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89-425: A necromancer is a person who practices necromancy, the practice of magic involving communication with the dead by summoning their spirits for the purpose of divination. Necromancer or The Necromancer may also refer to: Necromancer The word necromancy is adapted from Late Latin necromantia : a loan word from the post-Classical Greek νεκρομαντεία ( nekromanteía , or 'divination through

178-481: A biodegradable capsule that will not harm the surrounding earth. The biodegradable capsule doubles as a seed which can be customized to grow into either a birch , maple , or eucalyptus tree. The goal of this method is to create parks full of trees that loved ones can walk through and mourn, as opposed to a graveyard full of tombstones. This method aims to return the body to the earth in the most environmentally friendly way possible. The tree pod method originated in

267-544: A "group who were plotting to invoke the demon Berich from inside a circle made from strips of cat skin" were obviously participating in what the Church would define as "necromancy". Herbert Stanley Redgrove claims necromancy as one of three chief branches of medieval ceremonial magic , alongside black magic and white magic . This does not correspond to contemporary classifications, which often conflate "nigromancy" ("black-knowledge") with "necromancy" ("death-knowledge"). In

356-423: A 'bad death'. This gradually changed as the upper and middle class started holding funerals in the mortuaries of hospitals. This posed an issue for hospitals because of the rapid increase in funerals being held and maxing occupancy. This resolved when a law was passed to allow the civilian population to hold funerals in the mortuaries of hospitals. The lower class then followed suit, copying the newly set traditions of

445-584: A 3-year-old child at Panga ya Saidi cave in Kenya dating to 78,000 years ago also show signs suggestive of a burial, such as the digging of a pit, laying of the body in a fetal position and intentional rapid covering of the corpse. In ancient Egypt , burial customs developed during the Predynastic period . Round graves with one pot were used in the Badarian Period (4400–3800 B.C.E.), continuing

534-583: A Sulawesi province in Eastern Indonesia, experiences death as a process, rather than an event. The culture of Tana Toraja views funerals as the most important event in a person's life. Because of this importance placed on death, Tana Toraja landscape is covered in the rituals and events transpired after death. The hierarchy of an individual's life is based on the sacrifices of animals made after their death. Funerals tend to be celebrated by Tana Toraja people, typically lasting days to even weeks long. Death

623-399: A branch of theurgic magic . As to the practice of necromancy having endured in one form or another throughout the millennia, An Encyclopædia of Occultism states: The art is of almost universal usage. Considerable difference of opinion exists among modern adepts as to the exact methods to be properly pursued in the necromantic art, and it must be borne in mind that necromancy, which in

712-708: A dead body'), a compound of Ancient Greek νεκρός ( nekrós , or 'dead body') and μαντεία ( manteía , or 'divination'). The Koine Greek compound form was first documented in the writings of Origen of Alexandria in the 3rd century AD. The Classical Greek term was ἡ νέκυια ( nekyia ), from the episode of the Odyssey in which Odysseus visits the realm of the dead souls, and νεκρομαντεία in Hellenistic Greek; necromantīa in Latin , and necromancy in 17th-century English. Early necromancy

801-449: A financial burden causing some to turn to green burials as a cheaper alternative. Some people view green burials as more meaningful, especially for those who have a connection to a piece of land, such as current residence or other places that hold meaning for them. Conservation burial is a type of burial where burial fees fund the acquisition and management of new land to benefit native habitat, ecosystems and species. This usually involves

890-410: A foundation in truth. South Korea 's funeral arrangements have drastically changed in the course of only two decades according to Chang-Won Park. Park states that around the 1980s at home funeral ceremonies were the general norm, straying away from anywhere that was not a family home. Dying close to home, with friends and family, was considered a 'good death', while dying away from home was considered

979-501: A further coffin or coffins on top of the first one. In such cases, more than six feet may be dug, to provide the required depth of soil above the top coffin. In the United States, there is no nationwide regulation of burial depth. Each local authority is free to determine its own rules. Requirements for depth can vary according to soil type and by method of burial. California , for instance, requires only 19 inches of soil above

