Oracle

===India and Nepal===
In ancient [[India]], the oracle was known as ''[[Akashvani (term)|ākāśavānī]]'' "voice/speech from the sky/[[Aether (classical element)|aether]]" or ''aśarīravānī'' "a disembodied voice (or voice of the unseen)" (''asariri'' in Tamil), and was related to the message of a god. Oracles played key roles in many of the major incidents of the epics [[Mahabharata]] and [[Ramayana]]. An example is that [[Kamsa]] (or Kansa), the evil uncle of [[Krishna]], was informed by an oracle that the eighth son of his sister [[Devaki]] would kill him. The opening verse of the ''[[Tiruvalluva Maalai]]'', a medieval Tamil anthology usually dated by modern scholars to between c. 7th and 10th centuries CE, is attributed to an ''asariri'' or oracle.<ref>{{cite book |author=Kamil Zvelebil |title=Tamil Literature |series=Handbook of Oriental Studies |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Kx4uqyts2t4C&pg=PA124 |year=1975 |publisher=BRILL |isbn=90-04-04190-7}} </ref>{{Rp| pp=58–59}}<ref>{{cite book |author= S. N. Kandasamy |title= திருக்குறள்: ஆய்வுத் தெளிவுரை (பெருட்பால், பகுதி 1) [Tirukkural: Research commentary: Book of Porul, Part 1] |year= 2020 |publisher= Manivasagar Padhippagam | location= Chennai |pages= }}</ref>{{Rp|p=16}}<ref>{{cite book | last=Vedhanayagam |first=Rama |script-title=ta:திருவள்ளுவ மாலை மூலமும் எளிய உரை விளக்கமும் |trans-title=Tiruvalluvamaalai: Source with simple commentary |publisher=Manimekalai Prasuram |edition=1 |date=2017 |location=Chennai |language=ta}}</ref> However, there are no references in any Indian literature of the oracle being a specific person.

Contemporarily, [[Theyyam]] or "theiyam" in [[Malayalam]]  - a south Indian language - the process by which a Priest invites a [[Hinduism|Hindu]] god or goddess to use his or her body as a medium or channel and answer other devotees' questions, still happens.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://english.mathrubhumi.com/videos/news/news-in-videos/devakoothu-the-lone-woman-theyyam-in-north-malabar-1.3468731|title='Devakoothu'; the lone woman Theyyam in North Malabar|website=Mathrubhumi}}</ref> The same is called "arulvaakku" or "arulvaak" in [[Tamil language|Tamil]], another south Indian language - [[Adhiparasakthi Siddhar Peetam]] is famous for arulvakku in [[Tamil Nadu]].<ref>{{Citation|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YBs9DgAAQBAJ|title=Women's Authority and Leadership in a Hindu Goddess Tradition|author=Nanette R. Spina (2017)|date=28 February 2017|page=135|publisher=Springer|isbn=978-1-1375-8909-5}}</ref> The people in and around [[Mangalore]] in [[Karnataka]] call the same, [[Buta Kola]], "paathri" or "darshin"; in other parts of Karnataka, it is known by various names such as, "prashnaavali", "vaagdaana", "asei", "aashirvachana" and so on.<ref name=":5">{{Cite journal|last=Brückner|first=Heidrun|year=1987|title=Bhuta Worship in Coastal Karnataka: An Oral Tulu Myth and Festival Ritual of Jumadi|journal=Studien zur Indologie und Iranistik |volume=13/14|pages=17–37}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{Cite journal|last=Brückner|first=Heidrun|year=1992|title=Dhumavati-Bhuta" An Oral Tulu-Text Collected in the 19th Century. Edition, Translation, and Analysis.|journal=Studien zur Indologie und Iranistik |volume=13/14|pages=13–63}}</ref><ref name=":7">{{Cite book|title=Fürstliche Fest: Text und Rituale der Tuḷu-Volksreligion an der Westküste Südindiens.|last=Brückner|first=Heidrun|publisher=Harrassowitz|year=1995|location=Wiesbaden|pages=199–201}}</ref><ref name=":8">{{Cite book|title=On an Auspicious Day, at Dawn … Studies in Tulu Culture and Oral Literature|last=Brückner|first=Heidrun|publisher=Harrassowitz|year=2009a|location=Wiesbaden}}</ref><ref name=":9">{{Cite book|title="Der Gesang von der Büffelgottheit" in Wenn Masken Tanzen – Rituelles Theater und Bronzekunst aus Südindien edited by Johannes Beltz|last=Brückner|first=Heidrun|publisher=Rietberg Museum|year=2009b|location=Zürich|pages=57–64}}</ref> In [[Nepal]] it is known as, "Devta ka dhaamee" or "[[Jhākri|jhaakri]]".<ref>{{cite book |first=Kuldip Singh |last=Gulia |year=2005 |title=Human Ecology of Sikkim – A Case Study of Upper Rangit Basin |publisher=Kalpaz Publications |place=Delhi, India |isbn=978-81-7835-325-8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=J4aDVQ1KVZYC |pages=152–154, 168}}</ref>
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