WISHBONES
 
 
The wishbone of any fowl is considered good luck, but if two people make a wish 
and pull the ends of a dried wishbone, the one breaking off the piece with the 
head on it will be the one to get the wish.

In ancient bird-lore, the hen and rooster were in great favor. Since the hen 
announced the laying of an egg and the rooster announced the beginning of the 
day, men were sure these fowls must be divine and could answer human questions.

There are records of people consulting "hen oracles" as early as 322 B.C. In one 
type of oracle a circle was drawn and divided into twenty-four sections, one for 
every letter of the alphabet of the time. Grains of corn were placed in these 
sections. A cock or a hen was led to the circle and the first grain picked up 
indicated the first letter of the name of a future husband. Other questions were 
answered in the same manner. Then the fowl was sacrificed to a special god. Its 
collarbone was saved and hung in the sun to dry. The person seeking an answer 
from this god made a wish on this bone which gave it the name "wishbone." 
Afterwards two people snapped the dry bone each making his own wish, with the 
wish only being granted to the one holding the longer end, as this was the 
"lucky break."