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The Stop
Found in ‘all civilisations, both ancient and modern’, divination is the practice of using different techniques to uncover the ‘hidden significance or cause of events’, and frequently foretelling the future.1 During the Middle Ages, scholars coined names for many of these methods, often giving them the suffix -mantia (from Greek manteía, ‘prophecy’ or ‘prophesy’) when the practice appeared more mystical than scientific. Consequently, names were given to innumerable bizarre divination practises based on reading purported signs in the movement of cats (ailuromancy), the contents of dreams (oneiromancy), the distribution and colouration of skin spots (maculomancy), the location of randomly-chosen words in a book (dictomancy), and even - in the case of tyromancy - mould on cheese.2
Tyromancy, the ‘practice of telling fortunes with cheese,’ is first mentioned by the 2nd century Greek historian/diviner Artemidorus of Daldis in his writings on dreams. It seems Artemidorus was unimpressed by cheese as a source of divination, believing it was subject to ‘trickery and ambushes’ and that tyromancers ‘sullied the work of true diviners’ such as those who read signs in the livers of sacrificed animals. In fact, he was so down on tyromancy, that be believed its practitioners were closer to those who practised ‘evil types of divination, including dice diviners and necromancers’.
Despite tyromancy’s association with those who read dice or tried to communicate with the dead, the practice was especially common in Engand, reaching peak popularity during the Middle Ages and the early modern period (1500–1800). A general fondness for the paranormal and a Christian society’s desire to know ‘one’s predestined future … to find a way to gain control over it,’ coupled to produce a popular interest in divination. As the country at this time was primarily agrarian, access to milk-producing livestock was common, and cheese became an easily accessible - and egalitarian - tool for divination purposes.3
Cheese was used to divine everything from determining who committed a particular crime, how a newborn’s life would turn out, whether there would be a good harvest, or what the winter weather would bring. One of the most popular uses was to determine who to marry: by carving the names of potential suitors into different pieces of cheese, the tyromancer would wait to see which one moulded first to know the answer. Moulds and veins, the number and sizes of holes, the way a piece of cheese ‘sweated’ - all were interpreted as signs from beyond to be read by the tyromancer. Who would, of course, like all diviners, need to be paid in some form for this vital service.
The Detour
Today’s Detour is to BOOM, an award-winning short (6:30) animated film from École des Nouvelles Images. It’s a ‘darkly comedic’ take on parenting, told through the story of a couple of birds who desperately try to protect their eggs when a volcano erupts on their island.
The Recommendation
Today’s Recommendation is The Cheese Life (2023). An excellent introduction to artisan cheeses, this book is a rich resources into many different types and varieties of cheese, along with providing recipes, creative pairings and insight into the making, storage, presentation and even cutting of cheese. If you like cheese, this is highly recommended.
From the back: Cheese is not just a food, it's a way of life!
Divided into Grill, Melt, Bake, Grate and Slice, The Cheese Life celebrates the new wave of artisan cheeses sweeping the globe with gloriously gooey recipes and inventive cheeseboards, as well as insights into how cheese is made, killer drinks matches and interviews with the people that work on the front line.
From how to make the ultimate fondue to the perfect grilled cheese sandwich, the recipes include feta and tomato tart, five cheese macaroni, smoked mozzarella sticks and cheeseboard accompaniments such as bacon jam and poached pears. Interspersed throughout are deep dives into key cheese varieties, from brie to blue, and wedges of cheesy wisdom, such as how to taste like a professional and when to eat the rind.
Most of all it's a book about having fun and enjoying good cheese from people who genuinely care about what they do.
The Sounds
Today’s playlist is a selection of five tracks based on the theme of the future: ‘A Better Future’ (David Bowie, 2002), ‘Future People’ (Alabama Shakes, 2015), ‘One Hundred Years From Now’ (The Byrds, 1968), ‘The Future’ (Leonard Cohen, 1992) and ‘Future Games’ (Fleetwood Mac, 1971).4 Enjoy!
The Thought
Today’s Thought is from Sister Noella (The Cheese Nun) from Michael Pollan’s Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation (2013). Sister Noella is a Benedictine nun with a PhD in microbiology who’s fascination and love for the subject has led her to become an award-winning cheesemaker, specialising in raw-milk cheeses.
‘Cheese is all about the dark side of life.’
If you have a thought on this Thought - or any part of today’s issue - please leave a comment below:
And that’s the end of this Stop - I hope you enjoyed the diversion!
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Until the next Stop …
Contemporary divination examples include the use of horoscopes, Ouija boards, tarot cards, astrology, etc.
Sources for today’s Stop include: Tyromancy (Saveur), Divination (Britannica) and Methods of Divination (Wikipedia).
Much easier than finding molten lead to pour into water in order to read the resultant shapes, cutting open expensive lambs to see what their livers were saying, or waiting around to read the meaning in the tail of a comet. For example.
If you’re only familiar with the mid-70s Buckingham-Nicks incarnation of Fleetwood Mac, this track will be an ear-opener.
I had no idea! I always count on learning something new from your Substack. Thanks for this bit of knowledge!
Bryan, this is absolutely fascinating - what a terrific read about one of my favourite subjects (by which I mean cheese). That stuff doesn't stick around long enough for me to read my fortune in it, my tummy is delighted to confirm, but I feel I owe it to myself to give dairy-based tyromancy a whirl.
My brother lives very close to - of all things - a cheese vending machine in the depths of rural Dorset. We LOVE it when he comes to visit.... 🙌