English

Alternative forms

• ichyomancy
• icthiomancy
• icthyomancy
• ichthyonomancy

Noun

ichthyomancy ‎(uncountable)

1. Divination interpreting the appearance and behaviour of fish. A form of augury.
2. Divination interpreting the entrails of fish. A form of aruspicy.

Quotations

• 1610 Vives in J. Healey Saint Augustine of the Citie of God

  Diuination generally was done by diuers means..by fishes, Ichthyomancy (this Apuleius was charged with)...

• 1660 Urquhart translating Rabelais Gargantua &ast Pantagruel iii. xxv.

  By Icthiomancy, in ancient times so celebrated, and put in use by Tiresias and Polydamus, 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 L. Spence Encyc. Occult

  Ichthyomancy: Divination by the inspection of the entrails of fish.

• 1973 Gibson Complete Illust. Bk Div. &ast Prophecy

  ICHTHYOMANCY: 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.