Necromancy: Origins, Characteristics and Famous Necromancers

The necromancy or necromancy is a method of divination that involves communication with spirits. Derived from the Greek terms nekro , which indicates"body or matter"; Y manteia , Which means"divination"or"prophecy". Formerly it was a common practice in civilizations such as Mesopotamian , Egyptian, Roman, Greek and Persian.

This practice was used especially for the prediction of the future, to demonstrate the survival of the soul after death or for the acquisition of some kind of superior knowledge. It was carried out by manipulating guts or any belonging of the deceased.

It was also carried out through rituals for the invocation of spirits; that is why it is considered a branch of divination. At present, necromancy is associated with black magic, mythology, demonology and witchcraft; is linked even with ritualistic practices from Africa such as voodoo and other branches of spiritualism.

Origins and history

Necromancy is a common practice of the oldest civilizations. To such a point, that it is not possible to establish the origin of this practice with precision.

The historian Strabo in his work Geographica refers to the term nekromantia by pointing out the practice related to divination through the dead used by the Persians.

However, evidence of its existence has also been found in Babylon and Egypt. In fact, it is believed that the origins of necromancy come from the process of embalming mummies.

For example, in Mesopotamia rituals were complex and intricate processes performed by manzazuu , a kind of Babylonian priests charged with invoking the spirits.

On the other hand, in Ancient Rome, necromancy was called"aruspicin", which aimed at divination or prediction of the future through the study of the viscera of animals sacrificed in honor of the gods.

There are even records where it is stated that Roman emperors such as Drusco, Nero and Caracalla were practitioners of necromancy.

Both in Greece and in Rome it was thought that the best places for communication with the dead were in caves, volcanic regions or near lakes and rivers, since they were points that were near the Hades.

Appearance of the word

The first appearance of the word was in the work of Homer, The odyssey . In the story, Ulysses - under the instructions of the powerful priestess Circe - descends into the underworld through the invocation to the spirits to know the reasons why he can not return home.

In the book a series of necromantic elements are described:

- The performance of rites around a well with fire during the night.

- Potions with varied ingredients, such as the blood of sacrificed animals to contact the spirits.

- Prayers to invoke spirits and gods of the underworld.

Necromancy, the Bible and Christianity

In the Bible, the practice of necromancy is prohibited, considering it an insult and an abomination towards God. The prohibition was to such an extent that death could be considered as punishment to whoever did it.

However, the best known case of necromancy is the story of King Saul, who invokes the spirit of Samuel.

The Philistines had surrounded Israel and Saul sought counsel before God, but he did not answer him. In the midst of despair, Saul went to Endor in search of a priestess who allowed him to communicate with the soul of Samuel.

Saul managed to recognize him thanks to the descriptions of the woman and, when the soul of the deceased appeared, Samuel told him that due to his disobedience he would be defeated and killed.

Necromancy and religion

Although Christianity does not use the word necromancy, some authors believe that religion does consider some aspects of this practice. In fact, there are books where it is recommended to perform rituals and practices as a product of cultural exchange that occurred with pagan peoples.

It should be noted that for some experts, prophecies are an interpretation of divinatory processes. However, they are concepts that still provoke discussions.

Main characteristics

- The rituals are extremely elaborate since, in most cases, they include talismans, magic circles, melancholic and dark locations, and even special clothes for the occasion.

- The main figure in the process was the necromancer, a kind of magician in charge of performing the rituals.

- At present, there are religions that still practice necromancy, such as voodoo, santería and palo mayombe.

- Both Christians and Catholics disapprove of necromancy as a challenge to the laws of God.

- Although initially the term alludes to the contact with the dead, the alteration of etymology (necromancy of"black"), it changed its meaning and began to associate with black magic, witchcraft and even alchemy.

- Despite the controversy generated by the practice of necromancy in the Middle Ages , many clerics considered it a serious area of ​​study. This arose in order to communicate with the dead, manipulate the minds of others and know the secrets of life after death.

- It was believed that the best time for rituals should be at midnight and during a storm, because it was thought that this environment helped the spirits to manifest more easily.

- The current necromancy deals with talking to the dead, but not reliving them.

Famous necromancers

- Roman emperors like Drusco, Nerón and Caracalla.

- The Apion grammarian used to try to contact the soul of Homer.

- It is believed that the writer of The Divine Comedy , Dante Alighieri, used to secretly practice necromancy.

- The French magician Alphose Constant, also known as Eliphas Lévi, promoted and carried out all kinds of occult practices.

- Another writer and great enthusiast of the occult was the Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa.

Literature about necromancy

For the readers and regulars of necromancy and the dark arts, the works of the occultist Helena Blavatsky are obligatory.

It should be noted that Blavatsky's works also served to inspire H.P. Lovecraft, one of the most important science fiction and horror writers of the modern era.

References

1. Definition of Necromancy (s.f.) In Concept definition. Recovered. February 22, 2018. In Conceptodefinicion.de de conceptodefinicion.de.
2. Jeffer, Jen. (s.f.) Thing You Did not Know About Necromancy, The Dark Art of Raising The Dead . In Ranker. Retrieved: February 22, 2018. In Ranker from ranker.com.
3. Necromancy (s.f.) In Wikipedia. Retrieved: February 22, 2018. In Wikipedia from en.wikipedia.org.
4. Necromancy (2016). In EC Wiki. Retrieved: February 22, 2018. In EC Wiki of ec.aciprensa.com.
5. Necromancy (s.f.) In Metapedia. Retrieved: February 22, 2018. In Metapedia of es.metapedia.org.
6. Necromancy. (s.f.) In Wikipedia. Retrieved: February 22, 2018. In Wikipedia of es.wikipedia.org.