Necromancy
I - What is Necromancy, What is Involved?
II - Necromancy in History, Necromancy and Christianity
III - Theory and Practise
IV - Links
Necromancy is and has always been the art of communicating with spirits of the dead. This is indicated even in the name itself: necro, meaning death, and -mancy, meaning prophesy.
What Necromancy Involves
Necromancy is not to be confused with conjuring devils or demons for help. Necromancy is the seeking of the spirits of the dead. The spirits are sought because they, being without physical bodies, are no longer limited by the earthly plane. Therefore, it is thought these spirits have access to information of the past and future which is not available to the living. It has been used to help find sunken or buried treasure, and whether or not a person was murdered or died from other causes.
The practice of necromancy has been compared by some to modern mediumistic or practiced spiritualism. Many consider it a dangerous and repugnant practice. Dangerous because it is alleged that when some spirits take control of the medium they are reluctant to release their control for some time.
Necromancy is not practiced in common Neo-pagan Witchcraft, but it is practiced in Voudou. Voudou may also involve the use of zombis, but a true zombi is never really dead in the first place, and, as mentioned before, true necromancy does not involve the physical raising of bodies at all.
Another form of Necromancy takes communication with the dead to a new level, communicating and connecting with the personified spirit of death itself. This form of necromancy is often called "High Necromancy" by it's practitioners.
Necromantic Fiction
The common idea of a necromancer raising dead bodies out of the ground is an idea which originated with H.P. Lovecraft's fictional work "The Necronomicon" and has been refined and expanded on by roleplaying games and Hollywood.
The Necronomicon is the most popular fictional work involving necromancy. This book is enshrouded in so much mystery that many people still believe it to be real. This is nothing more than the result of a good story behind it and the author (H.P. Lovecraft) not putting his name anywhere on it. It is supposedly a manual on how use the magic of the Ancient Ones, evil, pre-Babylonian gods, through the power of the dead.
Since popularity in the book grew, for the last hundred years, people have seen necromancy as the art of raising bodies from the dead. There are many movies that show this exact thing
In roleplaying games, which also evolved from the images lended from the Necronomicon, a necromancer is commonly described as follows:
This image, coupled with Hollywood portrayals of the art have seeped into the public consciousness, making the very thought of necromancy seem much more sinister than it really is.
What Necromancy Involves
Necromancy is not to be confused with conjuring devils or demons for help. Necromancy is the seeking of the spirits of the dead. The spirits are sought because they, being without physical bodies, are no longer limited by the earthly plane. Therefore, it is thought these spirits have access to information of the past and future which is not available to the living. It has been used to help find sunken or buried treasure, and whether or not a person was murdered or died from other causes.
The practice of necromancy has been compared by some to modern mediumistic or practiced spiritualism. Many consider it a dangerous and repugnant practice. Dangerous because it is alleged that when some spirits take control of the medium they are reluctant to release their control for some time.
Necromancy is not practiced in common Neo-pagan Witchcraft, but it is practiced in Voudou. Voudou may also involve the use of zombis, but a true zombi is never really dead in the first place, and, as mentioned before, true necromancy does not involve the physical raising of bodies at all.
Another form of Necromancy takes communication with the dead to a new level, communicating and connecting with the personified spirit of death itself. This form of necromancy is often called "High Necromancy" by it's practitioners.
Necromantic Fiction
The common idea of a necromancer raising dead bodies out of the ground is an idea which originated with H.P. Lovecraft's fictional work "The Necronomicon" and has been refined and expanded on by roleplaying games and Hollywood.
The Necronomicon is the most popular fictional work involving necromancy. This book is enshrouded in so much mystery that many people still believe it to be real. This is nothing more than the result of a good story behind it and the author (H.P. Lovecraft) not putting his name anywhere on it. It is supposedly a manual on how use the magic of the Ancient Ones, evil, pre-Babylonian gods, through the power of the dead.
Quote:
The affair that shambleth about in the night, the evil that defieth the Elder Sign, the Herd that stand watch at the secret portal each tomb is known to have and that thrive on that which groweth out of the tenants thereof: All these Blacknesses are lesser than He Who guardeth the Gateway [....]
That is not dead which can eternal lie,
And with strange Aeons even Death may die.
That is not dead which can eternal lie,
And with strange Aeons even Death may die.
Since popularity in the book grew, for the last hundred years, people have seen necromancy as the art of raising bodies from the dead. There are many movies that show this exact thing
In roleplaying games, which also evolved from the images lended from the Necronomicon, a necromancer is commonly described as follows:
Quote:
From the steamy recesses of the southern swamps comes a figure cloaked in mystery. The Necromancer, as his name implies, is an unseemly form of sorcerer whose spells deal with the raising of the dead and the summoning and control of various creatures for his purposes. Though his goals are often aligned with those of the forces of Light, some do not think that these ends can justify his foul means. Long hours of study in dank mausolea have made his skin pale and corpselike, his figure, skeletal. Most people shun him for his peculiar looks and ways, but none doubt the power of the Necromancer, for it is the stuff of nightmares.
This image, coupled with Hollywood portrayals of the art have seeped into the public consciousness, making the very thought of necromancy seem much more sinister than it really is.
