmancy..Divination or the foretelling of future events by the use or observation of numbers.
Entering into English later than arithmancy it is
derived from New Latin arithmomantia, from the
ancient Greek arithmos a number. Often said to be a
more "correct" form of arithmancy since is includes
more letters of the Greek base word.
1660 in OED.
1855 Elihu Rich in Smedley et al. Occult Sci. 328: arithmomancy, To which head belongs the magical operation of numbers and magical squares, is derived from the doctrines of the Pythagoreans and Platonists. In estimating these doctrines, it must be remembered that all movement, proportion, time, and, in a word, all idea of quantity and harmony, may be represented by numbers: hence, whatever may be attributed to the latter, may also be expressed by numbers, as the signs of occult virtues and laws. It is known to philosophers that the movements of nature are rhythmical; physicians have observed this in the periodicity of diseases; and the appointment of the seventh day as the Sabbath, has added a religious obligation to this law of nature. The three, the ten, and the twelve are also members of well known import, and one is the most divine of all, as expressing the unity of God, and the comprehension of all things in perfect harmony. The use of numbers in divination has assumed many curious forms. It may suffice to mention here the Gematria, or first division of the Cabbala, which teaches how to cast up the letters of particular words as numerals, and to form conclusions from the proportion between the sum of one text and the sum of another. This method converts the Bible into a book written solely by numbers, and some curious results are obtained, probably as near the truth as the rabbinical astrology (see note to Geomancy). Some curious properties of perfect, amicable, and other numbers have been elucidated by the late Platonist, Thomas Taylor. The most valuable remains of antiquity connected with this subject are contained in the `Chaldean Oracles' of Zoroaster. For the various arrangements of magic squares we may refer to a curious work entitled `Qanvon-E-Islam; or, the Customs of the Moosulmans of India,' by Jaffur Shareef. The Pythagorean doctrine is noticed by Ennemoser, who quotes some interesting passages from Plato on this subject.
1863 William Smith Dict. of the Bible i. 442/2: The other kind of divination was artificial (çîxvikn), and probably originated in an honest conviction that external nature sympathised with and frequently indicated the condition and prospects of mankind... When once this feeling was established the supposed manifestations were infinitely multiplied, and hence the numberless forms of imposture or ignorance called kapnomancy, pyromancy, arithmomancy, libanomancy, botanomancy, kephalomancy, &c. of which there are abundant accounts...
1893 Howitt tr. Ennemoser Hist. of Magic ii. 453: arithmomancy - Is a kind of divination or method of foretelling future events by means of numbers. The Gematria, which makes the first species of Jewish Cabala, is a kind of Arithmomancy.
[text copied in] 1903 Daniels & Stevans Encyc. Occult Sci. (1971) III 1662.
1920 L. Spence Encyc. Occult 36/1: Arithmancy: (Sometimes called wrongly Arithmomancy).
1970 Zolar Encyc. of Ancient & Forbidden Knowledge 464: ARITHMANCY or ARITHMOMANCY: The Ancient form of Numerology that applies chiefly to divination through numbers and letter values...
1973 Collier's Encyc. x. 211/1: Arithmomancy (Numerology)...numbers
1973 Gibson Complete Illust. Bk Div. & Prophecy (1989) 312: ARITHMANCY or ARITHMOMANCY: Fortunetelling by numbers.
1986 F. Gettings Encyc. Occult
1899 Century Dict. (1902) I: arithmomancy.. Divination by numbers. Also arithmancy.
1908 Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dict. i.: arithmancy..Divination by numbers. arithmomancy [marked as a variant].
1910 Encyc. Dict. (Cassell's) supp.
1912 Webs. New Int. Dict.: arithmomancy [minor words list]
c1920 Cassell's New Eng. Dict.: arithmancy..[more correctly arithmomancy..] Divination by means of numbers.
1981 Macquarie Dict. (1st ed.): arithmomancy..an ancient form of numerology.
1984 Macquarie Thes. § 268.6: arithmomancy (numbers)
1987 Random House Dict.
This method of divination was formerly very common and occurs in many disparate cultures. Its popularity is in some way indicated by the amount of terms designating the practice, such as omoplatoscopy, scapulimancy, and spatulamancy. In Scotland it was known as `reading the speal-bone', hence the term spealomancy.
