ichthyomancy

English edit

ichthyomancy (uncountable)

1610, Ioannes Lodovicus Vives, chapter 35, in St. Augustine, translated by John Healey, S^t/ 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