Necromancy – The Witchcraft

Necromancy is the practice of contacting the dead to request their help or advice. The word necromancy comes from the Greek words νεκρός necros “corpse” and μαντεία manteia “Divination”, although the ancient Greeks had their own word for it: ἡ νέκυια nekyia . The word necromancy was first coined by Origen Adamantius, a 3rd-century Christian theologian and philosopher.

Names for necromancy / necromancers
Bone Summoning, Nekyia, Medium, Channeling, Nigromancy, Negromancy, Egromancy

Related Practices
Sciomancy, Demonology, Demonomy

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Necromancy in Ancient Greece

The ancient Greeks may have ἡ νέκυια or nekyia similar to that described in Homer’s The Odyssey. The ritual described involved traveling to a secluded spot near the mouth of Hades, digging a pit, and filling it with the blood of a sacrificed ram and ewe. This caused the dead to gather around the victim and he was able to go with them to ask for help.

Another form of necromancy described in ancient Greek literature is the κατάβασις katabasis or “descent”. In this process, the practitioner or hero descends into Hades, the underworld, to speak directly to the dead in their own land. This was most likely done via a ceremonially prescribed method of astral projection.

One place in Greece where such rites may have taken place is at the Nekromanteion Temple (trans: “oracle of the dead”). ) in Ephyra, which is on a river believed to flow directly into the underworld. It was very likely that Odysseus performed his rite here, and Herodotus records that the 6th-century tyrant Periander sent messengers here to inquire about his dead wife Melissa. Visitors were given a meal with anesthetics and then led through winding corridors, leaving offerings on which the priest, the Nekyomanteia, asked questions and chanted prayers. The Romans destroyed this temple in 167 BC. Chr.

Necromancy in Abrahamic Tradition

The opinion of the Abrahamic tradition is largely that necromancy is impossible at best and any messages received from the dead are really demonic forces in disguise sent by Satan to deceive the unwary. In any case, Christianity strictly forbids necromancy and all forms of divination in the Book of Deuteronomy (18:9–12) and goes on to show what a bad idea it is in 1 Samuel for Saul to seek the help of a medium from whom he takes advice can the late Samuel receive, only to receive a severe scolding from Samuel and an assurance that he will soon die. Most Christian apologists insist that this was impossible and that the image of Samuel was an illusion, perhaps an angel sent to carry the message or a demon out to trick. Thus, all necromancy is actually the summoning of demons.

However, during the early and high Middle Ages, necromancy was occasionally seen in practice by Christian clergy. Rituals written by Christian necromancy, particularly those practiced by medieval clergy, are often laden with Christian symbolism, traditional Christian prayers, and “Names of God” to easily disguise these rituals as acts of prayer and devotion. These clergy were highly educated and had access to magical texts from both East and West, and combined these practices with exorcism and other Christian practices. They experimented a lot with both necromancy and demonology; often associated, as the two were frequently merged. As a result, most Christian sources for necromancy cannot be relied upon as they deal primarily with demons, not the dead.

what the dead know

The ancient Greeks and Romans did not believe that the dead were omniscient. They believed that the dead could only know what they experienced, just like the living. They have all the knowledge they have accumulated in life and what they have learned since death. According to Ovid’s Metamorphosis, the dead meet in underworld markets and gossip, just like the living, so they can know quite a bit.

Other traditions claim that the dead are freed from the limitations of their bodies and have access to much knowledge of the past, present and future.

It is commonly believed that the younger the spirit, the clearer their answers. After some time, a ghostly spirit’s answers become more enigmatic or garbled, perhaps because the spirit loses its material connection to prepare for reincarnation or to move on, it also loses its ability to relate to material beings.

Some modern necromancy practices

Necromancy is seen in modern magical and spiritual practice in séances and spiritualism. Many mediums practice around the world in a variety of contexts, including private consultations for clients and readings in galleries for groups of people. Ouija is a popular tool for necromancy.

This article is incomplete. a stub. Need to focus on Norse Necromancy, Persian, etc. and the darker, icky parts.