Omen

An omen (Pl. omen or omens, Latin: omen, sign, bird's eye view ') is a sign of a future event and takes place in the prediction of its use. Overall, the recognition of omens and divination based on it is called divination. Even in Latin was often a bad sign meant (cf. the German adjective ominous ).

More details

The belief in omens goes back to the civilizations of the ancient Orient and refers to a link between two events, not necessarily causal. All over the world there is the belief in omens, can make up hints about future events suggest. The individual believes either perceive an omen random, or it sets out to search. The Roman armies led, for example, with long specially priests, eg before slaughter in function occurred ( bird's eye view and livers ). Still Wallenstein consulted an astrologer before any military decision.

As an omen of each event and events can be considered as natural phenomena ( storms, comets, animal behavior ), meetings with specific persons or other unexplained things as the result of a dice roll. Today, this idea only still exists in the Western world as the people of faith, often in jobs that risky trains have ( sailors, soldiers, actors), but also grows in times of war again.

In addition, he is in other cultures and subcultures (eg esotericism) arguable.