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An 'oracle' is a person or agency considered to be a source of wise counsel or prophetic opinion; an infallible authority, usually spiritual in nature. It can also be a prediction of the future, from deities, that is spoken through another object or life-form. In the ancient world many sites gained a reputation for the dispensing of oracular wisdom: they too became known as "oracles", and the oracular utterances, called ''khrēsmoi'' in Greek, were often referred to under the same name — a name derived from the Latin verb ''ōrāre'', to speak.

Contents

Ancient civilizations

China

Egypt

Greece

India

Mesoamerica

Scandinavia

Africa

Tibet

Nigeria

Popular Culture

Notes

Further reading

External links

See also

Ancient civilizations

China

Oracles were common in many civilizations of antiquity. In China, the use of oracle bones dates as far back as the Shang Dynasty, (1600 BC - 1046 BC). The I Ching, or "Book of Changes", is a collection of linear signs used as oracles that dates from that period. Although divination with the I Ching is thought to have originated prior to the Shang Dynasty, it was not until King Wu of Zhou (1046 BC-1043 BC) that it took its present form. In addition to its oracular power, the I Ching has had a major influence on the philosophy, literature and statecraft of China from the time of the Zhou Dynasty (1122 BC - 256 BC).

Egypt

Another oracle of note lay in Egypt, in a temple dedicated to Amun, whom the Greeks associated with Zeus. Alexander the Great once visited it, and although no record of his query remains, the oracle is thought to have hailed him as Ammon's son, influencing his conceptions of his own divinity.

Greece

Earliest tradition of oracular practice in Hellenic culture is from the Archaic period shortly after arrival of the Hellenes in their current place of settlement c.1300 BCE. The oracle was associated with the cults of deities derived from the great goddess of nature and fertility, the pre-eminent ancient oracle—the Delphic Oracle—operated at the temple of Delphi. The temple was changed to a center for the worship of Apollo during the classical period of Greece and priests were added to the temple organization although the tradition regarding prophecy remained, and the apparently always-female priest continued to provide the services of the oracle. It is from this institution that the English word oracle is derived.
She exerted considerable influence throughout Hellenic culture. The Greeks consulted her prior to all major undertakings, wars, the founding of colonies, and so forth.
The semi-Hellenic countries around the Greek world, such as Lydia, Caria, and even Egypt also respected her and came to Delphi as supplicants. Croesus of Lydia consulted Delphi before attacking Persia, and according to Herodotus was told, "If you cross the river, you will destroy a great empire." Believing the response favorable, Croesus attacked, but it was his own empire that was ultimately destroyed by the Persians.
She also allegedly proclaimed Socrates to be the wisest man in Greece, to which Socrates said that, if so, this was because he alone was aware of his own ignorance.
In the 3rd century, the oracle (perhaps bribed) declared that the god would no longer speak there.
Dodona another oracle devoted to the Mother Goddess identified at other sites with Rhea or Gaia, but here called Dione. The shrine of Dodona was the oldest Hellenic oracle, according to the fifth-century historian Herodotus and, in fact, dates to pre-Hellenic times, perhaps as early as the second millennium BC. It became the second most important oracle in ancient Greece, which later was dedicated to Zeus and to Heracles during the classical period of Greece.
During the period, on Crete lay another important oracle, sacred to Apollo. It ranked as one of the most accurate oracles in Greece.

India

In ancient India, the oracle was known as Akashwani(आकाशवाणी), literally meaning "voice from the sky" and was related to the message of God. Oracles played key roles in many of the major incidents of the epics Mahabharat and Ramayana. An example is that Kansa, the evil uncle of lord Krishna, was informed by an oracle that the eighth son of his sister Devaki will kill him.
In South Indian language Kannada, "Oracle" is mentioned as "Asareeravani".In Tamil it is mentioned as "Asareeree". In Telugu, it is called "Deva Vaakku". It literally means 'Words of GOD'

Mesoamerica

In the migration myth of the Mexitin, i.e., the early Aztecs, a mummy-bundle (perhaps an effigy) carried by four priests directed the trek away from the cave of origins by giving oracles. One such an oracle led to the foundation of Mexico-Tenochtitlan. The Yucatec Mayas knew oracle priests or ''chilanes'', litterally 'mouthpieces' of the deity. Their written repositories of traditional knowledge, the Books of Chilam Balam, were all ascribed to one famous oracle priest who had correctly predicted the coming of the Spaniards and its associated disasters.