This word is derived from the Latin word armus a shoulder blade. And, although appearing in some early dictionaries, and being recorded in OED, has for some reason not met with approval among later lexicographers. Perhaps this is because it is from a Latin, rather than Greek, root.
1676 Coles An Eng. Dict.: Armomancy, divining by the shoulders of beasts.
1727 Bailey The Universal Etym. Eng. Dict.: ARMOMANCY [of armus, L. a Shoulder, and manteia, Gr. Divination] Divination by Shoulders of Beasts.
1885 OED [giving Blount's definition, but offering no citations]
1920 L. Spence Encyc. Occult 36/1: Armomancy: A method of divination which is effected by the inspection of shoulders. The ancients judged by this means whether a victim was suitable for sacrifice to the gods.
1955 Shipley Dict. Early Eng. (1963) 16: armomancy, shoulders of beasts.
1973 Gibson Complete Illust. Bk Div. & Prophecy (1989) 312: ARMOMANCY: A long-forgotten mode of divining suitable candidates for sacrificial rites by inspecting them physically. Any modern survival of such practices is probably computerized rather than divinatory. Note
1985 N. Drury Dict. Mysticism & Occult 16/2: Armomancy. Divination by means of the shoulders. Subjects were inspected to see whether they were suitable candidates to be sacrificed to the gods.
1986 P. Hellweg Insomniac's Dict. x.
1986 Urdang (ed.) -Ologies & -Isms (3rd ed.)
208: armomancy a form of divination involving the shoulders
of animals. Cf. spatulamancy.
An uncommon term, not recorded by OED nor other standard dictionaries.
1920 L. Spence Encyc. Occult 37/1: Aspidomancy: A little known form of divination practised in the Indies, as we are told by some travellers. Delancre says that the diviner or sorcerer traces a circle, takes up his position therein seated on a buckler, and mutters certain conjurations. He becomes entranced and falls into an ecstasy, from which he only emerges to tell things that his client wishes to know, and which the devils has revealed to him.
1961 H.E. Wedeck Treasury of Witchcraft xii. 220: Sitting on a shield, within the magic circle, and pronouncing conjurations, the karcist falls into a trance during which he makes mantic revelations. This is aspidomancy.
1973 Gibson Complete Illust. Bk Div. & Prophecy (1989) 312: ASPIDOMANCY: A primitive form of divination in which an entranced sorcerer, seated in a magic circle, becomes inspired by the devil and upon awakening recounts the predictions revealed to him from that source.
1986 Urdang (ed.) -Ologies & -Isms (3rd ed.)
208: aspidomancy a form of divination involving examination
of a shield.
[1583 Weyer De praestigiis daemonum xiii.: astragalomanteia]
1640 E. Chilmead in Brand Popular Antiquities (1844) iii. 337: Dr. Ferrand, in his Love Melancholy, 1640, p. 177, mentions the "kinde of divination by the opening of a booke at all adventures..." He adds, "I shall omit to speak here of astragalomancy, that was done with huckle bones; ceromancy, and all other such like fooleries."
1652 Gaule The Magastromancer xix. 166: ..Astragalomancy, by dice...
a1660 (1693) Urquhart tr. Rabelais Gargantua & Pantagruel iii. xxv. 133: By Astragalomancy, whereof I have the Plots and Models all at hand ready for the Purpose.
1777 Brand Popular Antiquities (1844) iii. 330: [citing Gaule]
1832 Hone Year Bk 1517/2: [citing Gaule (via Brand)]
1852 Mackay Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions 252: Astragalomancy, by dice. [citing Hone citing Gaule]
1897 Urquhart tr. Rabelais Works of Rabelais iii. xxv. 161: By astragalomancy...
1904 Urquhart tr. Rabelais Gargantua & Pantagruel iii. xxv. 153: By astragalomancy...
1931 Lock tr. de Givry Picture Museum of Sorcery (1963) viii. 303: Astragalomancy, or astragyromancy, was performed, among the ancients, with knucklebones marked with letters of the alphabet. Later on dice were substituted for the bones, the figures from one to twelve upon them representing the twelve principal divisions of human language. This latter method was even turned into a complicated art pertaining at once to polite diversion and divination, which was expounded at length in a book by Maistre Laurens l'Esprit, Le Passe-temps de la fortune des dez, ing‚nieusement compil‚ pour response … vingt questions.
