Catoptromancy

Catoptromancy
Russian folk catoptromancy by Karl Briullov, 1836

Catoptromancy (Gk. katoptron, mirror, and manteia, divination), also known as captromancy or enoptromancy, is divination using a mirror.

Pausanias, an ancient Greek traveler, described as follows:

Before the Temple of Ceres at Patras, there was a fountain, separated from the temple by a wall, and there was an oracle, very truthful, not for all events, but for the sick only. The sick person let down a mirror, suspended by a thread till its base touched the surface of the water, having first prayed to the goddess and offered incense. Then looking in the mirror, he saw the presage of death or recovery, according as the face appeared fresh and healthy, or of a ghastly aspect.

In Ancient Rome, the priests who used catoptromancy were called speculari.

Further reading

  • Armand Delatte, La catoptromancie grecque et ses dérivés (1932)

External links


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Catoptromancy — Ca*top tro*man cy, n. [Gr. ? mirror + mancy. See {Catopter}.] (Antiq.) A species of divination, which was performed by letting down a mirror into water, for a sick person to look at his face in it. If his countenance appeared distorted and… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • catoptromancy — divination by means of a mirror, 1610s, from Gk. katoptron mirror (from kata against + stem of optos seen, visible ) + MANCY (Cf. mancy) …   Etymology dictionary

  • catoptromancy — noun Divination by use of mirrors, or other reflective surfaces. Similar to crystallomancy, dubjed, enoptromancy and scrying. Her Trippa going on in his Discourse, said by Catoptromancy, likewise held in such account by the Emperor Didius… …   Wiktionary

  • catoptromancy — divination by examining mirror placed underwater Divination and Fortune Telling …   Phrontistery dictionary

  • catoptromancy — ca·top·tro·man·cy …   English syllables

  • catoptromancy — Divination based on how a face appears when viewed in a mirror underwater …   Grandiloquent dictionary

  • catoptromancy — /kəˈtɒptrəmænsi/ (say kuh topruhmansee) noun divination by means of reflections in mirrors, looking glasses, etc. {New Latin catoptromantia, from Greek katoptron mirror + mancy} …  

  • catoptromancy — kəˌtäptrəˌman(t)sē noun ( es) Etymology: probably from French catoptromancie, from Greek katoptron mirror + French mancie mancy : divination by a mirror or by crystal gazing …   Useful english dictionary

  • Astrology — Not to be confused with Astronomy. ‹ The template below (Ast box) is being considered for merging. See templates for discussion to help reach a consensus. › …   Wikipedia

  • Divination — This article is about divination as a whole. For the numerous varieties of divination, see Methods of divination. For other uses, see Divination (disambiguation). This man in Rhumsiki, Cameroon, supposedly tells the future by interpreting the… …   Wikipedia

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