Traces the history of good fortune traditions from sacred divination
to modern gambling
- Reveals how dice were originally considered sacred objects of
divination and details the techniques and meanings of a dice oracle
- Looks at medieval grimoires for fortune-telling and other divination
traditions, including those using cowrie shells, bones, coins, cards,
sticks, and stones
- Examines how dice became a means of gaming and gambling and how
gambling gave rise to specialized lucky charms
Some believe that our future is predetermined, while others assert that
we have free will and our future can take many different courses
depending on our actions. In ancient times, it was believed that the
will of the gods determined people's lives, and divination or sacrifices
to the gods could change or improve one's future. Of the deities devoted
to luck and the future, the Roman goddess Fortuna is most famous, having
two shrines in Italy where divination was conducted under her
guardianship.
Tracing the history of the culture of good fortune from sacred
divination to profane gambling, Nigel Pennick explores the many ways
people through the centuries have sought to divine the future, ensure
protection, and draw the full benefits from days of good omen. He shows
how dice were originally considered sacred objects of divination and
reveals the divinatory geomancy techniques and meanings of a dice
oracle. In addition to dice, he looks at how cowrie shells, bones,
coins, cards, sticks, and stones can be used to form meaningful patterns
for interpretation and how these cultural divination practices were
often accompanied by texts or oral traditions that explained the
meanings of the patterns, such as the Chinese I Ching and the West
African verses of the Sixteen Cowries. He also looks at medieval
grimoires for fortune-telling, lottery books, and dice books.
Exploring how dice became a means of gaming and gambling, the author
details the forms of trickery and "crooked dice" used in games of craps
by cheating gamblers and the Dream Books or Policy Books that served as
oracles for those who played the "Numbers Racket." He examines how
gambling gave rise to specialized lucky charms, luck-ensuring rituals,
and even mascots. He also explores the emergence of ideas of randomness
as they relate to divination and magic.
Revealing how divination and gambling are two sides of the same coin,
the author shows how, whether you are a gambler relying on Lady Luck or
a diviner querying the gods, we're all looking to Fortuna in the quest
for a better, richer life.
