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Alphitomancy
This form of divination used barley to determine whether someone was guilty or innocent of a crime. A specially-prepared barley or wheat loaf or cake was fed to the suspect. If the accused ate the loaf without ill effects, they were innocent. On the other hand, if the accused choked, refused to eat, found the loaf inedible, or even got a rumbly stomach afterwards, they were surely guilty. Medieval English law used a similar technique, called “cursed bread” or corsned. In a similar fashion, innocent parties would enjoy a nice piece of bread, while the guilty would suffer. Since barley bread was harder to chew, it increased the risk of choking. In England, the Earl of Wessex took the corsned test to defend himself against allegations of a false oath. When he died a few days later, many pointed to alphitomancy as a form of divine prophecy. This technique was also effective when there were several suspects. All suspects were provided with barley bread, which they believed could only be eaten easily by the innocent. The bread had to be carefully created and administered in order to be effective. Bartley was mixed with milk and a little salt. The bread … Continue reading Alphitomancy →
The post Alphitomancy appeared first on Richard Cassaro.
Richard Cassaro is a journalist, speaker and author of “Written In Stone: Decoding The Secret Masonic Religion Hidden In Gothic Cathedrals And World Architecture.” The book uncovers a lost Wisdom Tradition that was practiced globally in antiquity, found memorialized in pyramids, Triptychs, and identical images worldwide. The central tenets of this tradition have been perpetuated in Western Secret Societies. The most visible of these is the so-called “Masonic Fraternity,” an age-old chivalric Order whose ranks have included Europe’s Gothic cathedral builders and America’s Founding Fathers. Richard has two websites: www.DeeperTruth.com and www.RichardCassaro.com
Source: http://www.richardcassaro.com/alphitomancy
