N is for Necromancy

It is the 14th day of the A to Z Challenge.

N is for Necromancy

What is Necromancy?

It’s a form of magic involving the ability to speak to the dead. The Necromancer can either summon the spirit or actually raise the decease, animating the body.

Seems difficult to believe someone would want to attempt such a feat, but there were those who believed the dead could foretell the future and find out knowledge only the dead would be able to reveal. They believed they could question a murdered victim and find out who preformed the bad deed.

Early accounts of such practices were associated with Shamanism. This practice calls upon spirits of ancestors. There are numerous recorded practices of Necromancy in Babylon, Egypt, Greece, and Rome. It is believed the practice was widespread in Persia, among the Sabians, or star worshipers. The Babylonian necromancers were called manzazuu. The spirits they raised were called etemmu.

Did you know?

The oldest literary account of necromancy is stated in Homer’s Odyssey.

Necromancer’s Tools:

Necromancer rituals can involve magic circles, talisman, and incantations. The Necromancer might use items associated with death such as wearing the decease’s clothes.  Another more morbid ritual was the Necromancer consumed a part of the corpse. The rituals could last hours to days just depending on how stubborn the spirit could be.

Summoning:

Necromancers preferred to summon a recently deceased soul to have a clearer communication, but it didn’t mean a Necromancer wouldn’t summon a spirit who had passed away for a longer period of time, but the spirit would materialize rather than animating the body. (Thank goodness. It would prove a bit messy unearthing a body weeks later—not to mention smelly.)

Some cultures believed the dead would retain knowledge of their life here on this plain of existence. The Greeks and Romans believed the ‘shades’ (the name they called the spirit) retained only limited information. 

Present Day:

Necromancy is a term used to describe manipulating death through the use of ritual magic or ceremony. You might say séances, channeling and Spiritualism are a form of necromancy since they involve invoking spirits to find out information.

In my tale, Soul Taker, Isabella Lucci’s family is from a long line of Necromancers. Her mother had summoned her from death, but in doing so there came a price. Death can never be cheated. Her mother paid the ultimate price with her life. Isabella has not been trained, but she’s a natural. She can see the world beyond the veil. It is why Harrison wants to recruit her to help Garran and him find the Soul Taker. She uses a cell phone to communicate with the dead. The shades text their response via the cell phones.

Thank you for stopping by for the behind the scenes look at Soul Taker.

Blurb:

No soul is safe…

A vampire from the Grim Sith sept is sucking the souls out of young women from the Boston area, but this sinister crime is far worse than a vampire seeking substance. He’s selling the souls to the highest bidder and it seems business is booming.

A vampire, a werewolf, and a Necromancer are a most unlikely team, but Garran, Harrison, and Isabella plan on putting a kink in the dubbed Soul Taker’s plans. It’s personal now. One of their friends has fallen victim to the Soul Taker’s charms, but to stop him from hurting anyone else, their efforts may involve raising the dead. Purchase a copy of Soul Taker at: Amazon

 Here’s the list to the other A to Z Challenge participants. Have fun hopping!!

***Necromancer Photos are a free wallpaper for your desktop at Desktop Nexus