1855 Elihu Rich in Smedley et al. Occult Sci. 329:
belomancy, The method of divination by arrows, dates as far back as
the age of the Chaldeans. It existed among the Greeks, and still later
among the Arabians. The manner in which the latter practised it is
described on another page (Divination), and they continue its use
though forbidden by the Koran. Another method deserves mention. This
was to throw a certain number of arrows into the air, and the direction
in which the arrow inclined as it fell pointed out the course to be taken
by the inquirer. Divination by arrows is the same in principle as
Rhabdomancy.
Ibid., 330: The methods of using the lots have been very
numerous, such as Rhabdomancy, Clidomancy, and the Sortes
Sagittariæ, otherwise Belomancy, and the common casting of dice.
[1863 William Smith Dict. of the Bible i. 444/3: Belomants. alluded to in Ez. xxi. 21, where Nebuchadnezzar, at the parting of two ways, uses divination to decide...]
1868 Chambers's Encyc. II 20: belomancy..a mode of divination by arrows, practised among the Arabs and other nations of the east. A number of arrows being shot off with sentences written on labels attached to them, an indication of futurity is sought from inscription on the first arrow found. This is only one of many ways of divining by arrows.
1880 J. Grant Mysteries of all Nations xl. 368: Belomancy was a kind of divination by arrows, practised among various nations in the East, but chiefly among the Arabians.
1893 Howitt tr. Ennemoser Hist. of Magic ii. 453: belomancy - Is a method of divination by means of arrows, practised in the East, but chiefly among the Arabians. Belomancy has been performed in different manners; one was to mark a parcel of arrows, and to put eleven of more of them into a bag; these were afterwards drawn out, and according as they were marked, or otherwise, they judged of future events. Another way was to have three arrows, upon one of which was written, "God forbids it me;" upon another, "God orders it me;" and on the third nothing at all. These were put into a quiver, out of which one..was drawn at random; if it happened to be that with the second inscription, the thing they consulted about was to be done; if it chanced to be that with the first inscription, the thing was left alone; and if it proved to be that without inscription, they drew over again. Belomancy is an ancient practice, and is probably that which Ezekiel mentions, chap. xxi. v. 21; at least St. Jerome understands it so, and observes that the practice was frequent among the Assyrians and Babylonians. Something like it is also mentioned in Hosea (chap. vi.), only that staves are mentioned there instead of arrows, which is rather Rhabdomancy than Belomancy. Grotius, as well as Jerome, confound the two together, and show that they prevailed much among the Magi, Chaldeans and Scythians, from whom they passed to the Scandinavians, and thence to the Germans, whom Tacitus observes to make use of Belomancy. [copied in Daniels & Stevans 1903]
1898 Hastings Dict. of the Bible i. 612: Rhabdomancy or xylomancy (Hos 412) and belomancy (Ezk 2121) are but forms of divining by the aid of a tree-god.
1899 Cheyne & Black Encyclopædia Biblica i. 1117/1: Belomancy..a development of rhabdomancy, is mentioned in Ezek. 21 23 ff., where the Babylonian king is said..to have 'shaken the arrows to and fro.'
1903 Daniels & Stevans Encyc. Occult Sci. (1971) III 1662: [text copied from Howitt 1893]
1913 Halliday Greek Div. x. 226: Rhabdomancy or belomancy does not concern the student of Greek divination. Its mention here is rendered necessary solely by the fact that careless writers are often to be found referring to the Hellenic art of rhabdomancy, or even to "the divining rod" of Greece.
1920 L. Spence Encyc. Occult 67/1: Belomancy... Another method deserves mention. This was to throw a certain number of arrows into the air, and the direction in which the arrow inclined as it fell, pointed out the course to be taken by the inquirer.
1931 Lock tr. de Givry Picture Museum of Sorcery (1963) viii. 304: Belomancy, dear to soldiers of former time, was divination by arrows, onychomancy by means of nails reflecting the sun's rays...
1961 H.E. Wedeck Treasury of Witchcraft xii. 227: The name of the enemy was inscribed on the arrow. Shaking up the arrows in the quiver, the king directed the arrow at the enemy whose name was inscribed thereon. This technique is known as belomancy.
