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Yating Yang

Ethnic minority groups in China have long relied on a gruesome method to predict their fortunes: beating a rooster to death and reading its femur bones, a practice that has lasted for centuries.
Tracing back to the Tang (618–907) and Song (960–1279) dynasties, the custom is known as “Dajibu”, meaning chicken divination.
It originated from ancient spiritual beliefs in southwestern China, where people lacking access to medicine would beat bronze drums to pray for healing.
Chicken bone divination remains prevalent today among ethnic groups such as the Yi, Mosuo, Zhuang and Yao.

It is a traditional form of divination that uses a chicken as a medium, predicting good or bad fortune by observing its physical characteristics after it is slaughtered.
The practice is often used to make decisions on illness, marriage, harvests and other important matters.
Among the Yi people, the chicken is typically killed with a hammer and then thrown outside.
If the chicken’s head points outward, it is considered a good omen; if it points inward, it signals misfortune, and if it lies sideways, it is interpreted as neutral.
If the chicken’s body ends up sitting upright, it is regarded as a bad omen, while falling flat is considered even more unfavourable.

Another commonly used method among the Yi people is “chicken tongue divination”.
When preparing a chicken for a dish, the head is removed before salt is added and the red comb is tasted.
The tongue is then examined, with the diviner observing the curling patterns and the balance between the left and right sides, interpreted as yin and yang, to predict fortune or misfortune.

Chicken divination is also a traditional fortune-telling ritual practised in weddings among the Yao ethnic minority.
After a couple confirms their relationship, the woman visits the man’s parents together with a matchmaker.
The groom’s family then performs the “chicken divination” ritual to predict the future of the marriage and determine whether the pair are compatible.
In the ritual, a whole slaughtered chicken is placed in a pot and steamed while incense is burned and paper offerings are made. Then, the chicken is taken out and examined.
If both eyes are closed and both claws are bent or extended in the same way, it is believed that the couple’s destinies are compatible and the marriage can proceed.

However, if one eye is open while the other is closed, or one claw is bent while the other is extended, it suggests that the couple’s destinies conflict and the marriage should be called off.
Another related practice is egg divination. In this ritual, a diviner draws talismanic symbols on an egg and recites incantations before boiling it.
The egg is then cut in half so the yolk can be examined.
If the boundary between the egg white and the yolk is clear, it is considered auspicious; if they appear mixed or unclear, it is regarded as a bad omen.
This method is sometimes used to predict a patient’s illness.


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How China ethnic minority groups use chicken bones of small roosters to predict fortunes

In a ritual practised by various ethnic minority groups in China, chicken bone divination uses the leg of a small rooster to predict fortunes. Photo: Sohu

Historical records, above, reveal that the ritual dates back centuries. Photo: zhihu.com

The image above from the historical records shows drawings of the bones used in the ritual. Photo: zhihu.com

A divination expert holds chicken bones in his hand as he demonstrates the custom. Photo: zhihu.com

The above image is a pictorial characterisation of part of the divination process. Photo: zhihu.com

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People & Culture

Ancient ritual sees birds battered to death with a hammer then thrown out of the home; in offshoot custom, boiled egg yolk can determine luck


Ancient ritual sees birds battered to death with a hammer then thrown out of the home; in offshoot custom, boiled egg yolk can determine luck.


Chinese superstitions

How China ethnic minority groups use chicken bones of small roosters to predict fortunes

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Ancient ritual sees birds battered to death with a hammer then thrown out of the home; in offshoot custom, boiled egg yolk can determine luck

Ancient ritual sees birds battered to death with a hammer then thrown out of the home; in offshoot custom, boiled egg yolk can determine luck