alectryo-, alectryu-, alecto-, alectoro-, alektoro-

A crystalline stone found in the maw (craw, crop) of a cock and reputed to possess magical properties: Alectoriaee are supposedly precious stones that were once said to be found in the gizzards of roosters.

A group of birds including common fowls and pheasants: In the classification called Alectorides, there are such birds as the cranes and rails.

Divination by the observation of a rooster crowing or eating corn scattered on letters; crowing:

In Africa, alectoromancy involves a black hen or a gamecock is used. An African diviner sprinkles grain on the ground and when the bird has finished eating, the seer interprets the designs or patterns left on the ground.

Alectoromancy has been attributed to the famous philosopher Iamblichus, who died about the year 330 A.D., after restoring various mystic rites dating back to the times of the ancient oracles.

His followers did quite well until Valens became Roman emperor of the East and began a campaign to stamp out oracles, soothsayers, astrologers, and even philosophers, since their tendency was to favor those practitioners of the mystic arts.

The Roman mystics traced a large circle on the ground and divided it into sections bearing the letters of the Greek alphabet. Grains of wheat were sprinkled on the letters and a white rooster was placed in the center of the mystic circle.

From then on, the sponsoring seer, or seers, watched while the inspired fowl moved from one letter to another, spelling out a message as it pecked at the grains. That message was interpreted as the answer to the question mutually chosen by the observing seers.

An abnormal desire to have many chickens to breed and to collect: Alectoromantia is related to alectoromancy, which is a kind of fortunetelling by documenting the letters shown by a cock eating kernels of corn.

1. Cock fighting, or rooster fighting.
2. Etymology: compounded of Greek alectryko, "cock, rooster" plus machy, "battle, fight".

Is it possible that Alectryomachy, which was originally the fighting of roosters against each other, may now be roosters (and chickens in general) fighting against humans for self-defense and for their survival?

If you watch TV as people make wholesale attacks on chickens in efforts to suppress avian flu, who could blame chickens for striking back? This becomes particularly a rational result of seeing chickens being stuffed into plastic bags, while still alive, and so slowly suffocating to death with other members of their species or being burned alive.

Divination by means of a cock with grains of corn: One method of alectryomancy included making a circle and dividing it equally into as many parts as the number of letters in the alphabet.

A "wheat-corn" was placed on every letter, beginning with "A", during which the depositor must repeat a certain verse.

Additional esoteric steps were taken, then the rooster within the circle was watched to see which letters he pecked the grains from, and then additional grains had to replace those taken by the rooster because some names and words might contain the same letters twice or more times.

Supposedly, the letters had to be be written down and put together, and they would infallibly reveal the name of the person about whom an inquiry was made.

In Africa, where this is practiced, the diviner sprinkles grain on the ground and allows the birds (a black hen or a gamecock) to peck at it. When the bird has finished, the seer interprets the patterns that remain on the ground.

In Greek mythology, a youth changed by Ares into a rooster: Alectryon was a Greek youth. One night, while "sleeping" with Aphrodite, Ares stationed Alectryon by the bedroom door to warn them about the coming of the sun (Helios), however Alectryon fell asleep and Helios walked in on the couple. Ares was so enraged that he turned Alectryon into a rooster, that had to announce forever the approach of the sun in the morning.