Oracle

An answer is a actuality or bureau advised to accommodate astute and astute admonition or prophetic predictions, best conspicuously including acumen of the future, aggressive by deities. As such, it is a anatomy of divination.
Description

The chat answer comes from the Latin verb ōrāre, "to speak" and appropriately refers to the priest or priestess uttering the prediction. In continued use, answer may additionally accredit to the armpit of the oracle, and to the oracular utterances themselves, alleged khrēsmē 'tresme' (χρησμοί) in Greek.

Oracles were anticipation to be portals through which the gods batten anon to people. In this faculty they were altered from seers (manteis, μάντεις) who interpreted signs beatific by the gods through bird signs, beastly entrails, and added assorted methods.[1]

The best important oracles of Greek antique were Pythia (priestess to Apollo at Delphi), and the answer of Dione and Zeus at Dodona in Epirus. Added oracles of Apollo were amid at Didyma and Mallus on the bank of Anatolia, at Corinth and Bassae in the Peloponnese, and at the islands of Delos and Aegina in the Aegean Sea.

The Sibylline Oracles are a accumulating of oracular utterances accounting in Greek hexameters ascribed to the Sibyls, prophetesses who authentic all-powerful revelations in agitated states.
Origins

Walter Burkert observes that "Frenzied women from whose aperture the god speaks" are recorded in the Near East as in Mari in the additional millennium BC and in Assyria in the aboriginal millennium BC.[2] In Egypt the goddess Wadjet (eye of the moon) was depicted as a snake-headed woman or a woman with two snake-heads. Her answer was in the acclaimed temple in Per-Wadjet (Greek name Buto). The answer of Wadjet may accept been the antecedent for the oracular attitude which advance from Egypt to Greece.[3] Evans affiliated Wadjet with the "Minoan Snake Goddess".[4]

At the answer of Dodona she is alleged Diōnē (the feminine anatomy of Diós, animal of Zeus; or of dīos, "godly", actually "heavenly"), who represents the earth-fertile soil, apparently the arch changeable goddess of the proto-Indo-European pantheon[citation needed]. Python, babe (or son) of Gaia was the apple dragon of Delphi represented as a serpent and became the chthonic deity, adversary of Apollo, who bulk her and bedevilled the oracle.[5]
In classical antiquity

Pythia (Delphi)

    Back the Prytanies' bench shines white in the island of Siphnos,
    White-browed all the forum—need again of a authentic seer's wisdom—
    Danger will blackmail from a lath boat, and a adviser in scarlet.
    — The Pythoness, in The Histories, Herodotus.[6]

The Pythia was the advocate of the oracles of the god Apollo, and was additionally accepted as the Answer of Delphi.[7]

The Pythi The Delphic Answer exerted ample access throughout Hellenic culture. Distinctively, this woman was about the accomplished ascendancy both civilly and religiously in male-dominated age-old Greece. She responded to the questions of citizens, foreigners, kings, and philosophers on issues of political impact, war, duty, crime, family, laws—even claimed issues.[8]

The semi-Hellenic countries about the Greek world, such as Lydia, Caria, and alike Egypt additionally admired her and came to Delphi as supplicants.

Croesus, baron of Lydia alpha in 560 B.C., activated the oracles of the apple to ascertain which gave the best authentic prophecies. He beatific out emissaries to seven sites who were all to ask the oracles on the aforementioned day what the baron was accomplishing at that actual moment. Croesus proclaimed the answer at Delphi to be the best accurate, who accurately appear that the baron was authoritative a lamb-and-tortoise stew, and so he graced her with a consequence of adored gifts.[9] He again consulted Delphi afore advancing Persia, and according to Herodotus was advised: "If you cantankerous the river, a abundant authority will be destroyed". Believing the acknowledgment favourable, Croesus attacked, but it was his own authority that ultimately was destroyed by the Persians.

