From ancient Greek ichnos a track, footprint.
1855 Henry Thompson in Smedley et al. Occult Sci. 296: Among the Arabs the science of prognostication (Ilmi firáset) or art of discovering secret objects by the interpretation of mysterious indications, known only to adepts, is subdivided into twelve branches: 1. Physiognomy, (firásah;) 2. Phantasmognomy, (khaïlatwa-shamát;) 3. Chiromancy, (ásásír;) 4. Onomancy, (aktáf;) 5. Ichnomancy, (iyáfah;)...
1899 OED.
1908 Funk &ast Wagnalls Standard Dict. ii. [suppl.]: ichnomancy..Occult. Divination of the characteristics and occupations of men or beasts, through their posture, position, and footprints.
1912 Webs. New Int. Dict.: ichnomancy [minor words list]
1986 P. Hellweg Insomniac's Dict. x. 75: Ichnomancy - Traces of posture, position, and footsteps.
1986 Urdang (ed.) -Ologies &ast -Isms (3rd ed.)
210: ichnomancy the analysis of the personality and
appearance of people by studying their footprints. -
ichnomantic, adj.
1610 Vives in J. Healey Saint Augustine of the Citie of God 294: Diuination generally was done by diuers means..by fishes, Ichthyomancy (this Apuleius was charged with)...
1652 Gaule The Magastromancer xix. 165: ..Ichthyomancy, by Fishes...
a1660 (1693) Urquhart tr. Rabelais Gargantua &ast Pantagruel iii. xxv. 134: By Icthiomancy, in ancient times so celebrated, and put in use by Tiresias and Polydamus, with the like certainty of event as was tried of old at the Dina-ditch within that Grove consecrated to Apollo, which is in the Territory of the Lycians.
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: Ichthyomancy, by fishes. [citing Hone citing Gaule]
1897 Urquhart tr. Rabelais Works of Rabelais iii. xxv. 162: By icthyomancy...
1904 Urquhart tr. Rabelais Gargantua &ast Pantagruel iii. xxv. 154: By icthiomancy...
1920 L. Spence Encyc. Occult 223/1: Ichthyomancy: Divination by the inspection of the entrails of fish.
1951 Works of Rabelais III. xxv. 361: By ichthyomancy, in ancient times so celebrated, and put to use by Tiresias and Polydamus, with the like certainty of event as was tried of old at the Dina-ditch, within that grove consecrated to Apollo, which is in the territory of the Lycians.
1959 Robbins Encyc. of Witchcraft and Demonology 139: [citing Gaule] Ichthyomancy, by fishes.
1961 H.E. Wedeck Treasury of Witchcraft xii. 220: An exhaustive listing would become overwhelming. Let there be mentioned hepatoscopy and critomancy, daphnomancy and empyromancy, ichthyomancy and lampadomancy, margaritomancy and molybdomancy.
1970 Man, Myth &ast Magic v. 658: Ichthyomancy - by fishes.
1970 Zolar Encyc. of Ancient &ast Forbidden Knowledge 467: ICHYOMANCY: This involved fish as factors of divination.
1973 K. Ellis Prediction and Prophecy iii. 41: Ichthyomancy. Divination by examining the entrails of a fish.
1973 Gibson Complete Illust. Bk Div. &ast Prophecy (1989) 319: ICHTHYOMANCY: Divination by the examination of fish offered for a sacrifice. This can be extended to include the actions of living fish, which have many traditional interpretations, some still popular with present-day fishermen.
1983 Complete Bk Predictions 142: Ichthyomancy Predicting from the shape and entrails of fish.
1985 N. Drury Dict. Mysticism &ast Occult:
1986 F. Gettings Encyc. Occult
1986 P. Hellweg Insomniac's Dict. x. 77: Ichthyomancy - The next fish caught.
1993 McCormack Q&astA 70: ICHTHYOMANCY - fish offal.
[1632 Cotgrave Dictionarie of French &ast Eng. Tongues: Ichthyomantie: f. Diuination by fish. ¶ Rab.]
1656 Blount Glossographia: Ichthyonomancy (ichthyonomantia) a divination by fishes.
1676 Coles An Eng. Dict.: Ichthyonomancy, g. a divination by Fishes.
1727 Bailey The Universal Etym. Eng. Dict.: ICHTHYOMANCY [ichthyomanteia Gr.] Divination by the Entrails of Fishes, for which Tiresias is said to have been famous.
1852 Roget Thes. § 511: ..by the entrails of fishes, Ichthyomancy...
1871 Ogilvie Imperial Dict. i.: ichthyomancy..Divination by the heads of fishes.
1882 Worcester Dict. of the Eng. Lang.: ichthyomancy..A species of divination by the examination of the entrails of fishes. Roget.
1888 New Sydenham Society's Lexicon III: Ichthyomancy..Term
for a divination or prophesying from the viscera of fish.
Ibid. Ichthyomantia. Same as Ichthyomancy.
1899 Century Dict. (1903) IV: ichthyomancy.. Divination by means of the heads or the entrails of fishes.
1899 OED.
1908 Funk &ast Wagnalls Standard Dict. i.: ichthyomancy..Divination by means of heads or entrails of fishes.
1909 Encyc. Dict. (Cassell's) IV
1912 Webs. New Int. Dict. ichthyomancy [minor words list]
c1920 Cassell's New Eng. Dict.: ichthyomancy..Divination by means of the entrails or heads of fish.
1955 Shipley Dict. Early Eng. (1963) 16: ichthyomancy, the next fish caught.
1974 Mrs. Byrne's Dict.: ichthyomancy..fortunetelling with fish offal.
1981 Macquarie Dict. (1st ed.): ichthyomancy..divination by means of fish.
1984 Macquarie Thes. § 268.6: ichthyomancy (entrails of fish)
1986 Urdang (ed.) -Ologies &ast -Isms (3rd ed.)
210: ichthyomancy a form of divination involving the head or
entrails of fishes.
From ancient Greek eikon likeness, image.
1955 Shipley Dict. Early Eng. (1963) 16:
iconomancy, images.
From Late Latin idolum, from ancient Greek eidolon a false god, an idol.
1652 Gaule The Magastromancer xix. 165: ..Idolomancy, by Idolls, Images, Figures...
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 251: Idolomancy, by idols, images, and figures. [citing Hone citing Gaule]
1959 Robbins Encyc. of Witchcraft and Demonology 139: [citing Gaule] Idolomancy, by idols, images, figures.
1973 Gibson Complete Illust. Bk Div. &ast Prophecy (1989) 319: IDOLOMANCY: Use of idols or images for purposes of divination. The answers may come through dreams, by drawing lots, or anything else that believers may attribute to the power of such images. Some ancient oracles belonged in this category, and pagan priests often spoke from within hollow statues to give direct replies to questions regarding the future. In many cases, idolomancy has been closely identified with demonomancy, in as much as the idols simply represent the demons who are supposed to inhabit them when properly invoked.
1986 F. Gettings Encyc. Occult
1899 OED s.v. idolo-: Idolomancy [Gr. manteia divination by idols]...
1912 Webs. New Int. Dict.: idolomancy [minor words list]
1986 Urdang (ed.) -Ologies &ast -Isms (3rd ed.)
210: idolomancy a form of divination involving idols.
NOTES: OED Gaule.