OracleFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaThis article is about the classical medium. For the software company, seeOracle Corporation. For other uses, seeOracle (disambiguation).

Consulting the OraclebyJohn William Waterhouse, showing eight priestesses in a temple of prophecy.InClassical Antiquity, anoraclewas a person or agency considered to provide wise counsel orpropheticpredictionsorprecognitionof the future, inspired by thegods. As such it is a form ofdivination.Contents[hide] 1Description 2Origins 3Pythia 4Dodona 5Trophonius 6"Oracles" in other cultures 6.1China 6.2Celtic polytheism 6.3Hinduism 6.4Tibetan Buddhism 6.5Pre-Columbian Americas 6.6Sub-Saharan Africa 6.7Norse mythology 6.8Hawaii 7References 8Further reading 9External linksDescription[edit]The word "oracle" comes from theLatinverbrre"to speak" and properly refers to the priest or priestess uttering the prediction. In extended use,oraclemay also refer to the site of the oracle, and to the oracular utterances themselves, calledkhrsmoi() in Greek.Oracles were thought to be portals through which the gods spoke directly to people. In this sense they were different from seers (manteis, ) who interpreted signs sent by the gods through bird signs, animal entrails, and other various methods.[1]The most important oracles of Greek antiquity werePythia, priestess toApolloatDelphi, and the oracle ofDioneandZeusatDodonainEpirus. Other temples of Apollo were located atDidymaon the coast ofAsia Minor, atCorinthandBassaein the Peloponnese, and at the islands ofDelosandAeginain the Aegean Sea. TheSibylline Oraclesare a collection of oracular utterances written in Greekhexametersascribed to theSibyls, prophetesses who uttered divine revelations in a frenzied state.Origins[edit]Walter Burkertobserves that "Frenzied women from whose lips the god speaks" are recorded in theNear Eastas inMariin the second millennium BC and in Assyria in the first millennium BC.[2]In Egypt the goddessWadjet(eye of the moon) was depicted as a snake-headed woman or a woman with two snake-heads. Her oracle was in the renowned temple inPer-Wadjet(Greek nameButo). The oracle of Wadjet may have been the source for the oracular tradition which spread from Egypt to Greece.[3]Evans linked Wadjet with theMinoansnake goddess, achthonic deityand one of the aspects of the Great Mother.[4]In Greece the old oracles were devoted to theMother Goddess. At the oracle ofDodonashe will be calledDin(the feminine form ofDis,genitiveofZeus,PIE*Dyaeus; or ofdos, "godly", literally "heavenly"), who represents the earth-fertile soil, probably the chief female goddess of thePIEpantheon.Python, daughter (or son) ofGaiawas the earth dragon ofDelphirepresented as aserpentand became the chthonic deity, enemy ofApollo, who slew her and possessed the oracle.[5]Pythia[edit]...When the Prytanies' seat shines white in the island of Siphnos,White-browed all the forum need then of a true seer's wisdom-Danger will threat from a wooden boat, and a herald in scarlet...The Pythoness[6]Pythia, the oracle atDelphi, was said to beinfallible.[citation needed]Pythia only gave prophecies the seventh day of each month, seven being the number most associated withApollo, during the nine warmer months of the year; thus, Delphi was not the major source ofdivinationfor the ancient Greeks. Many wealthy individuals bypassed the hordes of people attempting a consultation by making additional animal sacrifices to please the oracle lest their request go unanswered. As a result,seerswere the main source of everyday divination.The temple was changed to a center for the worship of Apollo during the classical period of Greece and priests were added to the temple organizationalthough the tradition regarding prophecy remained unchangedand the priestesses continued to provide the services of the oracle exclusively. It is from this institution that the English word, oracle, is derived.The Delphic Oracle exerted considerable influence throughout Hellenic culture. Distinctively, this female was essentially the highest authority both civilly and religiously in male-dominatedancient Greece. She responded to the questions of citizens, foreigners, kings, and philosophers on issues of political impact, war, duty, crime, lawseven personal issues.[7]The semi-Hellenic countries around the Greek world, such asLydia,Caria, and evenEgyptalso respected her and came to Delphi assupplicants.Croesus, king of Lydia beginning in 560 B.C., tested the oracles of the world to discover which gave the most accurate prophecies. He sent out emissaries to seven sites who were all to ask the oracles on the same day what the king was doing at that very moment. Croesus proclaimed the oracle at Delphi to be the most accurate, who correctly reported that the king was making a lamb-and-tortoise stew, and so he graced her with a magnitude of precious gifts.[8]He then consulted Delphi before attackingPersia, and according toHerodotuswas advised,If you cross the river, a great empire will be destroyed

