necromancy
Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary
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[edit] English
[edit] Alternative forms
[edit] Etymology
From Ancient Greek νεκρομαντεία (nekromanteia), νεκρός (nekros, “dead”) + μαντεία (manteia, “divination”).
[edit] Pronunciation
[edit] Noun
necromancy (countable and uncountable; plural necromancies)
- Divination involving the dead or death.
- 1597 King James Daemonologie
- And for to make this treatise the more pleasaunt and facill, I have put it in forme of a Dialogue, which I have diuided into three bookes: The first speaking of Magie in general, and Necromancie in special.
- 1652 Gaule The Magastromancer
- And in one word for all, Nagomancy, or Necromancy; by inspecting, consulting, and divining by, with, or from the dead.
- 1867 E. Rogers, quoted in K. Thomas Relig. & Decline of Magic
- the Devil did often tempt me to study necromancy and nigromancy and to make use of magic, and to make a league with him...
- 1920 L. Spence Encyc. Occult
- There is no doubt..that necromancy is the touch-stone of occultism...
- 1597 King James Daemonologie
- Loosely, any sorcery or witchcraft, especially involving death or the dead, particularly sorcery involving raising or reanimating the dead.
[edit] Usage notes
Many different cultures have used necromancy. There is therefore much controversy as to how it is used. There are two clear divisions of necromancy however, that branch in which one consults directly with the corpse or spirit, and that branch wherein one takes the spirit within oneself, thereby using its knowledge (usually to glean the future).
[edit] Derived terms
[edit] Translations
divination involving the dead
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