[40] Not infrequently a birth-omen is interpreted as applying to the owner of the mother lamb or to the household in which the lamb was born,—but generally as an alternative to an official interpretation bearing on public affairs. See e. g. below pp. 15 and 16.
[41] See below p. 16.
[42] I. e., lying at the mouth.
[43] I. e., presumably the plantation and house of the owner of the mother lamb.
[44] The opposite to this is ‘throne will support throne’, i. e., there will be mutual support.
[45] I. e., the stall of the owner of the mother lamb.
[46] I. e., the property of the owner of the mother lamb will be confiscated.
[47] I. e., the second issues from the belly of the other, or appears to do so.
[48] Whatever occurred to the king or to a member of his household was an omen for the general welfare under the ancient view of the king as the representative of the deity on earth.
[49] A partial exception, however occurs in the case of three and of ten lambs being produced at one birth. See below p. 18.