Hippomancy

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/hippomancy

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the primary divinatory method?Interpretation of horse movements, neighs, tracks, and bones
2. What is the geographical and cultural scope?Prevalent among Indo-European peoples, including Romans, Persians, Celts, Germanic, and Slavic groups
3. Why did people think horses could tell the future?They believed horses were connected to nature and the supernatural, so they could carry messages from the gods.
4. Where did hippomancy happen?It was practiced by many early Indo-European peoples, such as Romans, Persians, Celts, Germanic and Slavic tribes, and even in places like the Ozarks in the U.S. in the 19th century.

Divination: The practice of seeking knowledge of the future or the unknown by supernatural means.
Indo-European: A large family of languages and the peoples who spoke them, originating in ancient times.
Intermediary: A person or thing acting as a link or go-between between two parties or things.
Sacralization: The process of making something sacred or holy, imbuing it with religious significance.