Babylonian-Assyrian Birth-Omens and Their Cultural Significance

by Morris Jastrow

(Assyrian words italicized)

Acephaly [25]
Actiolinus, likened to a hunting dog [47]
Adamantius [44]
Aelian [57]. [75]
Agnathy [34]
Alexander the Great, likened to a lion [47]
Algemundus, King of Lombards [8]. [74]
alluttu (dolphin) [40]
Androgynous formations [11]. [51]. [56]
Animals [8]. [12]. [26]. [40 seq.] [51 seq.]
— with two to seven heads [62]
Anus, closed [35]. [51 seq.]
Ape, human nose compared with ape’s [46]
Aprosopy [38]
Apuleius [71]
Aristotle [44]. [56]. [59]. [77]
Arms, one arm short [34]
Arnobius [53]
Ashurbanapal (Assyrian ruler) [6]. [23]
Ashurbanapal’s Library [6]
Ass, born by woman [40]
— Golden Ass [71]
— human face compared with [46 seq.]
— talking [71]
Astrology [1]
— underlying theory [3]
— among Greeks and Romans [3]. [50]. [53]. [79]
— among Etruscans [3]
— among Hittites [3]
— in Europe [4]
Astrology in China [4]
— official reports [9]
— leads to astronomy [43]
— horoscope [79]
Azag-Bau (female ruler) [11 seq.]
Bab, E. [66]
Babylonia and Egypt [68]
Balaam’s ass [71]
Baldness, a sign of lasciviousness [47]
Baptism [5]
Barnum, P. T. [78]
bârû (diviner) [3]. [7]. [9 seq.] [12]. [18 seq.] [37]. [54]. [59 seq.] [64]. [79]
Baur, Paul V. [64]
Beard, child born with [39]
Belly, open [52]
Berosus [57]. [62]
Bezold, Carl [4]
Bird, sending out birds [2]
— born by woman [41]
— child with mouth of [61]
Birnbaum, R. [34]. [37]
Birth customs [5]
Birth-omens [2]
— basis of [4]
— mystery of birth [4]
— texts [6 seq.]
— official reports [9]
— basis of interpretation [11 seq.] [14 seq.] [16 seq.] [19]. [20]. [22 seq.]
— combination of texts [19]
— animal [9-28]
— human [28-41]
— lead to study of human physiognomy [43 seq.]
— as warnings [44]
— among Romans [52 seq.]
— give rise to belief in hybrid and fabulous beings [62]
— in India [67]
— in China [67]
— in Egypt [67]
— in Europe [72]
Blood, in rivers [51 seq.]
— , rain of blood [51]
Boghaz-Keui [58]
Boissier, Alfred [11]
Boleslaus, King of Poland [75]
Boll, Franz [4]
Bouché-Leclercq, A. [41]
Boy see [Child]
Brachyprosopy [25]
Buddha [71]
Bull, with human head [61]
— Jupiter changed to bull [71]
Cadmus, changed into a dragon [71]
Caesar, Julius, his horse had human feet [52]
Calf, two-headed [74]
Cat, human face compared with cat’s [46]
Cerberus [61]. [65]
Chavannes, Eduard [67]
Chicken, as offspring of mule [56]
Child, with mouth of bird [33]
— without mouth [33]
— androgynous [51]. [62]. [74]
— with one hand [51]
— with three feet [51]
— with three feet and one hand [51]
— with closed anus [51 seq.]
— with open belly [52]
— with four feet, four eyes, four ears, and double genital members [51]
— with two faces, four hands and four feet [62]
— with face of an ass [62]
— with caudal appendix [73]
— with club-foot [73]
— with six toes [73]
— with elephant’s head [74]
— with three legs [74]
— with three legs and three hands [71]
— with four legs [74]
