Omens

Also: portents, signs, augury, shakuna

An omen is an ordinary or strange event read as a message about the future. Mesopotamian scholars compiled thousands in the series Enuma Anu Enlil, covering the sky, weather and animals. Roman and Greek writers recorded lightning, births and the flight of birds. In India the Shakuna Shastra lists signs for journeys, such as what is seen on setting out. Many households still have small rules: a sneeze, an itching palm, a spilled drink or a cat's path. Folklorists note that omens are often held as probable and not certain, and that they offer a way to talk about risk. Psychologists link them to the habit of seeing patterns and to the wish for control.

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