Necromancy presents a wider range of historical, cultural, religious, and media-related perspectives that I am less familiar with and therefore more interested in investigating.
So, what is Necromancy?
Necromancy is the practice of magic involving communication with the dead by summoning their spirits as apparitions or visions for the purpose of divination
(Necromancy. (2026). Retrieved October 06, 2026, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Necromancy.
How I’m doing it
Throughout this research process over the next couple weeks, I plan to explore how necromancy has developed from ancient practices associated with communicating with the dead, its origins and significance.
My research will involve examining academic books and journal articles on magic, folklore, religion, and the occult, as well as analysing representations of necromancy in contemporary media. I also intend to investigate museums, historical sites, libraries, and archives that contain materials relating to ritual practices, superstition, death, and medieval beliefs, allowing me to gather information from both scholarly and public sources.
By approaching the topic through history, mythology, popular culture, and field research, I’ll build a broader understanding of why necromancy has remained such a persistent and fascinating concept throughout history.
Research Begins
Where did necromancy originate?
Why did people want to communicate with the dead?
Was it originally considered evil?
What rituals were actually performed?
Where did they take place?
What objects were used?
Why did the Church condemn necromancy?
When did it become associated with evil?
Why are some spirit practices accepted while others are feared?
Häxan (1922)
Hampshire Archives and Local Studies – local historical records of people accused of crimes, superstition, religious offences, fraud, etc. could give you primary-source material about how supernatural beliefs actually existed within people’s lives.
“Do you have anything on the history of magic, occultism, folklore, grimoires or medieval religious practices?”
The physical act of hunting down books about forbidden books is almost comically appropriate for this project.
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Necromancy | Communicating with/commanding the dead or spirits. |
| Divination | Trying to obtain knowledge of the future or hidden information. |
| Theurgy | Ritual practices intended to communicate with divine beings. |
| Conjuration | Calling upon supernatural entities through ritual. |
| Summoning |
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