cephalonomancy

{{Short description|Form of divination involving skulls}}

Cephalonomancy (also known as cephaleonomancy or kephalonomancy) is an ancient form of divination which used two different methods; one was concerned with the shape of the skull, somewhat like extispicy or phrenology. The other involved heating the skull of a donkey{{Cite news | last = Bennett | first = Catherine | title = Well, you can never tell | newspaper = The Guardian | pages = T2 | date = February 16, 1995 }} or goat{{Cite news | last = Kelly | first = Stuart | title = Words of wisdom | newspaper = Scotland on Sunday | pages = 4 | date = July 29, 2007 }} while reciting various phrases, often the names of criminal suspects.{{Cite encyclopedia | title = Kephalonomancy | encyclopedia = The Element Encyclopedia of the Psychic World | volume = 10 | pages = 357 | publisher = Harper Collins }} If the skull crackled or the jaw moved while a name was spoken, this was taken to identify the guilty party.