Belomancy

Belomancy (from the Greek: βέλος, belos ["arrow, dart"] + μαντεία, manteia, ["divination, soothsaying"]), or bolomancy, is a method of divination conducted by interpretation of the drawing or flights of arrows.

Reading

 * This is a method of divination through the instrumentality of arrows, practised in the East, but chiefly among the Arabians. Ezekiel says that Nebuchadnezzar used this divination to ascertain the event of the war he was waging against the Jews. In the employment of belomancy, two distinct methods were in vogue. One was to mark a number of arrows, and to put eleven or more of them into a bag. These were afterward drawn out, and accordingly as they were marked, or otherwise, were future events judged. Another way was to have three arrows, upon one of which was written, God forbids it me; upon another, God orders it me; and upon the third, nothing at all. These were put into a quiver, out of which one of the three was drawn at random. If it happened to be that with the second inscription, the thing they consulted about was to be done; if it chanced to be that with the first inscription, the thing was let alone; and if it proved to be that without any inscription, they drew over again. Belomancy is an ancient practice, and is probably that which Ezekiel mentions, chap. xxi. 21; at least St. Jerome understands it so, and observes that the practice was frequent among the Assyrians and Babylonians. Something like it is also spoken of in Hosea (the first in order of the minor prophets), only that staves are mentioned there instead of arrows, which is rather rhabdomancy (from the Greek rhabdos, stick) than belomancy. Grotius, as well as Jerome, confound the two together, and show that they prevailed much among the Magi, Chaldeans, and Scythians, from whom they passed to the Sclavonians and thence to the Germans, who were said by Tacitus to make use of belomancy. The Turks to this day foretell the result of a battle in this way.