Omens

An omen, also known as a portent, is a sign that is believed to foretell a future event, which may or may not be supernatural in nature. from earliest times, omens have been given credence in the world's cultures and folklore. Although usually classified according to the generic terms “good” and “bad,” an omen is more likely referred to in the foreboding sense, to indicate something sinister that has yet to occur.

The first recorded omens are those of the ancient Babylonians and Assyrians. Both of these cultures believed that the future could be foretold and controlled. Because religion was integral in these ancients' lives, and the omens were thought to be directly from the gods, appeasements could be made in an attempt to stave off the impending calamity. Priests skilled in the arts of omen reading and divination, known as baratu, would interpret the portents. These portents could be found in the sky, in animal entrails (known as extispicy), and in the weather, among other sources. The omen could be as simple as a lightning bolt hitting a tree or as complex as a pregnant snake circling a statue, laying her eggs, and dying right after. Each of these meant something different and required the baratu to interpret them, though the meaning may have been explicitly clear.

Ancient Greece and Rome also were filled with omens. In ancient Rome, before official state business was conducted, omens or the auspices (special omens observed in birds, either involving their flight in the sky or observations of the bird in general) were taken. One such auspice involved the observation of a sacred chicken's choice of whether or not it would eat food placed in front of it by an augur (a priest specially trained in auspicy). The chicken would even accompany armies to battle in a cage and the auspices would be taken before battle. A famous omen from ancient Rome involves the consul Publius Claudius Pulcher before his attack against the Carthaginians. The chicken refused to eat the grain laid before it, which was interpreted as a bad omen, and consequently as it being an inopportune time to attack the Carthaginians. Knowing his crew would find this an unfavorable omen, Claudius threw the chicken overboard. Subsequently, the Romans suffered a terrible defeat, with almost all the ships under Pulcher's command sunk.

A more popular category of omens are those concerning the weather. One such modern omen of this type is observed every year in the United States and Canada on February 2nd. It is colloquially known as “Groundhog Day” and involves the observation of a groundhog's shadow. If the groundhog fails to see his shadow because it isn't a bright day, winter will end very soon. If in fact, he does see his shadow, due to the sun being out in that particular moment, then the groundhog will be frightened, run back into his hole, and winter will continue for at least 6 more weeks. Although more of a tradition now than an actual example of a prophecy, it remains classified as a bad omen if the groundhog sees his shadow and a good one if he does not.

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