Daphnomancy takes its name from Daphne, the laurel nymph of Greek mythology. Laurel was sacred to Apollo, god of prophecy, and its burning was considered a direct channel to divine knowledge.
The practitioner cast fresh laurel branches into a fire and listened carefully. Loud crackling and bright flames were read as favourable omens; silence or smouldering without flame indicated misfortune or divine disfavour.
The Pythia at Delphi is said to have used laurel in her purification rites. Daphnomancy remained popular across the Hellenic world and was later adopted into Roman religious practice.