Hippomancy is divination using horses or horse bones and skulls to gain mystical insight.
From the Greek hippos, meaning "horse", and manteia, meaning "divination", hippomancy is defined as "divination by the neighing and movements of sacred horses".
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Hippomancy may or may not be ritualized, or part of a larger ritual, as in the horse sacrifice of Ashvamedha. Prophecies of the horse come partly from its role as a messenger to the gods. The horse can convey messages in a similar way as the Mesopotamian sukkals.
Horseshoes and horse tack or utensils might also be used in a form of hippomancy, as they carry the essence of the horse. Among Indo-Europeans, divination by horse is a common form of augury up to the Middle Ages. While the Greeks dismiss it, Romans embrace it.
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Divination includes detailed observation of the horse's habits, the influence of gender, age and color of the horse, how and when it eats, and arrangement of markings. Like the Egyptian cosmic cow with her spotted belly, horse patterns can have celestial meaning.
A live animal is used for divination. In some cultures sacred horses are tended as oracles. A horse may be in a ritual enclosure or left to its usual habits. The diviner studies its motions or sounds, which have prophetic meaning, as in study of bird movements or ornithomancy.
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In the context of a horse herd, the diviner observes the flow and direction of the herd. The focus is on behavior of the herd as a whole, instead of an individual horse. The time of year and possible wild migrations have influence. The diviner strives to look beyond the obvious.
Hippomancy involves techniques such as interpretation of footprints or parts of a horse's body. Appearance of a horse in a dream is another part of hippomancy. In the ancient world, dream interpretation reveals both positive and negative elements.
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Later, study of a horse skull and/or bones (osteomancy) becomes popular. Northerners such as the Norse and Germanic tribes are enthusiastic hippomancers. Along with Chinese, Roman, Greek, Irish and Turkic cultures, they're also known for horse burials or sacrifice.
Scapulimancy (scapulomancy, scapulamancy, omoplatoscopy or speal bone reading) is the practice of divination by use of scapulae or speal bones (shoulder blades) of an animal. In China these are considered oracle bones.
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In the Hindu Vedas, horses can represent the Sun and its yearly course. This association is embodied by the wandering of the horse in the Ashvamedha ritual. The horse is also said to be analogous to Prajapati as Creator. In the Vedas, the horse symbolizes energy.
As spiritual animals or animal spirit guides, horses relate to luck, wealth, work, travel, freedom and the Sun. Four horses pull the chariot of Greco-Roman sun gods Apollo, Helios and Sol. Sea deity Poseidon, father of Pegasus, is originally a horse god from Arcadia.
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The Divine Horse Twins help define the world at creation. In Celtic lore, Epona, Celtic goddess of fertility, is patron protector of horses. The ancient Hittite God of Horses is the warrior deity Pirwa.
As figures of high economic value, horses are among animals sacrificed at the Temple at Uppsala. A horse burial in a dry riverbed is also found at Hünenburg Bronze Age settlement in Germania. It's not clear if it's a burial or sacrifice. In Britain 31 horse burials are found.
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Equine oracular moments in history & lore:
In Virgil's Aeneid, Anchises sees four white horses grazing and interprets this as an omen of war, adding that peace is still possible because horses can harness themselves to a chariot and be docile.
According to the same work, Carthage is founded on the site where exiles of Tyre unearth a horse skull at the direction of Goddess Juno. The skull is a sign of war victories and abundance for centuries to come.
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According to a text by Cicero, in the 3rd century BCE Gaius Flaminius of Rome falls unconscious from his horse in front of a statue of Jupiter. Troops see this as a bad omen and ask him not to engage in combat.
Gaius Flaminius then tries divination by sacred chickens, who confirm the suspicions of his troops. He goes into battle anyway. He is killed and his army defeated by the Carthaginian General Hannibal, who the previous year crossed the Alps with elephants.
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In the Iliad, Achilles' horses Balius and Xanthus have the gift of prophetic speech bestowed by Hera. When Achilles goes to battle for vengeance, Xanthus lowers his head and lets his mane hang down. He says he can do nothing to change Achilles' fate.
He reminds Achilles of his imminent death at the hands of "a God and a man". Achilles is killed by an arrow shot by Trojan Prince Paris, guided by Sun God Apollo.
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In Germania by Tacitus (98 CE), the author describes white horses kept in the woods, fed by the state and exempt from work. The ritual involves harnessing them to a sacred chariot and observing their neighing and snorting. The sacred horses are confidants of the gods.
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