molybdomancy en · NOUN
Etymology
From Ancient Greek μόλυβδος (mólubdos, “lead”) and the suffix -mancy. Probably after Greek μολυβδομαντεία (molyvdomanteía) or French molybdomancie.
Meanings
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(uncountable) divination by interpreting shapes formed when molten metal, typically lead or tin, is dropped into water.
There was a happy group in Tallahassee swapping wives on the basis of molybdomancy.
1971 January, Tak Hallus, “Homage”, in Analog Science Fiction / Science Fact, page 67:1727, Bailey, The Universal Etym. Eng. Dict. MOLUBDOMANCY [molybdomanteia of molybdos Lead, and manteia Divination, Gr.] a divining, an observing the motions, Figures, &c. of melted Lead.
Dropping hot lead or tin into water was another method occasionally employed by the Etruscans in a version of molybdomancy, much like ceromancy.
2003, Raymond Buckland, The Fortune-Telling Book, page 199:1931, de Givry, Lock tr., Picture Museum of Sorcery Molybdomancy was divination by melted lead; drops of it were allowed to fall into water, and the resulting noises and hissings listened to.
The place of molybdomancy is also to be located in the uncertain border area between spontaneous and solicited projection.
1957, Robert Plank, “Spontaneous Projection of Meaningful Forms”, in Journal of Projective Techniques, page 146:
Translations (4)
de Bleigießen (divination by molten metal dropped in water) · fi tinanvalanta (divination by molten metal dropped in water) · fr molybdomancie (divination by molten metal dropped in water) · la molybdomantia (divination by molten metal dropped in water)