necromancy - Hutchinson encyclopedia article about necromancy Printer Friendly
The Free Dictionary
1,027,742,009 visitors served.
?
Dictionary/
thesaurus
Medical
dictionary
Legal
dictionary
Financial
dictionary
Acronyms
 
Idioms
Encyclopedia
Wikipedia
encyclopedia
?

necromancy

   Also found in: Dictionary/thesaurus, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia 0.03 sec.

necromancy

Conjuring up the dead for divination or other purposes. In ancient times this was believed to be possible among many peoples. In Homer's Odyssey the shade of Tiresias is brought up and consulted by Odysseus; in the Old Testament or Hebrew Bible, Saul consults the witch, or medium, of Endor in order to speak to the spirit of Samuel. Numerous accounts of necromancy were written during the Middle Ages and later. The modern equivalent is spiritualism.

The sorcerer would stand in a magic circle, a small area marked out as a place of refuge. It commonly consisted of two or more concentric circles with a magical sign or shape in the middle. It was believed that to stand or sit within the centre of the circle was a protection against being carried away by demons while communicating with them.


?Page tools
Printer friendly
Cite / link
Email
Feedback
?Sign in SSL protected
Email:
Password:
Register

? Mentioned in ? References in classic literature
 
By his skill in necromancy he has a power of calling whom he pleases from the dead, and commanding their service for twenty-four hours, but no longer; nor can he call the same persons up again in less than three months, except upon very extraordinary occasions.
There is a dread, unhallowed necromancy of evil, that turns things sweetest and holiest to phantoms of horror and affright.
We ought to mention however, that the sciences of Egypt, that necromancy and magic, even the whitest, even the most innocent, had no more envenomed enemy, no more pitiless denunciator before the gentlemen of the officialty of Notre-Dame.
 
Hutchinson browser? ? Full browser
 
 
Hutchinson Encyclopedia
?

Disclaimer | Privacy policy | Feedback | Copyright © 2008 Farlex, Inc.
All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional.. Terms of Use.