She allegedly additionally proclaimed that there was no man wiser than Socrates, to which Socrates said that, if so, this was because he abandoned was acquainted of his own ignorance. Afterwards this confrontation, Socrates committed his activity to a chase for ability that was one of the founding contest of western philosophy. He claimed that she was "an capital adviser to claimed and accompaniment development."[10] This oracle's aftermost recorded acknowledgment was accustomed in 362 AD, to Julian the Apostate.[11]

The oracle's admiral were awful approved afterwards and never doubted. Any inconsistencies amid prophecies and contest were absolved as abortion to accurately adapt the responses, not an absurdity of the oracle.[12] Actual generally prophecies were worded ambiguously, so as to awning all contingencies – abnormally so ex column facto. One acclaimed such acknowledgment to a concern about accord in a aggressive attack was "You will go you will acknowledgment never in war will you perish". This gives the almsman alternative to abode a breach afore or afterwards the chat "never", appropriately accoutrement both accessible outcomes. Accession was the acknowledgment to the Athenians back the all-inclusive army of baron Xerxes I was abutting Athens with the absorbed of razing the burghal to the ground. "Only the lath palisades may save you"[citation needed], answered the oracle, apparently acquainted that there was affect for sailing to the assurance of southern Italy and re-establishing Athens there. Some anticipation that it was a advocacy to fortify the Acropolis with a lath fence and accomplish a angle there. Others, Themistocles amid them, said the answer was acutely for angry at sea, the allegory advised to beggarly war ships. Others still insisted that their case was so hopeless that they should lath every address accessible and abscond to Italy, area they would be safe above any doubt. In the event, variations of all three interpretations were attempted: some barricaded the Acropolis, the noncombatant citizenry was abandoned over sea to adjacent Salamis Island and to Troizen, and the war agile fought victoriously at Salamis Bay. Should absolute abolition accept happened, it could consistently be claimed that the answer had alleged for beat to Italy afterwards all.
Dodona

Dodona was accession answer adherent to the Mother Goddess articular at added sites with Rhea or Gaia, but actuality alleged Dione. The altar of Dodona was the oldest Hellenic oracle, according to the fifth-century historian Herodotus and in actuality dates to pre-Hellenic times, conceivably as aboriginal as the additional millennium BC back the attitude apparently advance from Egypt. Zeus displaced the Mother goddess and alloyed her as Aphrodite.

It became the additional best important answer in age-old Greece, which afterwards was committed to Zeus and to Heracles during the classical aeon of Greece. At Dodona Zeus was admirable as Zeus Naios or Naos (god of springs Naiads, from a bounce which existed beneath the oak), and Zeus Bouleos (cancellor). Priestesses and priests interpreted the alive of the oak leaves to actuate the actual accomplishments to be taken. The answer was aggregate by Dione and Zeus.
Trophonius

Trophonius was an answer at Lebadea of Boeotia adherent to the accursed Zeus Trophonius. Trophonius is acquired from the Greek chat "trepho" (nourish) and he was a Greek hero, or demon or god. Demeter-Europa was his nurse.[13] Europa (in Greek: broad-eyes) was a Phoenician angel whom Zeus, accepting adapted himself into a white bull, abducted and agitated to Creta, and is equated with Astarte as a moon goddess by age-old sources.[14] Some advisers affix Astarte with the Minoan snake goddess, whose band as Aphrodite advance from Creta to Greece.[15]
Oracle of Menestheus

Near the Menestheus's anchorage or Menesthei Portus (Greek: Μενεσθέως λιμήν), avant-garde El Puerto de Santa María, Spain, was the Answer of Menestheus (Greek: Μαντεῖον τοῦ Μενεσθέως), to whom additionally the citizenry of Gades offered sacrifices.[16][17]
In added cultures
Main article: Divination

The appellation "oracle" is additionally activated in avant-garde English to alongside institutions of divination in added cultures. Specifically, it is acclimated in the ambience of Christianity for the abstraction of all-powerful revelation, and in the ambience of Judaism for the Urim and Thummim breastplate, and in accepted any announcement advised prophetic.[18]
Celtic polytheism

In Celtic polytheism, divination was performed by the apostolic caste, either the druids or the vates. This is reflected in the role of "seers" in Dark Age Wales (dryw) and Ireland (fáith).
China
Main articles: Answer cartilage and I Ching
Oracle cartilage of the Shang dynasty, age-old China

In China, answer basic were acclimated for divination in the backward Shang dynasty, (c. 1600–1046 BC). Diviners activated calefaction to these bones, usually ox scapulae or tortoise plastrons, and interpreted the consistent cracks.

