Aleuromancy

Aleuromancy

Aleuromancy is the use of flour for divination. The word comes from the Greek aleuron, meaning flour, and manteia, meaning divination. In its original form, slips of paper containing philosophical writings would be baked inside of cakes or cookies, which would then be distributed to those wishing their fortunes to be told. Similarly, the Greeks would bake slips of paper with sentences on them inside of balls of flour, mix the balls nine times, and distribute them. Modern fortune cookies are a variant on these forms of divination. Another form of aleuromancy consisted of interpreting patterns of flour left in a bowl in which a flour and water slurry had been mixed and poured out from.

References

* Skeptics Dictionary: http://skepdic.com/divinati.html
* Dictionary of Philosophy: http://www.explore-beliefs.com/philosophy/A/Aleuromancy.html


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  • Aleuromancy — A*leu ro*man cy, n. [Gr. ? wheaten flour + mancy: cf. F. aleuromancie.] Divination by means of flour. Encyc. Brit. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • aleuromancy — /euh loor euh man see/, n. (in ancient times) the use of flour as a means of divination. [1650 60; < F aleuromancie (see ALEURONE, MANCY), alter. of Gk aleuromanteîon divination by meal] * * * …   Universalium

  • aleuromancy — noun a) divination using flour: b) by sprinkling it on sacrificial victims …   Wiktionary

  • aleuromancy — divination using flour or meal Divination and Fortune Telling …   Phrontistery dictionary

  • aleuromancy — aleu·ro·man·cy …   English syllables

  • aleuromancy — Divination using flour …   Grandiloquent dictionary

  • aleuromancy — /əˈlurəmænsi/ (say uh loohruhmansee), /əˈlju / (say uh lyooh ) noun an ancient form of divination in which flour is used. {French aleuromancie, from New Latin aleuromantia, from Greek aleuromanteion, from aleuron wheat flour + mancy} …  

  • aleuromancy — əˈlu̇rəˌman(t)sē noun ( es) Etymology: French aleuromancie, from Greek aleuromanteion, from aleuro + manteion divination, oracle : divination by means of flour …   Useful english dictionary

  • Methods of divination — This article is about the numerous varieties of divination. For divination as a whole, see Divination. Innumerable methods of divination can be found around the world, and many cultures practice the same methods under different names. During the… …   Wikipedia

  • List of science fiction editors — Science fiction has been shaped as a literary genre by both authors and editors.This is an alphabetical list of some notable editors of speculative fiction (taken to include fantasy and horror fiction).Outstandingly notable/influential editors (… …   Wikipedia

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