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geographical areas of China: none of them with the exception of one has been so far spotted in Taiwan or other places outside China. Although the number of oracles in each series can be almost anything between a minimum of 24 to a maximum of 365, it appears that some numbers are favoured more than others. In the Banck collection and my own samples the favourite numbers are:
28: 8 different sets
32: 6 sets
60: 12 sets
64: 3 sets
100: 11 sets
The Taotsang has, moreover, one set of 64, and one of 100, plus two sets of 49. In some of these cases, the numerological symbolism is evident: 64 is in imitation of the I Ching (32 just half of it); 60 is in imitation of the classical time-cycle of 60, while 49 is the number still used today for I Ching consultation. It will take a prolonged effort to compare all those sets, not merely in their material appearance, i.e., the number of characters for each verse, number of commentaries added, etc., but more importantly from the viewpoint of contents and from the mathematical viewpoint of their divinatory forecasts. As W. Eberhard indicates, the 100 oracle series has 25 oracles that are very favourable, 25 very unfavourable and 50 that are average." Not every series has the same statistical probabilities, but it would be worthwhile to test and compare all of them in this regard.
The presumed probability of a historical link between the I Ching related divination methods and temple oracles is strengthened by some of the numbers of oracles: especially 64 and 49. The former is too obvious to need further comment, but it should be mentioned that one series of 64 oracles is somehow a simplified I Ching text: it is the set found in the Taipei temple of Huang Ti (Huang Ti Fu Kung, Banck #32)," in which each oracle starts with one of the 64 hexagrams, followed by a stanza in four lines of 7 characters. The number 49 also has a strong affinity with the I Ching or even milfoil technique: nowadays when one consults the I Ching, one takes 50 milfoil stalks, and after some preliminary rituals of worship and incense offering, one stalk is taken away and
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geographical areas of China: none of them with the exception of one has been so far spotted in Taiwan or other places outside China. Although the number of oracles in each series can be al- most anything between a minimum of 24 to a maximum of 365, it appears that some numbers are favoured more than others. In the Banck collection and my own samples the favourite number are:
28:
8 different sets
32:
6 sets
60:
12 sets
64:
3 sets
100:
11 sets
The Taotsang has, moreover, one set of 64, and one of 100, plus two sets of 49. In some of these cases, the numerological symbol- ism is evident: 64 is in imitation of the I Ching (32 just half of it); 60 is in imitation of the classical time-cycle of 60, while 49 is the number still used today for I Ching consultation. It will take a prolonged effort to compare all those sets, not merely in their material appearance, i.e. the number of characters for each verse, number of commentaries added, etc, but more importantly from the viewpoint of contents and from the mathematical viewpoint of their divinatory forecasts. As W. Eberhard indicates, the 100 oracle series has 25 oracles that are very favourable, 25 very unfavourable and 50 that are average." Not every series has the same statistical probabilities, but it would be worthwhile to test and compare all of them in this regard.
The presumed probability of a historical link between the I Ching related divination methods and temple oracles is strength- ened by some of the numbers of oracles: especially 64 and 49. The former is too obvious to need further comment, but it should be mentioned that one series of 64 oracles is somehow a simplified / Ching text: it is the set found in the Taipei temple of Huang Ti (Huang Ti Fu Kung, Banck #32)," in which each oracle starts with one of the 64 hexagrams, followed by a stanza in four lines of 7 characters. The number 49 also has a strong affinity with the I Ching or even milfoil technique: nowadays when one consults the I Ching, one takes 50 milfoil stalks, and after some preliminary rituals of worship and incense offering, one stalk is taken away and
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