Timagami Folk-Lore

scapulimancy A divination device is used before the hunt to foretell what kind of game is going to be killed. It is as follows. The metacarpal bone of a beaver's hind leg, with its sinew covering, is taken and cut nearly through, so that it will break easily. This is struck upright in the ground near the fire and a series of lines radiating from it are traced in the ashes or ground, each line being named for some game animal: moose, beaver,caribou,deer,bear,otter,martin,fisher,etc. Then, as the heat shrinks the sinew, it breaks the bones at the cut and upper piece points along one of the lines marked. This answers what kind of game is going to be gotten. The lines sometimes also are used to denote the direction to be followed to get the animals designated. Tell me more