The practice of telling a person’s character and fortune by interpreting the lines and undulations on the palm of the hand, also known as chiromancy or chirosophy. A version of this art is called podoscopy, where fortunes are read from the soles of the feet.
The origins of palmistry go back to antiquity, there are allusions to it in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics and in the Bible. It had an unsure history prior to the early 13th century when the first known manuscript on the subject appeared. The first book on palmistry was published in Augsberg about 1475. In general the system has not changed much since then, although there have been some additions and variations; for example, modern palmists do their readings from palm prints. They find the print, done with water-soluble ink, shows up the fine lines in greater detail than does direct observation. Although palmists look at both hands they usually concentrate on the client’s dominant hand.