— with four hands and four legs [74]
— with beard and four eyes [74]
— two-headed [74]
— without eyes or nose [74]
— without arms or feet [74]
— without eyes, no arms, and fish’s tail instead of feet [74]
— speaking [52]. [74]
— speaking in womb [74]
China [67]
— astrology in China [4]
Cicero [53 seq.] [57]. [74]
Claudius (Roman Emperor) [71]
Clay, A. T. [64]
Club-foot [73]
Cos [57]
Cow [12]. [71]
Cracow, monster of [75]
Cripple [38]
Croesus (King of Lydia) [57 seq.]
Cross-breeding [44]. [59]
Cumont, Franz [4]
Cyclops [64]
Dante, dog forehead [46]
Deaf-mute [38]
Death (see also [Funeral rites]) [5]
Delaporte, Albert [76]
Demon [20]. [42]. [75]
Diana of many breasts [65]
Divination, methods [1 seq.]
— basis of interpretation [11]
Diviner see [bârû]
Döderlein, Albert [8]
Dog [12]. [40]. [59]. [61]
— Plato compared to a[ 44]. [47]
— born by a woman [40]. [59]
— with four bodies and fish tails [61]
— with six divisions of foot [73]
Dragon [63]
Dwarf [39]
Eagle [61]
— human nose compared with beak of [46 seq.]
Ear, deformities and omens [19 seq.] [32 seq.]
Egypt [67 seq.] [77]
Elephant, born by woman [74]
— child with head of [52]
Ellenberger-Scheunert [26]
Engidu [63]
Enlil (deity) [27]
Esarhaddon (Assyrian ruler) [10]
Ethiopia [73]
Etruscans [3]. [52 seq.] [54 seq.] [58]
Eusebius [61]
Ewe see [Sheep]
Excess number of limbs and organs [8]. [10]. [20 seq.] [36 seq.] [51]
Fabulous beings [61 seq.] [66 seq.]
Fauns [61]
Features see [Physiognomy.]
Feet, six toes on each foot [35]
— six toes on right foot [35]
— like those of a turtle [36]
— attached to belly [36]
— only one foot, which is attached to belly [36]
— child with three feet [36]
— child with four feet [36]
— horse with human feet [52]
Festivals at transition periods [5 seq.]
Fingers, one missing [34]
— six on right hand [34]
Fish, born by woman [40]
— dogs with fish tails [61]
— men and other creatures with fish tails [61]
— Medea changed to a fish [71]
Foetus, double [9]. [13 seq.] [15 seq.]
Fox, born by woman [59]
Foerster, Richard [44]
Frazer, J. G. [5]
Funeral rites [5]
ganni [28]
Genital members, intact [36]. [52]
— missing [35]
Gessner, Conrad [74]
Gilgamesh [63]
Gizeh [68]
Goat [12]
— men with legs and horns of [61]
— goat-fish [61]
Goerres, Johann Joseph von [75]
Gorgon [65]
Greek and Roman mythology [64 seq.] [66]
Greeks and Romans [58]
Guinard, L. [37]. [40]. [73]. [77]
Hand, child with one hand [51]
Hare, born by mare [56]
Hartland, S. G. [5]
Haruspices see [Etruscans]
Hepatoscopy (see also [Liver]) [1]. [50]. [66]. [78]
Herbig, G. [58]
Hermopolis, mummy [77]
Herodotus [56]
Hippocentaurs [61]. [63 seq.]
Hirst and Piersol [64]. [75]
Hittites [3]. [58]
— omens [10]
Horse, in birth-omens [12]
— with human feet [52]
— mare giving birth to a hare [56]
— hippocentaurs [61]
— men with horses’ feet [61]
— three-footed [74]
— five footed [74]
— with two tails and mane of lion [62]
— with human head [62]
— with dog’s head [62]
Hybrid formations [60 seq.] [67 seq.]