Believing the response favorable, Croesus attacked, but it was his own empire that ultimately was destroyed by the Persians.She allegedly also proclaimed that there was no man wiser thanSocrates, to which Socrates said that, if so, this was because he alone was aware of his own ignorance. After this confrontation, Socrates dedicated his life to a search for knowledge that was one of the founding events of westernphilosophy. He claimed that she was "an essential guide to personal and state development."[9]This Oracle's last recorded response was given in 362 AD, toJulian the Apostate.[10]The oracle's powers were highly sought after and never doubted. Any inconsistencies between prophecies and events were dismissed as failure to correctly interpret the responses, not an error of the oracle.[11]Very often prophecies were worded ambiguously, so as to cover all contingencies especially soex post facto. One famous such response to a query about participation in a military campaign was "You will go you will return never in war will you perish". This gives the recipient liberty to place a comma before or after the word "never", thus covering both possible outcomes. Another was the response to the Athenians when the vast army of kingXerxes Iwas approaching Athens with the intent of razing the city to the ground. "Only the wooden palisades may save you"[citation needed], answered the oracle, probably aware that there was sentiment for sailing to the safety of southern Italy and reestablishing Athens there. Some thought that it was a recommendation to fortify theAcropoliswith a wooden fence and make a stand there. Others,Themistoclesamong them, said the oracle was clearly for fighting at sea, the metaphor intended to mean war ships. Others still insisted that their case was so hopeless that they should board every ship available and flee toItaly, where they would be safe beyond any doubt. In the event, variations of all three interpretations were attempted: some barricaded the Acropolis, the civilian population was evacuated over sea to nearbySalamis Islandand toTroizen, and the war fleetfought victoriously at Salamis Bay. Should utter destruction have happened, it could always be claimed that the oracle had called for fleeing to Italy after all.Dodona[edit]Dodonawas another oracle devoted to theMother Goddessidentified at other sites withRheaorGaia, but here calledDione. The shrine of Dodona was the oldest Hellenic oracle, according to the fifth-century historian Herodotus and in fact, dates to pre-Hellenic times, perhaps as early as the second millennium BC when the tradition probably spread from Egypt. Zeus displaced the Mother goddess and assimilated her asAphrodite.It became the second most important oracle in ancient Greece, which later was dedicated toZeusand toHeraclesduring the classical period of Greece. At Dodona Zeus was worshipped as Zeus Naios or Naos (god of springsNaiads, from a spring which existed under the oak), and Zeus Bouleos (cancellor). Priestesses and priests interpreted the rustling of the oak leaves to determine the correct actions to be taken. The oracle was shared by Dione and Zeus.Trophonius[edit]Trophoniuswas an oracle atLebadeaofBoeotiadevoted to the chthonian Zeus Trophonius. Trophonius is derived from the Greek word "trepho" (nourish) and he was a Greek hero, or demon or god.Demeter-Europawas his nurse.[12]Europa (in Greek: broad-eyes) was a Phoenecian princess who Zeus transformed into a white bull abducted and carried her to Creta, and is equated withAstarteas a moon goddess by ancient sources.[13]Some scholars connect Astarte with the Minoan snake goddess, whose cult as Aphrodite spread from Creta to Greece.[14]"Oracles" in other cultures[edit]Main article:DivinationThe term "oracle" is also applied to parallel institutions of divination in other cultures. Specifically, it is used in the context ofChristianityfor the concept ofdivine revelation, and in the context ofJudaismfor theUrim and Thummimbreastplate, and in general any utterance consideredprophetic.[15]China[edit]Main articles:Oracle bone scriptandOracle bone

