Chapter 1
Reading the bones and shells
Chapter 2
Written in the stars and skies
Chapter 3
Trances, temples, and entrails
Chapter 4
Elements and tools
YOUR GOAL
Master of The history of seeing the future
Ch 1 · Reading the bones and shells
renaissanceman Oracle Bone Divination
Read the cracks, read the cracks / Telling the future on a turtle shell.
renaissanceman Traditional healers cast a mix of animal bones, shells, and coins to diagnose illnesses and predict futures.
renaissanceman Yoruba priests use palm nuts and a wooden board to consult the wisdom of the deity Orunmila.
BETA
renaissanceman Cast the little bones to discover how ancient cultures read the future.
Fun Fact
Oracle bone writing: The cracks on Shang Dynasty oracle bones are the earliest known form of Chinese writing, meaning Chinese literacy literally began with fortune-telling!
Glossary
scapulimancy (noun)
The practice of divining the future by interpreting the cracks on a heated animal shoulder blade. During China's Shang Dynasty, diviners heated bovine shoulder blades alongside turtle plastrons to forecast future events.
The practice of divining the future by interpreting the cracks on a heated animal shoulder blade. During China's Shang Dynasty, diviners heated bovine shoulder blades alongside turtle plastrons to forecast future events.
Quiz
Which animal's shoulder blade is most commonly used in Mongolian scapulimancy?
Quiz
In West African Ifá divination, what is the title of the priest who performs the ritual?
Quiz
How many primary poetic chapters, or Odù, exist in the West African Ifá divination system?
Quiz
In what ancient Chinese historical period was oracle bone divination most widely documented?
Quiz
What material did Shang Dynasty diviners heat to create cracks for predicting the future?
Quiz
What do traditional Sangoma healers in Southern Africa cast onto a mat to communicate with ancestors?
Quiz
What tool does an Ifá priest use to mark the patterns revealed by the palm nuts?