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1068-456: A legal document such as a conservation easement . Such burials go beyond other forms of natural burial, which aim to prevent environmental damage caused by conventional burial techniques, by actually increasing benefits for the environment. The idea is for the burial process to be a net positive for the earth rather than just neutral. Scientists have argued that such burials could potentially generate enough funds to save every endangered species on

1157-568: A marketplace in the underworld where the dead convene to exchange news and gossip. There are also several references to necromancers – called "bone-conjurers" among Jews of the later Hellenistic period – in the Bible . The Book of Deuteronomy ( 18:9–12 ) explicitly warns the Israelites against engaging in the Canaanite practice of divination from the dead: When thou art come into

1246-444: A more cost effective and environmentally friendly way to memorialize loved ones, this method also offers emotional support. The memories of loved ones will be immortalized through the concept of a deceased person having a medium (trees) that will continue to live and grow. Embalming is the practice of preserving a body against decay and is used in many cultures. Mummification is a more extensive method of embalming, further delaying

1335-423: A new Christian context, albeit demonic and forbidden. As the material for these manuals was apparently derived from scholarly magical and religious texts from a variety of sources in many languages, the scholars who studied these texts likely manufactured their own aggregate sourcebook and manual with which to work spells or magic. In the notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci , it is stated that "Of all human opinions that

1424-452: A result, burial grounds are found throughout the world. Through time, mounds of earth , temples , and caverns were used to store the dead bodies of ancestors . In modern times, the custom of burying dead people below ground, with a stone marker to indicate the burial place, is used in most cultures ; although other means such as cremation are becoming more popular in the West (cremation is

1513-412: A sign of respect even when burial is impossible. In nonstandard burial practices, such as mass burial , the body may be positioned arbitrarily. This can be a sign of disrespect to the deceased, or at least nonchalance on the part of the inhumer, or due to considerations of time and space. Most often, a burial will be oriented to a specific direction for religious purposes, as are the case for persons of

1602-412: A single grave either by choice (as in the case of married couples), due to space concerns, or in the case of mass graves as a way to deal with many bodies at once. Alternatives to burial include cremation (and subsequent interment), burial at sea and cryopreservation . Some human cultures may bury the remains of beloved animals . Intentional burial, particularly with grave goods , may be one of

1691-427: Is a method of final disposition whereby a dead body is placed into the ground, sometimes with objects. This is usually accomplished by excavating a pit or trench, placing the deceased and objects in it, and covering it over. A funeral is a ceremony that accompanies the final disposition. Evidence suggests that some archaic and early modern humans buried their dead. Burial is often seen as indicating respect for

1780-480: Is believed to be a synthesis of astral magic derived from Arabic influences and exorcism derived from Christian and Jewish teachings. Arabic influences are evident in rituals that involve moon phases, sun placement, day and time. Fumigation and the act of burying images are also found in both astral magic and necromancy. Christian and Jewish influences appear in the symbols and in the conjuration formulas used in summoning rituals. Practitioners were often members of

1869-475: Is found in Homer 's Odyssey . Under the direction of Circe , a powerful sorceress, Odysseus travels to the underworld ( katabasis ) in order to gain insight about his impending voyage home by raising the spirits of the dead through the use of spells which Circe has taught him. He wishes to invoke and question the shade of Tiresias in particular; however, he is unable to summon the seer's spirit without

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1958-525: Is highly unusual and generally symbolic. Occasionally suicides and assassins were buried upside down, as a post-mortem punishment and (as with burial at cross-roads ) to inhibit the activities of the resulting undead . In Gulliver's Travels , the Lilliputians buried their dead upside down: They bury their dead with their heads directly downward, because they hold an opinion, that in eleven thousand moons they are all to rise again; in which period