Ihering, Rudolph von [68]
India [67]
Infant see [Child]
Io, changed into a cow [71]
Ipopodes, have horses’ feet [73]
isbu (foetus) [13]. [19]. [60]. [62]
Ishbi-urra (Babylonian ruler), omen [28]
Jacobs, Joseph [71]
Janus [65]
Jastrow, Morris, jr. [1]. [2]. [3]. [4]. [7]. [10]. [13]. [23]. [26]. [28]. [29]. [36]. [39]. [43]. [49]. [57]. [58]. [60]. [63]. [65]. [66]. [67]
Jatakas [71]
Jaw, missing [34]
Julius Obsequens [35]. [50 seq.] [57]. [74]
khupipi [24]
Kitt, Theodor [25]. [75]
lamassu (winged lion or bull) [62]
Lamb see [Sheep]
Lavater, J. C. [47]. [48]. [50]
Leg, missing [36]
Lion, lamb like unto [23 seq.] [53]. [57]. [59]
— born by woman [40]. [53 seq.] [57]. [59]
— Alexander’s head compared to lion’s [47]
— šedu, lamassu with head of [61]
Lips, missing [34]
— upper lip projecting [34]
Liver [1]
— as seat of soul [2]
— signs on [2]
— parts of [2]
— divination texts [6]
— official reports [9]
— divination [1]. [44]
— clay models [58]
Livy [39]. [71]. [74]. [75]
Lotharius Caesar, Duke of Saxony [75]
Lu-Bat (planet) [13]
Luschan, Felix von [63]
Lycosthenes, Conrad [8]. [39]. [57]. [75 seq.] [78].
Macedonia, monster of [75]
Macrobius [55]
Malformations [8]. [19]. [29 seq.] [32 seq.] [36 seq.] [56]
Marduk Epic [61]
marratum (rainbow) [23]
Marriage customs [5]
Martin, Ernest [72]. [75 seq.] [77]
Maspero, Gaston [68]
Medea, changed into a fish [71]
Medicine, early [42]
Meles (King of Sardis) [57]
Mermaids [61]
Metamorphosis, of men into animals, of women into men [71]
Milk, in lakes [51]
Monomeri, have only one foot [73]
Monstrosities [8]. [10]. [20]. [29 seq.] [33 seq.] [44]. [51 seq.] [54 seq.] [60 seq.] [72 seq.]
Monstrum [55]. [60]. [79]
Mouth, child with mouth of bird [33]
— child without mouth [33]
— malformation of mouth [56]
Mule, giving birth to chicken [56]
— three-footed, five-footed [74]
Multiple births [8]. [17 seq.] [51 seq.] [59]
Naram-Sin (Babylonian ruler), omens [10]
Nergal (god of pestilence) [39 seq.]
Nergal-eṭir (diviner) [10]
Neubert, Fritz [49]
Nikippos [57]
Nostrils, missing [34]
Official and unofficial interpretations [16 seq.] [19]. [34 seq.] [54]
Owl, Vitellius likened to [47]
Ox, born by woman [40]
— human face compared with [46 seq.]
— talking [52]. [74]
Palestine [69]
Pathology, human and animal [7 seq.]
Periander [72]
Perokomy [25]
Phillip of Macedonia [75]
Phlegon [71]
Physiognomy, study of [8]. [23 seq.] [43 seq.] [70]
— among Greeks [43 seq.] [49]
— Porta’s work [45 seq.]
— Lavater’s work [45]. [47 seq.]
— decline of study [48 seq.]
— as indication of character [45 seq.]
— in Europe [45 seq.] [49]
Pied d’equin (club-foot) [73]
Piersol see [Hirst]
Pig, in birth-omens [12]
— with five divisions of hoof [73]
Plato, views on resemblances between men and animals [43 seq.] [80]
— compared with dog [46 seq.]
Pliny [8]. [39]. [52]. [71]. [74]. [75]. [78]
Ploss-Bartels [5]
Plutarch [72]
Polemon [44]
Porta, G. B. [45 seq.] [80]
Portents [51]
Prodigium [55 seq.]
Prometheus myth [65]
