Auguries from twig tossing have a long history. An interesting fragment regarding such practices is found in Kupfer/Lewicki coming from Moses ben Jacob of Coucy’s (Moses Mikkotsi) Sefer Mitzvot Gadol (ספר מצוות גדול) – a 1247 or so discussion of the 613 commandments.
“It happens that those undertaking a journey rely on the guidance of twigs before setting out. They take a twig and tear off the bark from one side of it it, leaving the bark untouched on the other. Then [he] takes the twig and tosses it from [his] hand. If after it falls, the bark lands topside [he] says ‘that is a man’. Next he throws another twig. If the side stripped of bark, white, lands topside, [he] says: ‘that is a woman.’ A ‘man’ followed by a ‘woman’ represents a good sign. So [he] takes the journey or undertakes whatever other labour he intended. If the bark less side comes up first and then the bark, [he]s says; ‘First ‘woman’ and then a ‘man’, so the [undertaking] won’t be successful.’ If the bark lands twice topside or if [instead] twice the white, debarked side comes up, that is a ‘man’ after a ‘man’ or a ‘woman’ after a ‘woman,’ then the expected result will prove mediocre. They then take on the planned matter. They do this in the land of Esklavonia.”
As the editors point out, Saxo reports on these too among the Polabian Slavs on Ruegen and similar practices were known to Germans as per Tacitus (Virgam frugiferae arbori decisam…), Lithuanians (they cite Moszynski), Finns (E. Lenquist), Scythians (Herodotus) or Alans (Ammianus).
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