2047-521: Is ongoing debate regarding the reliability of the dating method, some scholars believe the earliest human burial dates back 100,000 years. Archeological expeditions have discovered human skeletal remains stained with red ochre in the Skhul cave at Qafzeh in Israel. A variety of grave goods were present at the site, including the mandible of a wild boar in the arms of one of the skeletons. The remains of

2136-453: Is practiced in permitted oceans in the U.S., specifically in locations around Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Maryland, New Jersey, Texas and Virginia. Alkaline hydrolysis , also referred to as resomation, is another approach to natural burial. It uses high temperature water mixed with potassium hydroxide to dissolve human remains. During this process, the body is put into an enclosed, stainless steel chamber. The chamber fills with

2225-550: Is seen as a transformation, rather than a private loss. A Torajan is not considered 'dead' until their family members are able to collect the resources necessary to hold a funeral that expresses the status of the deceased. Until these funerals are upheld the deceased are held in Tongkonan , built to house corpses that are not considered 'dead'. The deceased can be held in Tongkonan for years, waiting for their families to collect

2314-650: Is to be reputed the most foolish which deals with the belief in Necromancy, the sister of Alchemy , which gives birth to simple and natural things." In the present day, necromancy is more generally used as a term to describe manipulation of death and the dead, or the pretense thereof, often facilitated through the use of ritual magic or some other kind of occult ceremony. Contemporary séances , channeling and Spiritualism verge on necromancy when supposedly invoked spirits are asked to reveal future events or secret information. Necromancy may also be presented as sciomancy,

2403-507: The Munich Manual of Demonic Magic : The rare confessions of those accused of necromancy suggest that there was a range of spell casting and related magical experimentation. It is difficult to determine if these details were due to their practices, as opposed to the whims of their interrogators. John of Salisbury is one of the first examples related by Richard Kieckhefer , but as a Parisian ecclesiastical court record of 1323 shows,

2492-471: The Abrahamic faiths . Standard Jewish burials are made supine east–west, with the head at the western end of the grave, in order to face Jerusalem . In other cases, the body may be buried on a north–south axis, or, simply facing towards the exit of the cemetery or burial grounds. This is done in order to facilitate the return to Israel foretold of all those who are resurrected at the end of time following

2581-531: The Catholic Church condemned it. Though the practitioners of necromancy were linked by many common threads, there is no evidence that these necromancers ever organized as a group. One noted commonality among practitioners of necromancy was usually the utilization of certain toxic and hallucinogenic plants from the nightshade family such as black henbane , jimson weed , belladonna or mandrake , usually in magic salves or potions. Medieval necromancy

2670-530: The Christian clergy, though some nonclerical practitioners are recorded. In some instances, mere apprentices or those ordained to lower orders dabbled in the practice. They were connected by a belief in the manipulation of spiritual beings – especially demons – and magical practices. These practitioners were almost always literate and well educated. Most possessed basic knowledge of exorcism and had access to texts of astrology and of demonology . Clerical training

2759-792: The General Resurrection they may rise facing, and ready to minister to, their people. In an Islamic funeral , the grave should be aligned perpendicular to the Qibla (the direction to the Kaaba in Mecca ) with the face turned to the right along the Qibla. For humans, maintaining an upside-down position, with the head vertically below the feet, is highly uncomfortable for any extended period of time, and consequently burial in that attitude (as opposed to attitudes of rest or watchfulness, as above)

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2848-501: The LORD, and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee ( KJV ). Though Mosaic Law prescribed the death penalty to practitioners of necromancy ( Leviticus 20:27 ), this warning was not always heeded. One of the foremost examples is when King Saul had the Witch of Endor invoke the spirit of Samuel , a judge and prophet , from Sheol to divine

2937-529: The Middle Ages was called sorcery, shades into modern spiritualistic practice. There is no doubt, however, that necromancy is the touch-stone of occultism, for if, after careful preparation the adept can carry through to a successful issue, the raising of the soul from the other world, he has proved the value of his art. The archvillain in J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings fantasy, Sauron, first reappears in

