English

Noun

armomancy

1. Divination using the shoulder blades of animals. It was taken from a dead animal and thrown into a fire, the cracks formed in the bone were then interpreted.
2. Divination through inspecting one's shoulders. In ancient times, this inspection was to see whether a human was suitable to be a sacrifice to the Gods.

Synonyms

• omoplatoscopy
• scapulimancy
• scapulomancy
• spatulamancy
• (in Scotland): spealomancy

References

• "Armomancy, divining by the shoulders of beasts." -- Coles An Eng. Dict, 1676
• "ARMOMANCY: A long-forgotten mode of divining suitable candidates for sacrificial rites by inspecting them physically. Any modern survival of such practices is probably computerized rather than divinatory." -- Gibson Complete Illust. Bk Div. & Prophecy, 1973