Auspicy, Augury, and Alectryomancy

Chapter 6 of Demonology and Theology (1650) by Nathanael Homes (1599–1678), edited and modernized.

Of diabolical divination by auspicy, the flying of birds; augury, the noise of birds; alectryomancy, the chickens eating their feed, and by other occurrences of beasts and things, either conducing to or concurring with the said arts, or are appendices of this kind of divination in general. These three kinds of divination are grouped together in this chapter due to the interchangeable intermingling of them in various circumstances and appendices.

There shall not be found among you … an enchanter… 

Deuteronomy 18:10

Our first work must be to hear the voice of the Word of God, what it asserts and speaks against these things, as observing the inclinations of men to them. The Hebrew for enchanter signifies, by the consent of most, both Jews and Gentiles, in all the learned ancient languages, one who practices the aforesaid arts. The Chaldee paraphrase renders it by a word near the same, which the translators of the Chaldee render Qui observat auguria. Both the Syriac and Arabic render it Augur. The Samaritan, Qui auguretur. The Septuagint, one augurating. Jerome, in his Latin translation, renders it Qui observet auguria. R. Abraham, in his commentary on this place, renders it "There shall not be found in you one augurating." The Hebrew doctors say that it signifies one who divines by food falling out of the mouth, or by the falling of one's staff out of the hand, or by one's son calling his father back again, or by a crow crying towards or after one, by a deer or goat interrupting a man in his way, or by a serpent on the right hand, or a fox on the left, or by a weasel, or by birds, or by stars.

By all things considered, it readily appears that:

1. Men are inclined to the aforesaid diabolical arts. Evil manners occasion good laws.
2. The term augury refers not only to divination by the chattering or noise of birds, specifically, but also, by way of synecdoche, to many other kinds of divination (which we call soothsaying).
3. All of this is condemned by the Word of God, both in Deuteronomy 18:10 and also in Leviticus 19:26, "Ye shall not…use enchantment…" These words in the Arabian language mean, "Do not auspicate," or "use not auspicy," that is (as we explained before) divine not by beholding birds or observing the flying of birds. In the Syriac it is, "Do not augurate by a winged living creature." The Samaritan is, "Neither shall ye augurate." Augury, being properly taken, signifying (as we said before) divining by the noise of birds. Jerome also in Latin, together with the Chaldee and the Septuagint in Greek, render it, "Ye shall not augurate."

We shall now briefly consider the sinful superstition and diabolical art used in these three kinds of divination.

Auspicy and Augury

The augur (or augurer, or one who uses auspicy), sat on some kind of tower, the air being clear without dark clouds or rain, with his lituus (a crooked staff) in his hand, clothed in his laena (a robe adorned with scarlet and crimson guards), his head covered, his face towards the East, in which posture he quartered out with his staff the heavens into certain temples, regions, or divisions, and observed in which of them the birds did appear. If they came towards his left hand, that was a token of good luck, because it showed that they came from the right hand of their heathen god (for the giver's right hand is towards the receiver's left hand).

From this superstitious divination sprang those phrases among the Latins and Greeks of beginning a matter with auspicy, doing something with lucky birds or lucky auspicy, or with ill birds or ill auspicy; that is, with bad luck, as they called it. And Christians too much to this day use this word luck.

So they had these phrases:

• A sinistrâ cornice ratum, that is, it was ratified by a crow flying to the left hand (Tully, l. 1. de divinat.)
• In the Law of the Twelve Tables, Ave sinistrâ populi magister esto, they began nothing in auspicatò without consulting with the augurs
• The right hand augury
• An augury of health or safety
• An augury or divination of what shall come to pass in the way
• He fell into a sad or sorrowful augury (Aristot. l. 5. Polit. Cap. 4)

And Lipsius (Elect. l. 2. c. 2) says that the Grecians called the left hand second best because it signified in augury the best luck. As the Romans named sinistrum the left a sinendo, permitting it so to be (Serv. Aen. 1.2).

Together with their augury by flight and sight of birds, the augur sometimes killed a sacrifice as well, and made his prayers to this effect: "Father Jupiter, if this thing shall be good and lawful for us, let there be certain and evident signs within the borders I have quartered out" (namely, by his staff, as before described). Based upon these signs, he pronounced it ratified or renounced it as unlawful. From this twofold augurating with and without prayer, signs were distinguished into Oblative, offered to the augur, or without prayer, and Impetrativa, obtained by prayer. And the good signs were called Prospera, and the bad Adversa.

