Alphitomancy

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Alphitomancy (derived from the Greek word "alphitomantis" meaning divination using barley) is an ancient way of determining is someone is guilty or innocent. 

The person who is suspected of being guilty is given a barley (although some used wheat, barley is more traditional) cake or loaf. If the person experiences indigestion or doesn't like the loaf/cake, that means they are guilty. Please see the image above the text to see what the loaves looked like. 

There is a legend that alphitomancy was used to test the purity of a woman in Lavinim (a port city that was 33 miles to the south of Rome, that no longer exists). The priests had a serpent (some disagree and believe it was a dragon) in the woods. On certain days young women would be blindfolded and sent carrying a barley cake into the woods. It is said the devil (Wiccans do not believe in the devil, but some witches do) led the women to the serpent. If you were innocent, your cake would be eaten by the serpent. Cakes held by the impure would be rejected.

With truth spells out there, alphitomancy isn't used much. 

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