1969 T. Witton Davies Magic, Divination, &
Demonology ii. 74: Belomancy was practised among the Arabs, and
also among the Chaldeans.
Ibid. 79. In Hosea iv. 12 we read of
divination by arrows or rods..It is almost certain that rabdomancy or
belomancy is what Hosea refers to, and what Ezekiel (xxi. 21 ff.)
describes.
1970 Man, Myth & Magic v. 658: Belomancy - by arrows.
1970 Zolar Encyc. of Ancient & Forbidden Knowledge 464: BELOMANCY: One of the most Ancient types of divination and requires the tossing or balancing of arrows.
1973 Gibson Complete Illust. Bk Div. & Prophecy (1989) 313: BELOMANCY: Dating from the time of ancient Babylon, this type of divination depended on tossing arrows to determine the direction a person was to take. Later, the arrows were handled like divining rods and the famous historian Herodotus (450 b.c.) tells how Scythian soothsayers spread bundles of such rods upon the ground and interpreted each in turn. In still another form of belomancy, arrows bearing various inscriptions were drawn at random, so their advice could be followed. In its simplest form, three arrows were used to answer any direct question; one for "Yes" another for "No" and the third a blank, which meant to mix them and try again.
1983 Complete Bk Predictions 104: Belomancy is divination by arrows. The specially marked arrows could be cast on the ground or drawn from a container. This form of divination probably dates back to the Babylonians, and was also practiced by the Scythians, Arabs, and some North American Indians.
1985 N. Drury Dict. Mysticism & Occult 26/2: Belomancy. Divination by analyzing the path of arrows in flight.
1986 F. Gettings Encyc. Occult
1993 McCormack Q&A 70: BELOMANCY - arrows.
1676 Coles An Eng. Dict.: Belomancy, g. Divination by arrows.
1755 Johnson Dict. of the Eng. Lang. (1840): Belomancy..[no definition, instead cites Browne]
1852 Roget Thes. § 511: ..by arrows, Belomancy...
1871 Ogilvie Imperial Dict. i.: belomancy..A kind of divination practised by the ancient Scythians, Babylonians, and other nations, and by the Arabians. A number of arrows being marked, were put into a bag or quiver, and drawn out at random; and the marks or words on the arrow drawn, determined what was to happen: see Ezek. xxi. 21.
1882 Worcester Dict. of the Eng. Lang.: belomancy.. Divination by means of the flight of an arrow. Brande.
1887 OED.
1899 Century Dict. (1902) I: belomancy.. A kind of divination by means of arrows, practised by the Scythians, Babylonians, Arabians, and other ancient peoples.
1908 Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dict. i.: belomancy..Archeol. Divination by means of arrows. ..bellomancy\dag .
1909 Encyc. Dict. (Cassell's) I
1912 Webs. New Int. Dict. belomancy [minor words list]
c1920 Cassell's New Eng. Dict.: belomancy..Divination by means of arrows.
1955 Shipley Dict. Early Eng. (1963) 16: belomancy, arrows.
1961 Webs. Third New Int. Dict.: belomancy
1974 Mrs. Byrne's Dict.: belomancy..fortuentelling with arrows.
1984 Macquarie Thes. § 268.6: belomancy (arrows)
1986 Urdang (ed.) -Ologies & -Isms (3rd ed.) 209: belomancy divination in which marks or words are placed on arrows which are then drawn from a quiver at random.
1987 Random House Dict.
1988 Chambers Eng. Dict.
1868 Chambers's Encyc. II 84: bibliomancy..a mode of divination much practised during many ages, by opening the Bible, and observing the first passage which occurred, or by entering a place of worship and taking notice of the first words of the Bible heard after entering it. The application was often very fanciful, and depended rather upon the mere sound of the words than upon their proper signification, or the scope of the passage. Prayer and fasting were sometimes used as a preparation for a mode of consulting the divine oracles, than which nothing could be more contrary to their purpose and spirit, and which was in harmony only with the notions and practices of heathenism. B. was prohibited, under pain of excommunication, by the Council of Vannes, 465 a.d., and by the Councils of Agde and Orleans in the next century. It continued, however, to prevail for centuries thereafter, and is said to have been introduced into England at the Norman Conquest. It was essentially the same as Sortes Virgilianæ, the only difference being in the book employed.
