9. In Ancient Egypt, statues of Gods would be asked what the future held – and, according to the hieroglyphics, the statues would answer by nodding their heads
The ancient Egyptians believed that the Gods would sometimes communicate with them, giving them hints of what was to come. More specifically, they believed that they would communicate through statues. These statues, usually no more than 50cm high, would be placed in heavily-guarded temples. They would be cleaned and given offerings every day. Normally only high priests or the pharaohs could go insider the sacred space and petition the statues. However, on special festive days or holidays, the statues would be taken out of the temple and paraded through the streets. What’s more, everyday Egyptians of Luxor or Thebes would also be able to approach the statues and ask for their fortunes to be told.
In most cases, people would ask about the prospects of a love affair or business deal. According to the surviving hieroglyphics, questions would be of a ‘yes/no’ nature and the statue would ‘respond’ by ‘shaking their heads’. A nod in one direction would indicate the future looked good; a nod in the other direction would be bad news. According to Harvard University Professor Peter Manuelian, some ‘bobblehead’ statues may have been fitted with movable heads. However, it’s more likely that the priests moved the statues, passing on the Gods’ predictions for the future.