Furthermore, before undertaking to give a peremptory judgment and affirmatively pronounce or renounce anything, the augur observed more than only one sign, the one following the other:

1. The flying or crying of birds
2. Thunder, which, if on the left hand of the augur, signified "good luck"
3. The manner of chickens eating crumbs cast to them (of which by and by)
4. Beasts crossing the way or appearing in some unusual place
5. Some supposed voice of unknown origin (as Cadmus thought he heard such a voice when he killed the serpent)
6. Mishaps, whether they indicated a good sign or the anger of their gods (as they had their rules of interpretation from the Devil); as the falling of salt towards them at the table or the spilling of wine on their clothes

Alectryomancy

You see alectryomancy involved in and chained to augury and auspicy not only by our history of their superstitions, but also by those Scriptures before quoted, as the Hebrew doctors (who best know their own language) expound them. The manner was this, that if in the morning the pullarius (bird-prophet) cast crumbs to chicken in a pen, the door of it being silently opened, and the chicken made no haste to feed, or walked past it, or came not at all to it, then it signified the gods did not approve of the enterprise; but if the chicken hastily came out and ate so greedily that some of the feed fell out of their mouths, this signified the gods approved of the enterprise. And thus the pullarius divined by chickens greedily eating crumbs, to letting some fall and rebound against the ground, and from this the divination was called tripudium. It is believed that alectryomancy came from the Lycians, who went to the fountain dedicated to Apollo when they desired to know the mind of their gods in any business, in order to cast bait to the fish, and if it was eaten, they understood it as a sign of good luck; if not, then of bad luck.

Present Parallels

These kinds of observations and practices are easily paralleled in our generation, if not in every circumstance, yet in substance.

1. Birds

First, for birds. It is common in these days for people to make such observations, such as by the chattering of magpies, they know they shall have strangers; by the flying and crying of ravens over their houses, especially in the dusk evening, and where one is sick, they conclude death. Likewise by the frequent crying of owls in the night, near their houses at such a time, or by a cricket crying in a house where there usually aren't any. There is (and I think it is in the Book of Martyrs) a story of a persecutor over whom a raven or crow flew and defecated on his head, and he regarded it so much as an evil sign that he fell into such a vehement discontent, that he went home cursing the crow, and died. And, as a just judgment on those who regard such superstitious things as these, the Devil has manifested his presence with some, to the making of them witches, by a hen and chickens, and to others, as a crow.

2. Beasts

Secondly, for beasts, they observe that if dogs howl in the night near a house where someone is sick, it is a sign of death. If a hare or similar creature crosses the path where one is going, they say it is a sign of very bad luck. In so much as some in company with a pregnant woman have, upon the crossing of such creatures, cut or torn some of the clothes off of her so as to prevent (as they imagined) the bad luck that might befall her. I know I tell you that which is most true, and I hope in such a subject as this, discussing these superstitions, I shall not offend in acquainting you with these particulars.

3. Contingencies

Thirdly, for contingencies of things, how common is it for people to account it a sign of bad luck to have the salt shaker to be overturned, the salt falling towards them? Or to look upon anything almost coming to pass that is not usual, to be a sign that such an act, done a little before the sign appeared, was well or ill done (as people please to interpret it)? Or to say a winter thunder is a bad sign? And how frequent is it with people (especially of the more ignorant sort, which makes the things more suspicious) to think and say (as Master Perkins relates) that if they find some pieces of iron, it is a prediction of good luck to the finders? If they find a piece of silver, it is a sign of bad luck to them. If their ears tingle, they say it is a sign they have some enemies abroad who are speaking evil of them. So if their right eye itches, it signifies sorrowful weeping; if the left eye itches, then joyful laughter. And so from the itching of the nose, and elbow, and various sensations of all kinds of body parts, they make various predictions (too silly to be mentioned, though regarded by them).

I am sure these kind of men and women have, as the apostle says, itching ears, giving heed to doctrines and rudiments that are not of God (2Ti. 4:3-4). And so such doctrines, such lives. 

4. Voices

Fourthly, voices are also much sought after, and heeded and regarded in these evil times of spiritual dotage. I speak what I know of pretended high professors, who teach one another to go down to the lower end of the orchard (or a similar solitary place) to hear a voice that shall be spoken to them, and they listen attentively for voices. And most likely those who do attend such voices may very well hear them—even from the Devil, for we showed before how the Devil not only speaks by men and women, but to men and women. The reason why I say the Devil and not God is because Isaiah 8:20, Hebrews 1:1-2, 2 Peter 1:19, and everywhere else commands us to give heed to the voice of the written Word. To turn away from this certain Word to uncertain voices, whatever they are and from where they originate must necessarily be from the Devil. So papists, giving a stone or wooden cross the right hand as they go or ride by, some also putting off their hats, in so doing are guided by diabolical superstition, for that cross is not appointed as a means of worship (cf. Ex. 32:5; 1Co. 10:7). Likewise these pretended Protestants who give, as it were, the right hand to strange voices (I know not what nor from where), are leaving the Word of God as a surer and more effectual, divinely instituted means of salvation, more than a voice from heaven (2Pe. 1:19; Gal. 1:8-9; Lk. 16:10), and indeed following diabolical lies.

