Babylonian-Assyrian Birth-Omens and Their Cultural Significance   By: Morris Jastrow (1861-1921)

And Their Cultural Significance

by Morris Jastrow, jr. Ph. D. (Leipzig) Professor of Semitic Languages in the University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia)

Gießen 1914 Verlag von Alfred Töpelmann (vormals J. Ricker)

=Religionsgeschichtliche Versuche und Vorarbeiten=

begründet von Albrecht Dieterich und Richard Wünsch herausgegeben von Richard Wünsch und Ludwig Deubner in Münster i. W. in Königsberg i. Pr.

XIV. Band. 5. Heft

To

SIR WILLIAM OSLER

Regius Professor of Medicine Oxford University

This volume is dedicated as a mark of esteem and admiration.

"Most fine, most honour'd, most renown'd." (King Henry V, 2d Part, Act IV, 5, 164.)

=Analysis=

Divination in Babylonia and Assyria 1

Three chief methods: hepatoscopy, astrology and birth omens 1 6

Spread of Hepatoscopy and Astrology to Hittites, Etruscans, Greeks and Romans and to China 3 4

The Transition motif in religious rites and popular customs 5 6

Omen collections in Ashurbanapal's Library 6 7

Birth omen reports 9 12

Animal Birth omens 12 28

Double foetus 13 16

Principles of interpretation 14 15

Multiple births among ewes 17 18

Malformation of ears 19 22

Excess number of ears 20 22

Ewe giving birth to young resembling lion 23 26

Ewe giving birth to young resembling other animals 27 28

Human Birth omens 28 41

Twins 29 30

Monstrosities 30

Multiple births 31

Malformation of ears 32 33

Malformation of mouth, nostrils, jaws, arms, lips, hand 33 34

Malformation of anus, genital member, thigh, feet 35 36

Principles of interpretation 36

Misshapen embryos 37

Weaklings, cripples, deaf mutes, still births, dwarfs 38 39

Talking infants, with bearded lips and teeth 39

Infants with animal features 32. 33. 35 36. 40 41

Study of Human Physiognomy among Greeks and Romans 43 44

Resemblances between human and animal features 45

Porta's and Lavater's Views 45 48

Study of Human Physiognomy based on birth omens 49 50

Birth omens in Julius Obsequens 50 52

Birth omens in Valerius Maximus 52

Cicero on birth omens 53 54

Macrobius on birth omens 55

Birth omens among Greeks and in Asia Minor 56 58

Birth omens as basis of belief in fabulous and hybrid beings 59 62

Dragons, Hippocentaurs and hybrid creatures in Babylonian Assyrian Literature and Art 63 64

Fabulous creatures of Greek Mythology and Birth omens 64 66

Egyptian sphinxes 67 70

Totemism 70

Metamorphosis of human beings into animals and vice versa 70 72

Talking animals in fairy tales 71

History of monsters and persistency of belief in monsters 72 78

Lycosthenes' work 73 75

Summary 78 80

Index 81 86