ichthyomancy

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Jump to navigation Jump to search

English

[edit]

Alternative forms

[edit]

Etymology

[edit]

From ichthyo- +‎ -mancy.

Noun

[edit]

ichthyomancy (uncountable)

  1. Divination interpreting the appearance and behaviour of fish. A form of augury.
  2. Divination interpreting the entrails of fish. A form of aruspicy.

Quotations

[edit]
  • 1610, Ioannes Lodovicus Vives, chapter 35, in St. Augustine, translated by John Healey, St/ Augustine, of the Citie of God, With the Learned Comments of Io. Lod. Vives[1], George Eld, page 294:
    Diuination generally was done by diuers means: either by Earth, Geomancy: or by fire, Pyromancy [...] or by fiſhes, Icthyomancy (this Apuleius was charged with:) [sic.] or by the twinckling and motions of the eies called Saliato
  • 1693, François Rabelais, translated by Thomas Urquhart, Rabelais Gargantua and Pantagruel Translated from the French into English by Sir Thomas Urquhart and Peter Le Motteux[2], volume II, London: Humphrey Milford: Oxford University Press, published 1934, page 124, III.XXV:
    By Ichthiomancy, in ancient times so celebrated, and put in use by Tiresias and Polydamas, 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.
  • 1920, Lewis Spence, An Encyclopædia of Occultism[3], New York: Dodd, Mead & Company, page 223:
    Ichthyomaney [sic.] : Divination by the inspection of the entrails of fish.
  • [1973, Walter B. Gibson, Litzka R. Gibson, The Complete Illustrated Book of Divination and Prophecy, London: Souvenir Press, published 1987, →ISBN, page 319:
    ICHTYOMANCY: 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]
  • 1986 P. Hellweg Insomniac's Dict. x.
    Ichthyomancy - The next fish caught.
  • 1986, Paul Hellweg, “'-Omancy' Fancy: A Divine Guide to Divinations”, in The Insomniac's Dictionary: The Last Word on the Odd Word[4], New York, New York: Facts on File Publications, →ISBN, pages 76–77:
    NAME               DIVINATION BY
    Aeromancy        Air, including augury [...]
    [...]                     [...]
    Ichtyomancy      The next fish caught