vízjelesek

Víjjelesek is a Hungarian term that translates to "water glasses" or "water markers" and refers to a traditional folk divination practice. This method involves filling a glass or bowl with water and then observing the patterns that form on the surface or the way light refracts through the water. These patterns are then interpreted to divine information about the future, lost items, or the character of individuals.

The practice of víjjelesek is often associated with rural and folk traditions in Hungary. It was typically performed by women, often elders, who possessed knowledge of these divinatory techniques. The water itself is sometimes imbued with symbolic meaning, representing clarity, purity, or a connection to the unseen world. The specific methods and interpretations could vary significantly from region to region and even from family to family.

Common techniques might involve dropping objects into the water, such as a coin or a piece of thread, and observing how they behave or the ripples they create. Other methods could include staring into the water until an image or vision appears. The interpretation was highly subjective and relied on the diviner's intuition and accumulated knowledge of symbolic meanings assigned to different shapes, colors, or movements within the water. While largely a practice of the past, víjjelesek represents an interesting aspect of Hungarian folk magic and belief systems.