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Joined: Aug 2001
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stranger
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stranger
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 12 |
My great-grandfather (Welsh, mother's side) was a "water witch", but called himself a "diviner", as many do.
I would bet that a survey of water witches would reveal that "diviner" is the current "politically correct" term. :)
The farmers for whom he found wells probably didn't care whether it was magic or science. His skill at finding wells was not questioned- perhaps the whole bit with the forked branch of a fruit tree was a way of "explaining" a natural gift or a scheme for hiding skill and knowledge, who knows?
He never charged for his work- I believe this is traditional for "the real thing", whatever the scientific explanation for the ability may be. As I type this, my wife says in her country it is taken for granted that a water witch (bajalicar) doesn't charge, and dowsing is accepted as a normal thing. "Bajalica" in Slovene is a forked branch-
perhaps if a water witch was called a "brancher" in English, he'd have less trouble in these modern cynical times. Then again, that might limit his ability to finding branch water, which any whiskey-drinking cowboy can do fine all by their lonesome. :)
At any rate, if "anagramancy" isn't a "real" word, it should be! What's the widely practiced dark art of reading the future in a bottle of hooch? Alchomancy?
And hi, this is my first post, this is a wonderful forum!
-CB
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Joined: Aug 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Aug 2000
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Joined: Jan 2001
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
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Dear Cameron: Welcome to the board! Hope you will have many more posts for us to enjoy!
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Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 12
stranger
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stranger
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 12 |
In reply to:
Welcome Aboard, Cameron, and thanks for the added background on water-divining. I had to read your profile twice, as the first time I misread it as saying that your mother was an American before there was a USA. I was going to ask you for her secret to such outstanding longevity. Please do stay around, I can promise that you will not regret it.
Apricot brandy, one glass in the morning...
Yip, my English, or American I should say, needs to be dry-docked! This forum will surely be good for running repairs, though. Glad to be here.
-CB
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Joined: Mar 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
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Hi, Cameron, and welcome! We have another member who lives where you do. I've just sent her a private message, to let her know that she is missed and to tell her you're here. Hope she resurfaces soon. Gee--I started to ask "What's in your hod?", but realized how utterly lascivious that sounds! 
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Joined: Aug 2001
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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how utterly lascivious
Were you referring to the recent thread discussing Hooters (the restaurant, of course), or to the previous posting of "mazomancy" in this thread?
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Joined: Mar 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
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Were you referring to the recent thread discussing Hooters (the restaurant, of course), or to the previous posting of "mazomancy" in this thread?Neither, Keive--just the word. again!
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Joined: Aug 2001
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stranger
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stranger
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 12 |
Thanks for the welcome, Jackie, wwh and Max!
Jackie, listing "Hodcarrier" as my occupation is a reference to a Roald Dahl short story. I've never heard of anything but bricks or coal in a hod, but there may be other hods- it certainly sounds like a word that has a broader meaning, or at least once was more in use.
Is "osteomancy" too tame? I always pictured it involving the casting of small bones onto the ground and reading the patterns, and as an ancestor to dice throwing, but I can imagine far more gruesome methods of practicing osteomancy.
Phsychomancy, anthropomancy and spatulomancy, in ascending order of "no, thanks, you go ahead, I'll wait in the car..." value.
-CB
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Joined: Aug 2001
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Aug 2001
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My great-grandfather (Welsh, mother's side) was a "water witch", but called himself a "diviner", as many do.
bletonism: the alleged ability to perceive an underground water supply.
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Joined: Aug 2001
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 2,605 |
Is "osteomancy" too tame? I always pictured it involving the casting of small bones onto the ground and reading the patterns, and as an ancestor to dice throwing...
astragalomancy: fortunetelling using dice.
cleromancy: fortunetelling with dice.
Haven't found dem bones yet.
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