Haruspicy
Haruspicy (Latin haruspicina) is the divinatory art of reading the entrails of sacrificed animals — especially the liver — to obtain divine oracular answers. Practised by the haruspices of pre-Roman Etruscan tradition and adopted by republican and imperial Rome as official state divinatory science.
Etruscan and Roman origin
Haruspicy has its origin in the Etruscan civilisation (1st millennium BC, central Italy) — the Etruscans were specialists par excellence of this technique, with deeply elaborated theology and sacred technical books (now mostly lost). The haruspex was an Etruscan priest specialist who studied for many years the technique of reading entrails. The Romans, after subduing the Etruscans, adopted and incorporated the haruspicy as one of their official state divinatory practices.
In Rome, the haruspex was professionally consulted before: 1) Important political decisions (declarations of war, treaties). 2) Important military movements. 3) Foundations of cities (along with augury). 4) Religious public ceremonies. 5) Significant individual decisions of the wealthy. The state haruspices belonged to the collegium haruspicum (priestly college) with codified rules and protected privileged knowledge.
Method
The technique consisted in: 1) Sacrifice ritually a specific animal (sheep generally; sometimes calf or pig). 2) Open the body and inspect the liver primarily (later also other organs). 3) Divide the liver into specific regions corresponding to celestial regions (each region of the liver was associated with a god or specific aspect of life — practically a "miniature map of the cosmos" reflected on the liver). 4) Read signs: irregularities, marks, lobes, colour, anomalies. Each sign in each region had specific interpretation.
A famous Etruscan archaeological discovery: the Bronze Liver of Piacenza (3rd-2nd century BC), bronze figure of a sheep liver divided into 40 regions inscribed with the names of Etruscan deities — used to teach apprentices the haruspicy science. It is the only physical-archaeological remains we have of the original Etruscan haruspical art (almost all the Etruscan sacred books were destroyed). Famous historical haruspical advice: the Etruscan haruspex advised Caesar against entering the Senate the Ides of March 44 BC ("be careful of the Ides of March"); Caesar, sceptical, ignored the advice and was assassinated that same day.
Today
Haruspicy as ritual sacrifice of animals is not currently practised in legitimate Western traditions: it is incompatible with modern animal welfare ethics and conservation laws (animal sacrifices are even illegal in many countries, except for licensed religious traditions like Halal or Kosher slaughter). It survives partially in some ethnic indigenous traditions (animal sacrifices in some Santería ceremonies, for example) — but always with high level of regulation and respect.
For modern interest in haruspicy: study it as historical-anthropological subject — Etruscan culture is rich and fascinating; the practice illustrates how the ancients sought communication with the divine through specific concrete reality. The deepest spiritual lesson of haruspicy is its presupposition: the entire visible reality contains spiritual messages for those who can read them. This presupposition continues being central in many alternative divinatory practices today (synchronicity, augury, observation of natural signs) — without need of animal sacrifices.
Also known as
- Haruspicina
- Etruscan haruspicy
- Liver reading