The earliest mention of necromancy is the narration of Odysseus` journey to Hades (Odyssey, XI) and his invocation of souls through the various rites specified by Circe. It should be noted that Odysseus` intention in this case, although she intended to consult Teiresias` shadow, does not seem to be able to produce it alone; A number of others also appear, together or one after the other. Along with this passage from Homer, we can mention the sixth book of Virgil`s Aeneid, which tells the story of Aeneas` descent into the infernal regions. But here there is no real incantation, and the hero himself passes through the homes of souls. In addition to these poetic and mythological narratives, several cases of necromantic practices are recorded by historians. At Cape Tænarus, Callondas invoked the soul of Archilochus, whom he had killed (Plutarch, “De sera numinis vindicta”, xvii). The tyrant Periander of Corinth and one of the seven wise men of Greece sent messengers to the oracle on the river Acheron to ask his deceased wife Melissa where she had deposited the deposit of a stranger. His ghost appeared twice and gave the necessary information about the second appearance (Herodotus, V, xcii). Pausanias, king of Sparta, had killed Cleonica, whom he had considered an enemy at night, and therefore he could find neither peace nor tranquility, but his mind was filled with strange fears. After trying many purifications and atonements, he went to the Psychopompeion of Phigalia or Heraclea, summoned his soul, and received assurances that his dreams and fears would cease as soon as he should have returned to Sparta. Upon his arrival he died (Pausanias III, xvii, 8, 9; Plutarch, “De sera num. vind.”, x; “Vita Cimonis”, vi).
After his death, the Spartans sent to Italy to the psychagogues to evoke and appease his mane (Plutarch, “Desera num. vind.”, XVII). Necromancy mingles with oniromancy in the case of Elysius of Terina in Italy, who wanted to know if the sudden death of his son was due to poisoning. He went to the oracle of the dead and, while sleeping in the temple, had a vision of his father and son giving him the desired information (Plutarch, “Consolatio ad Apollonium,” xiv). Although the Mosaic law prescribed the death penalty for practitioners of necromancy (Leviticus 20:27[20]), this warning was not always heeded. One of the most prominent examples is when King Saul asked the witch of Endor to invoke the spirit of Samuel, a judge and prophet, of Sheol using a ritual incantation pit (1 Samuel 28:3-25 [21]). However, the so-called witch was shocked by the presence of a familiar spirit in the image of Samuel, for 1 Samuel 28:7 says, “Behold, there is a woman who has a familiar spirit in Endor,” and 1 Samuel 28:12 says, “When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out in a loud voice.” and the familiar spirit asked for his awakening and asked: as if he were Samuel the prophet: “Why have you troubled me?” [22] Saul did not receive the death penalty (he was the highest authority in the land), but he received it from God Himself. 1 Chronicles 10:13 implies, “Thus Saul died for his transgression which he had committed against the Lord, yes, against the word of the Lord, which he had not kept, and also because he sought counsel from someone who had a familiar mind to ask him,” suggesting that one of the reasons Saul died was someone`s counsel. who had a familiar mind and evoked it. The rare confessions of those accused of necromancy suggest that there were a number of spells and associated magical experiments.
It is difficult to determine whether these details are due to their practices, contrary to the whims of their interrogators. John of Salisbury is one of the earliest examples reported by Richard Kieckhefer, but as a 1323 minutes of the Paris ecclesiastical court show, a “group planning to invoke the demon Berich from a circle of cat fur bands” apparently participated in what the church would define as “necromancy.” [29] In Skyrim, High Rock, and the New Orsinium, public opinion toward necromancy is generally negative, though less virulent than in other provinces. In fact, some of Skyrim`s imperial possessions in the past introduced the imperial practice of giving the corpses of criminals for necromantic studies. Although these laws were never repealed, the practice was forgotten almost everywhere, and no Norse lord would think of reinstating it. In High Rock, the Gothryd King of Daggerfall has considered introducing a corpse donation, and there are rumors that Gortwog of the Orcs is also planning to do so. It is an open secret that almost all of Beckenbucht`s noble rulers deal with necromancers, often even Mannimarco himself. Other notable schools include Dunmeri`s necromancy, characterized by the creation of composite bone walkers and other ghosts from various sources, and the Nibenesen practice, which focuses on creating stuffed simulacra of living things for aesthetic purposes. The making of ancestral silk from the souls of the dead is also part of this tradition, although the Imperials do not consider it necromancy from a cultural point of view. The emergence of Draugr is often considered a distinct Norse tradition, although it is no longer practiced today and the true nature and origin of Draugr is uncertain. Some have suggested the existence of an Argonian tradition of necromancy, which is believed to focus on capturing souls in unfertilized eggs. The extremes of Altmeri`s life-prolonging measures are also seen by some as a kind of necromancy.
Hammerfell has a less hermetic legal basis, but many city-states and principalities have introduced similar harsh laws on their own. Others (especially the ancestors) have failed to do so, either because of imperial influences or because they consider it a waste of time – the Tu`whacca/Arkay cult is so strong that very few corpses in Hammerskin are exempt from Arkay`s protection. The study and application of necromancy is a permissible discipline in the Empire and, as such, it is not illegal. However, it was subject to various types of legal restrictions both throughout the empire and in some provinces, and it was very unpopular among most cultures and populations. Britannica.com: Encyclopedia Articles on Necromancy Such practices, which ranged from the mundane to the grotesque, were often associated with necromancy. Rituals can be quite elaborate and include magic circles, wands, talismans, and incantations. The necromancer could also surround himself with morbid aspects of death, which often included wearing the deceased`s clothes and eating foods symbolizing the absence of life and decay, such as unleavened brown bread and unfermented grape juice. Some necromancers have even gone so far as to participate in the mutilation and consumption of corpses. [14] These ceremonies could last for hours, days, or even weeks, eventually leading to the invocation of spirits. Often they were executed in burial sites or other melancholic places in accordance with certain guidelines of the necromancer. In addition, necromancers preferred to summon recently deceased persons on the assumption that their revelations were expressed more clearly. This period was generally limited to twelve months following the death of the physical body; Once this time was up, the necromancers evoked instead the ghostly spirit of the deceased.
[15] Certain categories of criminals and traitors may lose their rights to their corpses. After the execution, their bodies become the legal property of the Empire, which can do whatever it sees fit with them. Most are sold to necromancers who have served the Empire to some extent, often (but not exclusively) as Imperial battle mages. In Cyrodiil, the question of necromancy is not as much related to religious feelings as elsewhere.