For it is a main artifice of the Devil, by several subtle pretenses and degrees, to bring people off from the Word of God. And what follows, these polluted times do show. Having been loosened from the divine rule of the Word that tied their consciences from impieties (most righteously and holily, Ps. 19), they break out into whoredoms and blasphemies—the first to please the filthy flesh, and the second to stupefy conscience, that they might never awake again to repentance.

Objections

Some objections are raised on behalf of these diabolical and superstitious divinations and predictions by those who favor them.

1. But they have been most anciently observed and heeded by men of strong natural abilities, as appears by Cicero in his Tracts of Divination, the Roman historians and poets, and various Greek antiquities, of all which we have had some touches before.

Answer: The Devil that old Deceiver (says the Scripture) was from the beginning, and the Devil was a deceiver from the beginning, even from our first parents downward, and from that the apostle warns the Corinthians to beware of him (2Co. 11). And those that most anciently learned these doctrines and deceits of the Devil were heathens who did not have the Word of God, which is, as we have heard, flatly against them, and which must fully satisfy Christians. And it will be the greater sin of Christians, who have this rule, to forsake and transgress against it.

2. But Joseph could divine by his cup (Gen. 44:5, 15) and Jesus spoke of making predictions by signs (Lk. 12:54-55).

Answer:

First, regarding Joseph, the reference to his ability to divine in such a way might have been spoken according to the common opinion of the people, just as Cicero says, "We must speak as the common people, but think as wise men." Moreover, that kind of language might have been used by Joseph merely for the purpose of concealing himself from his brethren, lest they think he was anything other than an Egyptian. But finally, it was by the taking away of the cup, and not by the cup itself, that Joseph would find out what manner of people they were with whom it should be found, and this was but a plain experiment in order to gain the occasion of detaining his brethren for the purpose of having further discourse with them and to try their affections toward his brother Benjamin, in whose sack the cup was found.

Secondly, regarding the words of Christ, we say that from natural, necessary causes to natural events, we learn by experience a certain natural prediction, as Solomon says, "The north wind driveth away rain" (Pro. 25:23). We usually find that the south wind brings rain to us, and know that when birds wash themselves, it is likely to rain, and many similar instances. But to foretell, by natural or artificial contingencies, casual and arbitrary events and things mostly depending upon the spontaneous will of man, is not possible except by Diabolical assistance. True natural reasons may be given for natural causes, but no just reason can be given for arbitrary and casual causes.

Thirdly, regarding both Joseph and Christ, we answer that anything that is truly able to predict events must do so either by a gift of creation—stamping into them an instinct, as the coming of swallows, and as other sleeping birds show summer is near, etc.—or else by divine ordinance of God by positive institution, as the rainbow signifies that the world shall not be drowned, although the rain be never so great. But the flying or crying of birds, or Joseph's cup, or anything else aforementioned have no faculty, from either creation or divine institution, to predict, and therefore conjectures by them are taught only by the Devil.

3. But things do accordingly come to pass.

Answer: Sometimes they do, as a just judgment of God to allow them to be deluded who, contrary to the Word, give heed and credit to them. And sometimes they do not come to pass, and especially not to those who despise them, as the Word directs, so that it may appear to them that will see, that God overrules all—Devil and all.

I knew a young man several years ago who said, going over such a style, he thought he heard a voice saying to him, "In such a year of the Lord you shall die," and he related it as a very serious thing; but (that I may speak a little to voices also) it came not to pass. The Devil and his fantasy were deceived. And though the dreaming Fantastics of these times form in their brains a hearing of voices as some divine revelation, they are herein deceived, because revelations were given to those who stuck mightily to the Word of God, and were holy in practice, and to the end (as their revelations did express) to enlarge and unfold the mind of God in his Word, to promote holiness of conduct, and put men on to walk in that way. But the Revelationists of these erring times recede from all four of these qualifications, and therefore are not to be regarded in their pretended revelations.

And for that voice of which the Lord speaks by the prophet, "And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it" (Isa. 30:21), that voice imports only an impression on the heart by the Spirit of that Word that formerly had been preached to it, inclining a man to walk according to it, which is far different both in the original, matter, and end of the Revelationists' pretended voices.