1953 Gaynor (ed.) Dict. Mysticism (1974) 18: Astragalomancy: Foretelling the future by means of dice marked with letters of the alphabet.
1951 Works of Rabelais III. xxv. 361: By astragalomancy, whereof I have made plots and models all at hand ready for the purpose.
1955 Cohen tr. Rabelais Gargantua & Pantagruel iii. xxv. 358: By astragalomancy. I have the pictures ready.
1959 Robbins Encyc. of Witchcraft and Demonology 139: [citing Gaule] Astragalomancy, by dice.
1970 Zolar Encyc. of Ancient & Forbidden Knowledge 464: ASTRAGYROMANCY: This was divination with dice bearing letters and numbers. It has developed into the modern Fortune Telling by Dice.
1973 Gibson Complete Illust. Bk Div. & Prophecy (1989) 312: ASTRAGALOMANCY or ASTRAGYROMANCY: Divination with dice, ranging from crude bones with primitive markings to cubes bearing spots, letters, or cabalistic symbols, all interpreted by the bone caster.
1979 B. Martin Dict. Occult: astragalomancy - a form of divination using the astragalus or ankle bone of certain animals. The bone has two rounded ends and four more or less flat faces upon which appropriate symbols may be marked... The use of rune sticks in divination stems from the astragalus, the sticks being either a substitute for or a development of the astragali. The term is sometimes used loosely, and incorrectly, to refer to any form of divination involving the use of bones.
1983 Complete Bk Predictions 108: Astragalomancy Today this is a form of divination using two dice, but originally a pair of astragals (probably the left and right ankle-bones of a sheep) would have been used.
1985 N. Drury Dict. Mysticism & Occult 18/1: Astragalomancy. Divination using knuckle bones, stones, or small pieces of wood marked with letters or symbols.
1986 F. Gettings Encyc. Occult
1993 McCormack Q&A 70: ASTRAGALOMANCY - dice.
[1611 & 1632 Cotgrave Dictionarie of French & Eng. Tongues: Astragalomantie. Diuination by huckle bones.]
1882 Worcester Dict. of the Eng. Lang. [supplement]: astragalomancy..Divination by means of small bones or dice.
1885 OED.
1899 Century Dict. (1902) I: astragalomancy.. Divination by means of huckle-bones or dice.
1908 Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dict. i.: astragalomancy..Divination with dice or the astragalus-bones or quadrupeds.
1909 Encyc. Dict. (Cassell's) I: astragalomancy..Pretended divination performed by throwing down small dice with marks corresponding to letters of the alphabet, and observing what words they formed. It was practised in the temple of Hercules, in Achaia.
1912 Webs. New Int. Dict.: astragalomancy [minor words list]
1961 Webs. Third New Int. Dict.: astragalomancy..divination by means of small bones or dice.
1974 Mrs. Byrne's Dict.: astragalomancy..fortunetelling using dice.
1986 Urdang (ed.) -Ologies & -Isms (3rd ed.) 208: astragalomancy a form of divination involving dice or knuckle-bones, in which letters are marked on the faces of the dice and the future is foretold from the words formed as the dice fall. Also called cleromancy.
This method of divination, involves taking note of the heavens both when a person is born, and at the present, and forming judgements about that person's character, luck, future, etc., based on the influence exerted by the Sun, the Moon, and the eight planets as they travel through the twelve zodiacal constellations.
Originally, the planets Neptune, Uranus and Pluto formed no part of astrology, since they are not visible to the naked eye and were not discovered until after the 17th century. In the pre-Copernican, geocentric view of the cosmos there were only seven planets or wandering stars, namely: the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. Their ancient importance is demonstrated by the fact the the seven days of the week are named after these seven planets.
Astrology is recorded throughout the world and clearly dates back to pre-historical times. European astrology is partly derived from Arabic and Egyptian astrology and also owes much to the astrological traditions of the ancient Babylonians, Akkadians and Sumerians. See the timeline of major astrological and astronomical developments, discoveries and famous persons.
In the 17th century this method of divination was accepted by many as basic fact, but at the same time a fierce debate raged about its verity, with many authors denouncing it as irreligious, especially as it seemed to negate the doctrine of free will.