Oracle boneof theShang Dynasty, ancient ChinaOracles were common in many civilizations of antiquity. In China, the use oforacle bonesdates as far back as theShang Dynasty, (16001046 BC). TheI Ching, or "Book of Changes", is a collection of linear signs used as oracles that are from that period. Althoughdivination with the I Chingis thought to have originated prior to the Shang Dynasty, it was not until King Wu of Zhou (10461043 BC) that it took its present form. In addition to its oracular power, the I Ching has had a major influence on the philosophy, literature and statecraft of China from the time of theZhou Dynasty(1122 BC AD 256).Celtic polytheism[edit]InCeltic polytheism, divination was performed by the priestly caste, either thedruidsor thevates. This is reflected in the role of "seers" inDark Age Wales(dryw) andIreland(fith).Hinduism[edit]In ancientIndia, the oracle was known as Akashwani or Ashareera vani (a person without body or unseen ) or Asariri (Tamil), literally meaning "voice from the sky" and was related to the message of god. Oracles played key roles in many of the major incidents of the epicsMahabharataandRamayana. An example is thatKamsa(or Kansa), the evil uncle of lordKrishna, was informed by an oracle that the eighth son of his sisterDevakiwould kill him. There are still a few existing and publicly accessible oracles in India.Tibetan Buddhism[edit]InTibet, oracles have played, and continue to play, an important part in religion and government. The word "oracle" is used by Tibetans to refer to the spirit that enters those men and women who act asmediabetween the natural and the spiritual realms. The media are, therefore, known askuten, which literally means, "the physical basis".TheDalai Lama, who lives in exile in northern India, still consults an oracle known as theNechung Oracle, which is considered the official state oracle of the government of Tibet. The Dalai Lama has according to centuries-old custom, consulted the Nechung Oracle during the new year festivities ofLosar.[16]Nechung and Gadhong are the primary oracles currently consulted; former oracles such as Karmashar and Darpoling are no longer active in exile. Another oracle the Dalai Lama consults is theTenma Oracle, for which a young Tibetan woman is the medium for the goddess. The Dalai Lama gives a complete description of the process oftranceandspirit possessionin his bookFreedom in Exile.[17]Pre-Columbian Americas[edit]In the migration myth of the Mexitin, i.e., the earlyAztecs, amummy-bundle (perhaps aneffigy) carried by four priests directed the trek away from the cave of origins by giving oracles. An oracle led to the foundation ofMexico-Tenochtitlan. TheYucatec Mayasknew oracle priests orchilanes, literally 'mouthpieces' of the deity. Their written repositories of traditional knowledge, the Books ofChilam Balam, were all ascribed to one famous oracle priest who correctly had predicted the coming of the Spaniards and its associated disasters.Sub-Saharan Africa[edit]TheIgbo peopleof southeasternNigeriainAfricahave a long tradition of using oracles. In Igbo villages, oracles were usually femalepriestessesto a particular deity, usually dwelling in a cave or other secluded location away from urban areas, and, much as the oracles of ancient Greece, would deliver prophecies in an ecstatic state to visitors seeking advice. Two of their ancient oracles became especially famous during the pre-colonial period: the Agbala oracle atAwkaand the Chukwu oracle atArochukwu.[18]Though the vast majority of Igbos today areChristian, many of them still use oracles.Amongst the relatedYoruba peoplesof the same country, theBabalawos(and their female counterparts, the Iyanifas) serve collectively as the principal aspects of the tribe's World-famousIfa divinationsystem. Due to this, they customarily officiate at a great many of its traditional and religious ceremonies.Norse mythology[edit]InNorse mythology,Odintook the severed head of the mythical godMimirtoAsgardfor consultation as an oracle. TheHavamaland other sources relate thesacrificeof Odin for the oracularRuneswhereby he lost an eye (external sight) and won wisdom (internal sight;insight).Hawaii[edit]InHawaii, oracles were found at certainheiau. These oracles were found in towers covered in white kapa. In here, priests received the will of gods. These towers were called "'Anu'u." An example of this can be found at Ahu'ena heiau inKona.[19]