This past weekend was fairly unproductive. My Sherlockian scion had its annual gala (a party where we celebrate Sherlock Holmes' birthday) so I spent most of Saturday getting ready for it. Saturday was also the last day that Dr. Moeller was in town; I don't guess its a secret to any of you that he's my 'sweetie'. He left for Africa on Sunday, so I'll admit that it took me some time to get back in the mood to do research of any variety. But now that I know he and his students have arrived safely, maybe I can get 'focused' the way I should be.
Today I tried to focus on coming up with a better understanding of necromancy, since I have been thinking that I want the villain of my next novel to be a necromancer. I had assumed the word meant someone who can raise the dead to do his/her bidding. In the Anita Blake novels the heroine begins as a necromancer who raises the dead for relatives who have some kind of final question to put to them, such as 'Uncle Ted, where did you hide the loot from that bank robbery you pulled off ten years ago?'
What I learned is that while a necromancer is someone who raises the dead, the more classical idea of why he brings them back is for purposes of divination---to learn about the future, not the past. In some versions, the dead are only useful for a year after death; past that point, don't bother with asking about the winner of next year's World Series. That's fascinating to me. Why the time limit? Did it have something to do with people's observations of how bodies decay, that they presumed even a powerful wizard couldn't learn anything once a body was reduced to bone? (OK, enough with the gross speculation.)
Probably the most famous necromancer from literature is the witch of Endor, and no, she's not from the Star Wars movies! She's from the Bible, and she conjures up the spirit of the prophet Samuel for King Saul. (And this event is the subject of the picture at the top of this post---I can't figure out how to get the picture where I want it!) I had to go back and refresh my memory of this story. Basically, Saul is looking for some help in how to handle his enemies, but Samuel is none too happy about being awoken, chews the king out for disobeying God, and predicts his defeat and death, all of which quickly come to pass. Sounds to me like asking the dead for advice can lead to serious unpleasant consequences.
I also checked out a book called Forbidden Rites: A Necromancer's Manual. The introduction to the states that owning a book of magical spells was almost as dangerous in the 1300-1400s as actually trying them out. Having such a tome in one's possession was seen as pretty damning evidence that a person was a witch or wizard. It listed a number of conjurers who were arrested and/or burned, and their books tossed into the flames as well. Just think how much we take our freedom to read ANYTHING for granted.
More to report tomorrow, I promise. Since it's supposed to be an absolutely nasty day, I brought a lot of work home with me.
It is interesting that a being with that much power would have limitations. This is really interesting I have never heard of any of this before, I look forward to the third in the series.
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