The term astrology dates back to the 16th century. In earlir times a distinction was made between natural astrology - the prediction of the weather and other natural phenomena, and judicial astrology - prediction of the future of individuals. The term horary astrology refers specifically to divination based on the stars at birth, the major method still in practice. This was previously known as astronomy (now obsolete in this sense), and is also sometimes referred to by casting horoscopes, casting nativities, genethliacs and horoscopy. See also sideromancy and roadomancy.
Etymology and Variant Forms Citations In Dictionaries
The term essentially died out after the 17th century. However, it reappears in the 19th century in a few sources. It occurs in Mackay where it is used as a substitute for Gaule's etymologically obscure roadomancy. Its appearance in Sir Richard Burton's translation of the Arabian Nights' Entertainments is not surprising as the use of archaic terms in this translation is a stylistic feature (for a further apposite example see egromancy). It is also to be met with in James Murray's definition of the term astrology in the OED.
The assertion in Gaynor and
Gibson that the term astromancy refers
to an ancient form of astrology, and not the modern day practice
is based on conjecture rather than evidence. Certainly there were
many astrological methods and practices that are now abandoned or
lost, but it is clear from the 17th century citations that the term
astromancy is basically equivalent to the
modern astrology.
1650 N. Homes Daemonologie and Theologie ix. 110: Or thirdly, if we entertaine those other tearmes and title that Alfred, and Doctor Willet, Etc. give to Astrologie, calling it..Astromancy, and Genethliaca, that is, the calculation of Nativities, a Magick; all these are disgraceful termes; and so unuseful to insinuate a lawfull Astrology.
1652 Gaule The Magastromancer xix. 165: What difference betwixt Astromancy, Magomancy, or Magastromancy (as touching a sorcerous both superstition, and operation) and all these after-named?
1663 John Heydon Theomagia, or The Temple of Wisdome:
Thy spirit's restlesse, Now thy busie fancy
Diverts it self in th' Art of Astromancy.
1664 John Heydon Psonthonphanchia 34: The Astromancy and Geomancy of the Hebrews have not as yet lost any of their lustre, so long as they were practised by those of the Nation only.
1665 John Heydon El Havarevna 2: In his Phylosophy you must know he makes a harmony of all things, the 7 Angels guide the 7 Planets, the 7 Planets move continually in the Signs, the 7 Rulers run in the 12 Ideas over the face of the whole Earth, and with the Elements project 16 Figures, these have their influence upon the 7 Mettals, which you must prepare for the diseases of mankind, as for example, if Mars cause the disease or Barzabel, Venus and Kedemel will cure it, and you must make your Medicine of Copper, as you are taught in the Holy, Guide, if Saturn and Zazel, then Jupiter and Hisamael in Tin prepared will lend you their influence to cure the party, as you may find by the Figures of Astromancy and Geomancy, as you are taught at large in the Harmony of the World, The Temple of Wisdome, and the Holy Guide.
1852 Mackay Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions 252: Astromancy, by stars. [supposedly citing Hone citing Gaule (who both rather have 'roadomancy' at this point)]
1885 Burton Bk. of Thousand Nights i. 305: 'Allah hath bounteously bestowed on thee a Barber who is an astrologer, one learned in alchemy and white magic; syntax, grammar, and lexicology; the arts of logic, rhetoric and elocution; mathematics, arithmetic and algebra; astronomy, astromancy and geometry; theology, the Traditions of the Apostle and the Commentaries on the Koran.'
1953 Gaynor (ed.) Dict. Mysticism (1974) 19: Astromancy: A system of divination by means of the stars. (Not synonymous with astrology.)
1973 Gibson Complete Illust. Bk Div. & Prophecy (1989) 312: ASTROMANCY: The ancient forerunner of astrology, as developed in Babylon and later carried to Greece, ascribing heavenly thrones to gods as represented by the sun, moon, and planets. From their movements, wise men divined the purposes of such deities, taking into account the phases of the moon, eclipses, the proximity of planets to the brighter fixed stars, and other phenomena, including the positions of constellations other than those forming the signs of the zodiac. As examples, the new moon rising in a cloudy sky presaged victory in a coming battle, while, if it failed to rise at an anticipated time, it became an omen of defeat. With the advance of astrology as a science, the casting of horoscopes and other exact calculations supplanted the old traditions and astromancy dwindled in importance. Its systems are largely obsolete, but its lore has survived as modern superstitions, such as expecting bad luck if you look at the moon over your left shoulder, or making a quick wish when you see a shooting star.
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