1920 L. Spence Encyc. Occult 68/1: Bibliomancy: A method of discovering whether or not a person was innocent of sorcery, by weighing him against the great Bible in the Church. If the person weighed less than the Bible, he was innocent.
1939 J. Trachtenberg Jewish Magic 216: The familiar use of Scripture in divining (Bibliomancy) was not unknown to the Jews.
1953 Gaynor (ed.) Dict. Mysticism (1974) 26: Bibliomancy: Divination by means of chapters and verses taken at random in a book.
1970 Man, Myth & Magic v. 658: Bibliomancy - by random passages in books.
1970 Zolar Encyc. of Ancient & Forbidden Knowledge 464: BIBLIOMANCY: This involves divination by books.
1973 K. Ellis Prediction and Prophecy iv. 62: Books have often been used for this purpose (bibliomancy), especially Virgil and the Bible.
1973 Gibson Complete Illust. Bk Div. & Prophecy (1989) 313: BIBLIOMANCY: A traditional divination in which anyone can be his own consultant by simply opening a book at random, pointing to a paragraph, reading it, and following its advice by his own interpretation. Originally, religious books were used and still are, but later, consultants swung to the classics - Homer, Vergil, [sic] and eventually Shakespeare. In recent years, all inspirational books have filled the purpose, and now all sorts of publications may suggest the course to follow.
1979 B. Martin Dict. Occult: bibliomancy - because of the name bibliomancy many people think that the book should be the Bible and indeed in Christian communities it often is. ..Bibliomancy is sometimes known as stichomancy, itself a branch of sortilege.
1983 Complete Bk Predictions 105: BIBLIOMANCY Allow your intuition to direct your choice of book. Close your eyes, concentrate on your question, and open the book at random. Open your eyes: the first words you read should form an answer to your question. You may prefer to use some form of pointer - your finger will do - to indicate the words of your omen before you open your eyes to read them.
1985 N. Drury Dict. Mysticism & Occult 29/1: Bibliomancy. Divination by means of a book, often the Bible. ..Moslems use the Qur'an for this purpose...
1986 P. Hellweg Insomniac's Dict. x. 1993 McCormack Q&A 70: BIBLIOMANCY - random passages from the Bible.
1871 Ogilvie Imperial Dict. i.: bibliomancy..A kind of divination, performed by means of the Bible; consisting in selecting passages of Scripture at hazard, and drawing from them indications concerning things future.
1882 Worcester Dict. of the Eng. Lang.: bibliomancy..Divination by the Bible, or by a book. Crabb.
1887 OED.
1899 Century Dict. (1902) I: bibliomancy.. A kind of divination performed by means of a book; specifically by means of the Bible, consisting in selecting passages of Scripture at hazard and drawing from them indications concerning the future. Another kind of bibliomancy...consisted in appealing to the very first words heard from any one when reading the Scriptures. Encyc. Metropolitana.
1908 Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dict. i.: bibliomancy..Divination in which a verse of the Bible taken at hazard is regarded as an augury: anciently applied also to other books.
1909 Encyc. Dict. (Cassell's) I
1912 Webs. New Int. Dict.: bibliomancy [main words list]
c1920 Cassell's New Eng. Dict.: bibliomancy..Divination by means of books or verses of the Bible.
1930 Winston Simplified Dict.: s.v. ..the art or act of foretelling the future by means of books, especially by passages from the Bible.
1932 Wyld Universal Dict.: Divination by opening a Bible at random and taking the first verse to meet the eye as a prophecy of future events, guide to conduct, &c.
1955 Shipley Dict. Early Eng. (1963) 16: bibliomancy, the Bible.
1961 Webs. Third New Int. Dict.: bibliomancy
1974 Mrs. Byrne's Dict.: bibliomancy..fortunetelling by random Bible-passage picking.
1981 Macquarie Dict. (1st ed.): bibliomancy..a method of divination by means of a book, as the Bible, opened at random at some verse taken as significant.