A altered divining method, application the stalks of the yarrow plant, was accomplished in the consecutive Zhou absolutism (1046–256 BC). About the backward 9th aeon BC, the divination arrangement was recorded in the I Ching, or "Book of Changes", a accumulating of beeline signs acclimated as oracles. In accession to its oracular power, the I Ching has had a above access on the philosophy, abstract and address of China back the Zhou period.
Hawaii

In Hawaii, oracles were begin at assertive heiau, Hawaiian temples. These oracles were begin in building covered in white kapa bolt fabricated from bulb fibres. In here, priests accustomed the will of gods. These building were alleged 'Anu'u. An archetype of this can be begin at Ahu'ena heiau in Kona.[19]
India

In age-old India, the answer was accepted as akashwani or Ashareera vani (a articulation afterwards anatomy or unseen) or asariri (Tamil), actually acceptation "voice from the sky" and was accompanying to the bulletin of a god. Oracles played key roles in abounding of the above incidents of the epics Mahabharata and Ramayana. An archetype is that Kamsa (or Kansa), the angry uncle of Krishna, was abreast by an answer that the eighth son of his sister Devaki would annihilate him. However, there are no references in any Indian abstract of the answer actuality a specific person.
Nigeria

The Igbo bodies of southeastern Nigeria in Africa accept a continued attitude of application oracles. In Igbo villages, oracles were usually changeable priestesses to a accurate deity, usually abode in a cavern or added abandoned area abroad from burghal areas, and, abundant as the oracles of age-old Greece, would bear prophecies in an athrill accompaniment to visitors gluttonous advice. Two of their age-old oracles became abnormally acclaimed during the pre-colonial period: the Agbala answer at Awka and the Chukwu answer at Arochukwu.[20] Admitting the all-inclusive majority of Igbos today are Christian, abounding of them still use oracles.

Among the accompanying Yoruba peoples of the aforementioned country, the Babalawos (and their changeable counterparts, the Iyanifas) serve collectively as the arch aspects of the tribe's World-famous Ifa divination system. Due to this, they commonly officiate at a abundant abounding of its acceptable and religious ceremonies.
Norse mythology

In Norse mythology, Odin took the burst arch of the god Mimir to Asgard for appointment as an oracle. The Havamal and added sources chronicle the cede of Odin for the oracular Runes whereby he absent an eye (external sight) and won acumen (internal sight; insight).
Pre-Columbian Americas

In the clearing allegory of the Mexitin, i.e., the aboriginal Aztecs, a mummy-bundle (perhaps an effigy) agitated by four priests directed the expedition abroad from the cavern of origins by giving oracles. An answer led to the foundation of Mexico-Tenochtitlan. The Yucatec Mayas knew answer priests or chilanes, actually 'mouthpieces' of the deity. Their accounting repositories of acceptable knowledge, the Books of Chilam Balam, were all ascribed to one acclaimed answer priest who accurately had predicted the advancing of the Spaniards and its associated disasters.
Tibetan

In Tibet, oracles accept played, and abide to play, an important allotment in adoration and government. The chat "oracle" is acclimated by Tibetans to accredit to the spirit that enters those men and women who act as media amid the accustomed and the airy realms. The media are, therefore, accepted as kuten, which actually means, "the concrete basis".

The Dalai Lama, who lives in banishment in arctic India, still consults an answer accepted as the Nechung Oracle, which is advised the official accompaniment answer of the government of Tibet. The Dalai Lama has according to centuries-old custom, consulted the Nechung Answer during the new year anniversary of Losar.[21] Nechung and Gadhong are the primary oracles currently consulted; above oracles such as Karmashar and Darpoling are no best alive in exile. The Gadhong answer has died abrogation Nechung to be the alone primary oracle. Accession answer the Dalai Lama consults is the Tenma Oracle, for which a adolescent Tibetan woman by the name of Khandro La is the average for the abundance goddesses Tseringma forth with the added 11 goddesses. The Dalai Lama gives a complete description of the action of abstraction and spirit control in his book Freedom in Exile.[22] Dorje Shugden oracles were already consulted by the Dalai Lamas until the 14th Dalai Lama banned the practice, alike admitting he consulted Dorje Shugden for admonition to escape and was acknowledged in it. Due to the ban, abounding of the abbots that were worshippers of Dorje Shugden accept been affected to go adjoin the Dalai Lama.
In avant-garde usage
In computer science an answer is a atramentous box that is consistently able to accommodate actual answers. It is the basic of an answer apparatus afterwards which the apparatus is named.