(also called alectoromancy or alectromancy)
derivation comes from the Greek
words alectryon and manteia, which mean rooster and divination respectively) is a form of divination in which the diviner observes a
bird, several birds (or most preferably a white rooster or cockerel) pecking at grain (such as wheat) that the diviner has scattered on the ground. The observer
may place grain in the shape of letters and thus discern a divinatory revelation by noting which letters the birds peck at, or the diviner
may just interpret the pattern left by the birds' pecking in randomly scattered grain.
In another version, the observer tethers the
bird in the center of a circle, around the perimeter of which is marked the alphabet, with a piece of grain at each letter. For each grain the
bird pecks, the observer writes down the letter which that grain represents. The observer also replaces each grain as the
bird eats it, so that letters
may be repeated. The sequence of letters recorded will presumably contain a message.
This form of divination is related to Ouija, by the
random selection of letters; and gyromancy by the
random selection of letters from a circle around the diviner themself; and to orniscopy, divination by the movements of birds.
Alectormancy is also sacrificing a sacred rooster.
The practisioner of Majic is
carried away with all the"alectryomancy "alectoromancy,alectromancy)
The accuracy of a divining
rod is no longer an
urban mythe but is pure "alectryomancy".(also called alectoromancy,or alectromancy.)