1984 Macquarie Thes. § 268.6: bibliomancy (Bible)
1986 Urdang (ed.) -Ologies & -Isms (3rd ed.) 209: bibliomancy a form of divination using books or the Bible in which passages are chosen at random and the future foretold from them.
1987 Random House Dict.
1988 Chambers Eng. Dict.
1920 L. Spence Encyc. Occult 75/2: Bolomancy:
(See Belomancy).
Also used as an umbrella term for other types of divination involving plants, see anthomancy, daphnomancy, dendromancy, floromancy, foliomancy, and sycomancy.
From ancient Greek botano-, combining from of botane plant.
[1583 Weyer De praestigiis daemonum xii.: botanomanteia]
1610 Vives in J. Healey Saint Augustine of the Citie of God 294: Diuination generally was done by diuers means...or by Hearbes, Botinomancy, the witches magicke.
1640 in Brand Popular Antiquities (1844) iii. 307: Dr. Ferrand, in his Love Melancholy, 1640, p. 176, tells us: "We have sometimes among our silly wenches some that, out of a foolish curiosity they have, must needs be putting in practice some of those feats that they have received by tradition from their mother, perhaps, or nurse, and so, not thinking forsooth to doe any harme, as they hope, they paganize it to their own damnation. For it is certain that botanomancy, which is done by the noise or crackling that kneeholme, box, or bay-leaves make when they are crushed betwixt one's hands, or cast into the fire, was of old in use among the Pagans, who were want to bruise poppy flowres betwixt their hands, and by this means thinking to know their loves..."
1652 Gaule The Magastromancer xix. 165: ..Botanomancy, by herbs...
a1660 (1693) Urquhart tr. Rabelais Gargantua & Pantagruel iii. xxv. 134: By Botomancy, for the nonce I have a few Leaves in reserve.
1777 Brand Popular Antiquities (1844) iii. 329: [citing Gaule]
1832 Hone Year Bk 1517/1: [citing Gaule (via Brand)]
1853 Mackay Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions 252: Botanomancy, by herbs. [citing Hone citing Gaule]
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...
1868 Chambers's Encyc. III 599: Botanomancy, or divination by means of plants and flowers (it was practised by the ancients, who were wont to bruise poppy-flowers betwixt their hands, under the conviction that they could thereby discover their loves. Hence Theocritus calls the poppy Teliphilos, quasi Deliphilos; i.e., a tell-love. Goethe has made a beautiful use of another form of this superstition, which existed among the Teutonic races no less than among the old Greeks. The child-like Marguerite, in Faust, seeks to discover whether or not Faust loves her by plucking the leaves from a star-flower, murmuring alternately, 'He loves me,' 'He loves me not,' and finds to her joy that the last leaf comes away while she is saying, 'He loves me').
1897 Urquhart tr. Rabelais Works of Rabelais iii. xxv. 162: By botanomancy, for the nonce I have some few leaves in reserve.
1903 Daniels & Stevans Encyc. Occult Sci. (1971) III 1663: botanomancy - Conjuring with herbs. Sometimes fig-leaves were used, and then it was called Sycomancy. The diviners wrote names and questions on leaves, which were then exposed to the winds. Those remaining furnished the answers sought.
1904 Urquhart tr. Rabelais Gargantua & Pantagruel iii. xxv. 154: By botanomancy...
1920 L. Spence Encyc. Occult 78/1: A method of divination by means of burning the branches of vervein and briar, upon which were carved the questions of the practitioner.
c1928 Urquhart tr. Rabelais Gargantua and Pantagruel iii. xxv. 487: By Botomancy...
1939 J. Trachtenberg Jewish Magic 219: Plants were also utilized (Botanomancy): 'On Monday evening, after sunset, go into a field and find the yellow, broad-leaved mallow, face the east and dig a hole there, bow, encircle the spot once, bow again to the east,' and recite a charm which concludes, 'If my venture is to prove successful, then you must remain in bloom; if not, then must you droop to the earth.' Return in the morning and learn how your undertaking will turn out.
1951 Works of Rabelais III. xxv. 361: By botanomancy, for the nonce I have some few leaves in reserve.
1959 Robbins Encyc. of Witchcraft and Demonology 139: [citing Gaule] Botanomancy, by herbs.
1961 H.E. Wedeck Treasury of Witchcraft xii. 220: When the wizard burned branches of brier and vervain, on which were inscribed questions to be answered, the procedure was called botanomancy.