Scandinavia

In Norse mythology, Odin took the severed head of the mythical god Mimir to Asgard for consultation as an oracle.

Africa

The Igbo people of southeastern Nigeria have a long tradition of using oracles. In Igbo villages, oracles were usually female priestesses to a particular god or goddess, usually dwelling in a cave or other secluded location away from urban areas, and, much like the oracles of ancient Greece, would deliver prophecies in an ecstatic state to visitors seeking advice from the god/goddess. Though the vast majority of Igbos today are Christian, many in Nigeria today still use oracles.

Tibet

In Tibet, oracles have played, and continue to play, an important part in religion and government. The word "oracle" is used by Tibetans to refer to the spirit that enters those men and women who act as media between the natural and the spiritual realms. The media are, therefore, known as ''kuten'', which literally means, "the physical basis".
The Dalai Lama, who lives in exile in northern India, still consults an oracle known as the ''Nechung Oracle'', which is considered the official state oracle of the government of Tibet. Another oracle he consults is the ''Tenma oracle'', for which a young Tibetan woman is the medium. The Dalai Lama gives a complete description of the process of trance and possession in his book ''Freedom in Exile''. [1].

Nigeria

In Igboland of present-day Nigeria many different oracles were regularly consulted. Two of these became especially famous: the Agbala oracle at Awka and the Chukwu oracle at Arochukwu.^[1]

Popular Culture

★ In the movie 300, Leonidas indirectly consults the Ephors' oracle before assembling the 300 Spartans to face the Persians.

★ In the movie The Matrix, the Oracle implies to the main character, Neo, that he is not the being destined to destroy the false reality (the Matrix) created by a Machine Empire to enslave humanity. However, she does state that he has the gift, but seems to be waiting for something. (Possibly his next life.) Neo is later gunned down by an artificially intelligent enemy named Agent Smith, only to resurrect himself a few seconds later as the One (the name for this being), and proceed to annihilate Smith.

★ In the video game, Fable: The Lost Chapters,The Oracle is used to defeat Jack of Blades in the heroes final battle.

★ In the video game, God Of War, Oracles are referenced several times, including when one warns Kratos not to go inside a village house, which leads to him not listening and then being haunted by nightmares for 10 years as a result of his deeds there.

Notes

1. Webster J.B. and Boahen A.A., ''The Revolutionary Years, West Africa since 1800'', Longman, London, p.107-108.

Further reading

★ Curnow, T. 1995. ''The Oracles of the Ancient World: A Comprehensive Guide''. London: Duckworth — ISBN 0-7156-3194-2

★ Evans-Pritchard, E. 1976. ''Witchcraft, oracle, and magic among the Azande''. Oxford: Clarendon Press.

★ Fontenrose, J. 1981. ''The Delphic Oracle. Its responses and operations with a catalogue of responses''. Berkeley: University of California Press (main page)

★ Temple, Robert 2002. Netherworld. London: Century.

★ Oracle Insights [2] - A collaborative website about oracles.

★ The Copper Oracle of Shri Achyuta- one of the existing and open to all Oracles. More info available at: http://www.garoiashram.org/english/oracle.html

★ Oracle Query Formats. More info availabe at http://aztecsarun.brinkster.net

External links

★ Documentary about Tibetan oracles by David Cherniack

See also

★ Oracle Corporation

★ The Oracle, University of South Florida

★ Internet Oracle