3026-458: The Prophet, "Why hast thou disquieted me?" Saul died the next day in combat, with Chronicles 10:13 implying this was due to the prohibition against necromancy. Many medieval writers believed that actual resurrection required the assistance of God. They saw the practice of necromancy as conjuring demons who took the appearance of spirits. The practice became known explicitly as maleficium , and

3115-530: The U.S. Green burials are developing in Canada (Victoria, BC, and Cobourg, Ontario), as well as in Australia and Ireland. The increase in popularity of alternative burials can be seen as a direct choice of the individual's want to distance themselves from religious practices and spiritual locations as well as an opportunity to exercise their act of choice. The desire to live through nature as well as concern for

3204-470: The UK but is now becoming a more popular method of burial. The definition of natural burial grounds suggests that people are being buried without any kind of formaldehyde-based embalming fluid or synthetic ingredients, and that the bodies that are being returned to the earth will also be returning nutrients to the environment, in a way that is less expensive than other available burial methods. Not only are tree pods

3293-441: The assistance of others. The Odyssey ' s passages contain many descriptive references to necromantic rituals: rites must be performed around a pit with fire during nocturnal hours, and Odysseus has to follow a specific recipe, which includes the blood of sacrificial animals, to concoct a libation for the ghosts to drink while he recites prayers to both the ghosts and gods of the underworld. Practices such as these, varying from

3382-532: The authors of the Manual knowingly designed the book to be in discord with ecclesiastical law . The main recipe employed throughout the Manual used the same religious language and names of power alongside demonic names. An understanding of the names of God derived from apocryphal texts and the Hebrew Torah required that the author of such rites have at least a casual familiarity with these sources. Within

3471-400: The body in a flexed position with the legs bent or crouched with the legs folded up to the chest. Warriors in some ancient societies were buried in an upright position. In Islam , the body is placed in supine position , hands along the sides and the head is turned to its right with the face towards the Qibla . Many cultures treat placement of dead people in an appropriate position to be

3560-463: The body was borne to the grave, sprinkled with holy water and buried in consecrated ground . It must be laid head up with its feet to the east, for it was from this direction that Christ would return, from New Jerusalem, at the Apocalypse, when the worthy dead would be resurrected. [...] If burial rituals went awry, one's immortal soul was jeopardised. [...] Personal salvation – breaking free from

3649-551: The call of Gabriel 's trumpet. Gabriel's trumpet would be blown near the Eastern sunrise. In the Baháʼí Faith , burial law prescribes both the location of burial and burial practices and precludes cremation of the dead. It is forbidden to carry the body for more than one hour's journey from the place of death. Before interment the body should be wrapped in a shroud of silk or cotton, and a ring should be placed on its finger bearing

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3738-413: The chemical and water solution and is then lightly circulated. After a couple of hours, the body is worn down and bone is the only thing that remains. The bones are then pressed down into a powder and returned to the associated family. The outcome is comparable to cremation, but results in an environmentally friendly process that does not release chemical emissions and greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, as

3827-500: The coming of the Messiah . Historically, Christian burials followed similar principles, where the body was placed east–west, to mirror the layout of Christian churches , which were themselves oriented as such for much the same reason; to view the coming of Christ on Judgment day ( Eschaton ). In many Christian traditions, ordained clergy are traditionally buried in the opposite orientation, and their coffins carried likewise, so that at

3916-529: The corporeal prison and ascending to a spiritual sphere unencumbered by materiality – is the logical culmination of the myth of humanity's supposed dominion over nature. [...]. After death, a body will decay. Burial is not necessarily a public health requirement. Contrary to conventional wisdom, the World Health Organization advises that only corpses carrying an infectious disease strictly require burial. Human burial practices are

