astragyromancy
English edit
Etymology edit
Possibly a joining of astragalomancy and gyromancy (spinning of the dice).
Noun edit
astragyromancy (uncountable)
- Divination by dice.
- 1970, Richard Cavendish, Man, Myth & Magic: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Supernatural:
- Known as astragalomancy or astragyromancy, this method is supposed, righdy or wrongly, to make clear to man the designs of providence, the will of the gods, the decrees of fate.
- [1973, Walter B. Gibson, Litzka R. Gibson, The Complete Illustrated Book of Divination and Prophecy, London: Souvenir Press, published 1987, →ISBN, page 312:
- ASTRAGALOMANCY or ASTRAGYROMANCY: Divination with dice, ranging from crude bones with primitive markings to cubes bearing spots, letters, or cabalistic symbols, all interpreted by the bone caster.]
- 1992, Max Maven, Max Maven's book of fortunetelling, page 45:
- This is an extremely simple form of sortilege related to astragalomancy or astragyromancy (from the Greek astragalos, meaning "vertebra, knucklebone"), which began about 5,000 years ago.
Synonyms edit
Further reading edit
astragalomancy on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
