Hydromance
As hydromancy (Greek. "Divination out of the water") refers to a presumably from the Orient originated mantic art. It is based on observations of phenomena in and above water, in springs, lakes, whirlpools, basins, glasses and bottles.
meaning
The water prophecy, along with aero -, geo - and pyromancy, is one of the divinations that relate to the four basic elements of air , earth , fire and water . The predictions of events and happenings lie in the future and learned certain rules from the mantics of the ancient and medieval movement.
Early hydromance
St. Augustine reported that Numa was one of the first hydromancers. Pausanias tells of several temples with springs where regular hydromantic observations were made.
Ancient to Middle Ages
Marcus Terentius Varro (116-27 BC) mentioned in his writings that, in his opinion, hydromance came from Persia . However, he did not report anything about the practical application of the water prophecies, but the hydromance had far-reaching importance in the cultures of the Near East . For the Teutons it can be assumed that they too had developed a pronounced belief in water, which was represented in the worship of springs and was based on the belief of water spirits . Their common basis lies in the fortune telling power of water. In antiquity, hydromance was fought, this culminated in the medieval church .
16th - 19th century
In the 16th century a large number of written material developed about the divinations , finally this knowledge of the old ideas led to a summary and developed a separate field of knowledge . In Europe the so-called Water Watch was not widespread, but it is known to report that in the Orient was still practiced until the end of the 19th century, "where often young boys were used by the observation of clear water surfaces hypnotic were and fell into a trance to be able to perceive future events ”.
Methods
Methods , time periods and dates were developed using the rules from antiquity and the knowledge gained in the field of knowledge of water prophecies . Statements for the future were made through figures that formed oil, hot lead, or wax poured into water. In addition, two movements emerged: The first group focused on the signs that are to be found in the water itself, that is, in the water movement, its rise, its shrinkage and other changes. The other group, accompanied by strict rituals , derived their answers, which in turn are accompanied by magical and demonic powers. Nowadays, hydromanticism finds its fans in esotericism and with a few fortune tellers.
Psychoanalysis
In modern “ psychoanalysis , the element water is described as a symbol , it stands for the unconscious and its similarities lead back to medieval notions”.
See also
literature
- Christa Agnes Tuczay , cultural history of medieval fortune-telling , Verlag Walter de Gruyter, 2012, ISBN 3110240416 (Hydromantie) [4]
- Ulrike Müller-Kaspar (ed.), The great handbook of superstition, From A bis , Tosa published by Ueberreuter , Vienna , 2007
Web links
- Water shows - future interpretation by means of hydromance
- Hydromantie, from: Nostradamus (accessed October 14, 2015)
Individual evidence
- ↑ The Duden describes it as a "future interpretation of appearances in and on shimmering water (especially in the Middle East)" [1]
- Jump up ↑ Augustine (354–430) - Twenty-two books on the state of God, Book 7: “35. Numa was held for the best by the hydromance, which showed him a kind of image of gods " [2]
- ↑ Compare: Wasserschauen, in: VIVERIAS-Lexikon [3]
- ↑ Ludwig Knoll, Lexicon of Practical Psychology, Gustav Lübbe Verlag, Bergisch Gladbach