omen
Let an agent explain omens as signs believed to foretell events, relay historical and cultural systems of omen interpretation from history and anthropology sources with attribution, describe modern folklore and superstition, and distinguish omens from scientific prediction, from symptoms as prognostic signs and from the figurative use of the word.
Bundle → Layer → Finding → Questions Filled
4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions
Understand What an omen is.
Definition
Definition.
Definition
Definition.
- What is an omen, and how does it differ from prediction, prognostic signs and figurative use? definition
- Is the question about beliefs and history, or about whether omens are real, which the model addresses with evidence? boundary
Kinds
Kinds.
Kinds
Kinds.
- What are celestial, bird, dream, entrail and prodigy omens and everyday superstitions? definition
- Which entry fits the specific kind? action
History Historical systems.
Ancient
Ancient systems.
Ancient
Ancient.
- How did Babylonian, Roman, Chinese and other systems interpret omens, as historians describe? provenance
- Which references are standard? provenance
Religion
Religion.
Religion
Religion.
- How do religious traditions treat omens and signs, as they state it? provenance
- Which sources are cited? provenance
Today Folklore today.
Superstition
Superstitions.
Superstition
Superstition.
- What omen beliefs survive in modern folklore across cultures? provenance
- Which entry fits superstition? action
Psychology
Psychology.
Psychology
Psychology.
- Why do people see omens, according to psychology, with findings attributed? provenance
- Which entry fits magical thinking? action
Context Culture.
Literature
Literature.
Literature
Literature.
- How do omens function in literature and drama, from Shakespeare to modern fiction? provenance
- Which entry fits foreshadowing? action
Language
Language.
Language
Language.
- How are portent, presage, prodigy and auspice used, and what is the etymology of omen? provenance
- Which entry fits the specific term? action
Classifiers Filled
- Family
- Thing Registry
- Category
- Activities and processes
- Entry kind
- noun.event
- Plane
- ACT
- Domain
- ACT.EVT
- Facets: substance
- activity
- Facets: origin
- conceptual
- Facets: agency
- inert
- Facets: mobility
- not-applicable
- Facets: scale
- not-applicable
- Facets: affordances
- observable
- Other names and narrower kinds
- portent, presage, prognostic, prognostication, prodigy, auspice, foreboding, death knell
What it is Filled
A sign believed to foretell something about to happen, also called a portent, presage, prodigy or auspice, interpreted in many cultures through birds, dreams, celestial events, animal entrails and unusual occurrences by diviners such as Roman augurs and Babylonian scholars; belief in omens persists in folklore and superstition, and the model describes these beliefs as held by their traditions without endorsing them.
Why it exists Filled
Let an agent explain omens as signs believed to foretell events, relay historical and cultural systems of omen interpretation from history and anthropology sources with attribution, describe modern folklore and superstition, and distinguish omens from scientific prediction, from symptoms as prognostic signs and from the figurative use of the word.
Distinguishing features Filled
- Foretelling sign
- Cultural systems
- Attributed belief
- Folklore survival
What robots and AI may and may not do Filled
Must not
- Present an omen as reliable evidence of a future event.
- Use omens to frighten people or pressure them into decisions or payments.
- Mock the beliefs of living communities that read omens.
Only with a human decision
- Acting on a perceived omen in a decision that affects others.
May
- Explain omens and divination practices across cultures with sources.
- Describe the role of augurs and diviners in history.
- Distinguish cultural belief from scientific prediction.
Moral aspects Filled
- Belief in omens is part of many living cultures and deserves respect.
- Fortune tellers can exploit fear to extract money from vulnerable people.
Who is affected
- Believers
- Vulnerable people
- Students of religion
Owners Filled
Steward
Nobody owns the idea; it belongs to the traditions that hold it.
Links to other meta-models Filled
parent
- oewn-07300719-n - registry parent class
related
- sign - in general terms
- divination - practices
- augury - in ancient Rome
- prediction - based on evidence
What else AI and robots need to interact with it Filled
Identity and identifiers required Filled
- Vercy registry: vr.tr.omen
- Open English WordNet: oewn-07301073-n
- WordNet: oewn-07300719-n a sign of something about to happen
Direct properties not applicable Not applicable
- Babylonian omen series Enuma Anu Enlil: about 70 tablets count
- Roman augury: bird signs note - auspicia
- Halley s Comet 1066: portent in the Bayeux Tapestry note
Plane ACT: no invented physical properties.
Recognition optional Filled
- Sign believed to foretell events
- Portent, presage, prodigy, auspice, augury
- Scientific prediction uses evidence; a prognostic sign in medicine is clinical; figurative omens are rhetorical
- Not a visible object; a sign interpreted as foretelling.
Capabilities and actions required Filled
- explain the concept
- relay historical systems
- describe folklore
- distinguish related concepts
Hazards and failure modes required Filled
- Presenting omens as valid prediction
- Disrespect toward cultural beliefs
- Confusing prognostic signs in medicine with omens
Standards and interfaces required Filled
- No regulation
Context of use required Filled
- Not applicable; a belief category.
- celestial omens such as comets and eclipses
- bird omens and augury
- dream omens
- animal and entrail omens such as haruspicy
- prodigies and unusual births
- everyday superstitions such as black cats and broken mirrors
Sources Filled
- Open English WordNet 2024, synset oewn-07301073-n - sense and gloss of the concept
- Wiktionary: omen - word senses and usage
Open questions
- Should augury and divination be the primary linked entries?
- How should history and anthropology sources be linked?
- How should belief be described without endorsement?
Machine files
Provenance
thing registry research (pass 2) · unreviewed
Built from: models/things/publications/thing-omen/spec.json