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The dissemination of divination in roman republican times

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Conflict occurr<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the l<strong>in</strong>eage 4 1<br />

Some animals died 1 0<br />

Wanted to know outcome <strong>of</strong> harvest 1 0<br />

General trouble 10 4<br />

No response to question 25 9<br />

Table 4.2. Reasons for consultation <strong>of</strong> div<strong>in</strong>er among the Sisala 28<br />

About 25 % <strong>of</strong> the consultations have to do with central life transitions, such as marriage,<br />

birth and death as we expected. <strong>The</strong> largest s<strong>in</strong>gle reason for consultation is disease. Disease<br />

is another example <strong>of</strong> a discrepancy between the ideal life model and the lived life. <strong>The</strong>se<br />

seem relatively universal. Consequently, more than 60% <strong>of</strong> motivations for consult<strong>in</strong>g a<br />

div<strong>in</strong>er among the Sisala are directly related to discrepancies between the ideal life model<br />

and the lived life.<br />

Other more curious examples seem at the face <strong>of</strong> it to diverge from this pattern; for<br />

example consult<strong>in</strong>g a div<strong>in</strong>er to f<strong>in</strong>d out about a com<strong>in</strong>g journey. <strong>The</strong> reason it features<br />

prom<strong>in</strong>ently on the list is that it is not safe to travel <strong>in</strong> the area where the Sisala live. It is<br />

therefore an example <strong>of</strong> a potential misfortune. <strong>The</strong> reason why dreams are a motivation for<br />

consultation is that they may be signs <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>sanity and thus ultimately <strong>of</strong> disease. Yet other<br />

reasons have a more obscure etiology, but they all <strong>in</strong> one way or another relate to the fortune<br />

or misfortune <strong>of</strong> the consulter.<br />

Evans-Pritchard also provides us with a similar list, although he does not specify how many<br />

percent <strong>of</strong> the consultations are motivated by each <strong>in</strong>dividual reason. Evans-Pritchard made<br />

detailed <strong>in</strong>quiries <strong>in</strong>to the consultations <strong>of</strong> the poison oracle among the Azande. <strong>The</strong> poison<br />

oracle is the central and most important form <strong>of</strong> <strong>div<strong>in</strong>ation</strong>. Situations that motivate<br />

consultation are:<br />

28 After (Mendonsa 1982: 114).<br />

To discover why a wife has not conceived<br />

Dur<strong>in</strong>g pregnancy <strong>of</strong> wife, about place <strong>of</strong> delivery, safety etc.<br />

Before circumcision <strong>of</strong> son<br />

Before marriage <strong>of</strong> daughter<br />

Before send<strong>in</strong>g son to act as page at court<br />

In sickness on any member <strong>of</strong> family<br />

To discover the agent responsible <strong>of</strong> any misfortune<br />

At death <strong>of</strong> k<strong>in</strong>sman <strong>in</strong> the old days<br />

Before exact<strong>in</strong>g vengeance by magic<br />

In cases <strong>of</strong> sorcery<br />

In cases <strong>of</strong> adultery<br />

Before gather<strong>in</strong>g oracle poison<br />

60

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