1970 Man, Myth & Magic v. 658: Botanomancy - by herbs.
1970 Zolar Encyc. of Ancient & Forbidden Knowledge 464: BOTANOMANCY: This requires the burning of tree branches and leaves to gain the desired answers.
1973 Gibson Complete Illust. Bk Div. & Prophecy (1989) 313: BOTANOMANCY: The ancient magi ascribed mystic properties to various plants and herbs, some of which were later used for purposes of divination. The practice of botanomancy, as this is termed, includes inscribing questions on branches of brier or vervain, which were burned with due ceremony so that answers could be revealed by the seer.
1983 Complete Bk Predictions 144: Botanomancy Divination by the burning of leaves and branches.
1986 P. Hellweg Insomniac's Dict. x. 1989 C.S. Alvina & F.S. Maria Halupi 323: Botomancy - divination by leaves - at least allows for a pleasant cup of black or green tea.
1990 Raffel tr. Rabelais Gargantua & Pantagruel xxv. 309: 'Or botono-nomancy? I have some sage leaves right here.
1993 McCormack Q&A 70: BOTANOMANCY - herbs.
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..Batanomancy, [sic] by vertue of hearbs. Botonomancy (botonomantia) divination by hearbs.
1676 Coles An Eng. Dict.: Botanomancy, g. herb-divining.
1727 Bailey The Universal Etym. Eng. Dict. i.: BOTANOMANCY [Botanomanteia of Botane an Herb, and manteia Divination, Gr.] a Divination by Herbs, and especially by those of Sage or the Fig-tree. The persons that consulted, wrote their own Names, and their Questions upon Leaves, which they exposed to the Wind, and as many Letters as remained in their own Places were taken up, and being joined together, were accounted an Answer to the Question.
1852 Roget Thes. § 511: ..by herbs, Botanomancy...
1871 Ogilvie Imperial Dict. i.: botanomancy..An ancient species of divination by means plants, especially sage and fig leaves. Persons wrote their names and questions on leaves, which they exposed to the wind, and as many of the letters that remained in their places were taken up, and being joined together, contained an answer to the question.
1882 Worcester Dict. of the Eng. Lang.: botanomancy..Divination by means of plants. Crabb.
1887 OED.
1899 Century Dict. (1902) I: botanomancy.. An ancient method of divination by means of plants, especially by means of the leaves of the sage and fig. A person's name and the question to which an answer was desired were written on the leaves, which were then laid out exposed to the wind; as many of the letters as remained in their places were taken up and joined together to form some word, which was supposed to be an answer to the question.
1908 Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dict. i.: botanomancy..Divination by plants.
1909 Encyc. Dict. (Cassell's) I
1912 Webs. New Int. Dict.: botanomancy [minor words list]
1981 Macquarie Dict. (1st ed.): botanomancy..a method of divination entailing the burning of tree branches and leaves.
1984 Macquarie Thes. § 268.6: botanomancy (herbs)
1986 Urdang (ed.) -Ologies & -Isms (3rd ed.) 209: botanomancy a form of divination involving the examination of plants.
The original source of this rare word is a famous glossary by an ancient Greek lexicographer of the early third century AD. By modern Greek scholars Hesychius' lexicon is regarded as relatively unreliable and many of the terms he records are not to be found elsewhere in the extant corpus of ancient Greek. Liddle & Scott did not record terms if they only could be found in Hesychius and nowhere else. However, formerly his lexicon was not so deprecated.
1961 H.E. Wedeck Treasury of Witchcraft xii.
220: The very fact that each specific method, or variant, had a name,
testifies to the prevalence and widespread recognition of divinatory
practices. The prophetic inspiration of Brizo, a goddess of sleep, gave
rise to brizomancy.
Not in OED.
Derived from ancient Greek bronte thunder. See 1881 New Sydenham Society's Lexicon I: Brontology...
1955 Shipley Dict. Early Eng. (1963) 16: brontomancy, thunder.
1986 P. Hellweg Insomniac's Dict. x.