Ichytychomancy is one of the forms of Theiromancj or Zoomance based on divination from observing the behavior and appearance of wild animals. Ichytychomancy is limited to looking at fish. There are several alternative concepts resulting from various translations, including such phrases as: Ichyomancy, Icthiomancy, Ichthyomantia.
The term comes from the Greek language in which ikhthus means fish and matnteia meaning divination.
Ichytychomancy, like most divination systems, comes from antiquity. It was popular in Babylon and Greece known for the use of a huge number of divination systems, as well as in China and Phenicia.
It consists in reading signs of the appearance and behavior of fish and looking in their guts. Most often, an aquarium with dedicated water was prepared for this purpose and fish were placed in it.
1610 Vives in J. Healey Saint Augustine of the Citie of God Diuination generally was done by diuers means .. by fishes, Ichthyomancy (this Apuleius was charged with)
1660 Urquhart translating Rabelais Gargantua & ast Pantagruel iii. xxv. By Icthiomancy , in ancient times so celebrated, and put in use by Tiresias and Polydamus , with the like certainty of event as was tried of old at the Dina-ditch within that Grove consecrated to Apollo, which is in the Territory of the Lycians.
1920 L. Spence Encyc . occult Ichthyomancy : Divination by the inspection of the entrails of fish.
1973 Gibson Complete Illust . Bk Div. & ast Prophecy ICHTHYOMANCY : Divination by the examination of fish offered for a sacrifice. This can be extended to include the actions of living fish, which have many traditional interpretations, some still popular with present-day fishermen.
1986 P. Hellweg Insomniac’s Dict. x. Ichthyomancy – The next fish caught.