Pseudo-Aristotle [44]
Pyramids [68]
Puberty [5]
Rain of stones, oil, blood [51]
Raven, noses compared with beak of [46]
Resemblances, between animals [23 seq.] [44 seq.] [62]
— between infants and animals [40]. [44 seq.] [62]. [78]
— protest against [47 seq.] [77 seq.]
Richard III, born with teeth [39]
Roscius [55]
Rossbach, Otto [35]. [51]
Roy, Jacques [76]
sâ (animal) [40]
St. Hilaire Etienne Geoffrey [77]
Sakkarah [68]
Sargon (Babylonian ruler), omens [10]
Satyrs [61]
Schaatz, Friedrich [64 seq.]
Scheil, Vincent [12]
Schwalbe, Ernst [67]
Scipodes, have only one foot [73]
Scythians, have only one eye [73]
šedu (winged lion or bull) [62]
Se-ma Tsien [67]
Sergius Galba (Roman Emperor), likened to an eagle [47]
Serpent, born by woman [40]. [52]
Shakespeare’s Henry V [39]
Sheep, animal of sacrifice [2]
— prominence in hepatoscopy [12]
— omens [13 seq.] [19 seq.] [23 seq.]
— resemblance to lion [23 seq.]
— resemblance to infant [40]
— color of [55]
— with feet of a lion [62]
— with feet of lion, head of dog in front, six feet long and bristles of a swine [62]
— with feet of lion, head of dog, tail of swine [62]
— with two heads, two tails and dog’s feet [62]
— with two heads, two feet, dog’s hair [62]
— with four division of hoof [73]
— without ears [73]
— two-headed [74]
— with swine’s head [74]
Siren [64]
Siren formation [40]
Socrates, compared with stag [47]
Sow [10]
Sphinxes [60]. [68]
Spiegelberg, Wilhelm [68 seq.]
Stag, human nose compared with stag’s [46 seq.]
Still-birth [38]
Subartu (older name of Assyria) [27]
Suetonius [52]
Sun at night [51]
Swine, born by woman [40]
— human nose compared with swine’s [46]
— men changed to [71]
— two-headed [74]
— with human head [74]
— with human hands and feet [74]
Syria [69]
Tacitus [55]
Talking infant [39]. [52]. [57 seq.]
Teeth, child born with [39]
Teratology [77]
tertu (omen) [13]
Testicles, missing [35]
Thales [72]
Thigh, missing [35]
Thompson, R. C. [11]
Thrace, monster of [75]
Thulin, Carl [54 seq.]
tigri ili (dwarf) [39]
Toes, six on foot [35]
Torches in heaven [51]
Totemism [70]. [79]
Transition periods [5]
Tritons [61]
Turtle, child with turtle’s hands and feet [35 seq.]
Twins [28 seq.]
— united at the back [74]
— " " " breast [76]
— " " " umbilicum [76]
Ungnad, Arthur [61]
Urumuš (Babylonian ruler), omen [10]
Valerius Maximus [52]. [56]. [75]
Van Gennep, Arnold [5]
Virolleaud, Charles [37]
Vitellius (Roman Emperor), likened to owl [47]
Walde, Alois [55]
Waldrich, Duke of Saxony [75]
Ward, W. H. [64]
Winged human figures [61]. [63]
Woman, giving birth to elephant, to serpent, to seven children [74]
Wuelker, Richard [57]
Xerxes [56]
Zimmern, Heinrich [61]. [63]
Zoser (Egyptian ruler) [68]

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Religionsgeschichtliche
Versuche und Vorarbeiten

begründet von

Albrecht Dieterich und Richard Wünsch

herausgegeben

von

Richard Wünsch und Ludwig Deubner
in Münster i. W. in Königsberg i. Pr.

Vierzehnter Band