4005-430: The corpse. An additional benefit of using containers to hold the body is that if the soil covering the corpse is washed away by a flood or some other natural process then the corpse will still not be exposed to open air. The body may be dressed in fancy and/or ceremonial clothes. Personal objects of the deceased, such as a favorite piece of jewelry or photograph, may be included with the body. This practice, also known as

4094-536: The dead body while others feed the body to vultures and birds or burned the bodies. Body parts cut during the procedure are sometimes buried separately. In the African-American slave community, slaves quickly familiarized themselves with funeral procedures and the location of gravesites of family and friends. Specific slaves were assigned to prepare dead bodies, build coffins, dig graves, and construct headstones. Slave funerals were typically at night when

4183-518: The dead close to provide guidance to the living, while others "banish" them by locating burial grounds at a distance from inhabited areas. Some religions consecrate special ground to bury the dead, and some families build private family cemeteries . Most modern cultures document the location of graves with headstones , which may be inscribed with information and tributes to the deceased. However, some people are buried in anonymous or secret graves for various reasons. Sometimes multiple bodies are buried in

4272-606: The dead", as the foremost practitioners of divination among the people of Persia , and it is believed to have also been widespread among the peoples of Chaldea (particularly the Hermeticists , or "star-worshipers") and Babylonia. The Babylonian necromancers were called manzazuu or sha'etemmu , and the spirits they raised were called etemmu . Traditional Chinese folk religion involves necromancy in seeking blessing from dead ancestors through ritual displays of filial piety . The oldest literary account of necromancy

4361-449: The dead. It has been used to prevent the odor of decay, to give family members closure and prevent them from witnessing the decomposition of their loved ones, and in many cultures it has been seen as a necessary step for the deceased to enter the afterlife or to give back to the cycle of life. Methods of burial may be heavily ritualized and can include natural burial (sometimes called "green burial"); embalming or mummification ; and

4450-501: The decay process. Bodies are often buried wrapped in a shroud or placed in a coffin (or in some cases, a casket ). A larger container may be used, such as a ship . In the U.S., coffins are usually covered by a grave liner or a burial vault , which prevents the coffin from collapsing under the weight of the earth or floating away during a flood. These containers slow the decomposition process by (partially) physically blocking decomposing bacteria and other organisms from accessing

4539-462: The dynasty. The burial of bodies in the extended position, i.e., lying flat with arms and legs straight, or with the arms folded upon the chest, and with the eyes and mouth closed. Extended burials may be supine (lying on the back) or prone (lying on the front). However, in some cultures, being buried face down shows marked disrespect like in the case of the Sioux. Other ritual practices place

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4628-763: The earliest detectable forms of religious practice since, as Philip Lieberman suggests, it may signify a "concern for the dead that transcends daily life ". Evidence points to the Neanderthals as the first human species known to practice burial behavior and to intentionally bury their dead; they did so using shallow graves furnished with stone tools and animal bones. Exemplary sites include Shanidar in Iraq, Kebara Cave in Israel and Krapina in Croatia. Some scholars, however, argue that such "buried" bodies may have been disposed of for secular reasons. Though there

4717-406: The earth (which they conceive to be flat) will turn upside down, and by this means they shall, at their resurrection, be found ready standing on their feet. The learnèd among them confess the absurdity of this doctrine; but the practice still continues, in compliance to the vulgar. Swift's notion of inverted burial might seem the highest flight of fancy, but it appears that among English millenarians

4806-494: The earth to decompose naturally in soil, and in some cases even protect native and endangered wildlife. Natural burial became popularized in the UK in the early 1990s by Ken West, a professional cremator operator for the city of Carlisle , responding to the U.K's call for changes in government that aligned with the United Nations' Environmental Program Local Agenda 21 . In addition, there are multiple green burial sites in

4895-434: The eco-friendly reefs are placed into the ocean among other coral reefs where they help to repair damage to the reefs while also providing new habitats for fish and other sea communities. It has become a new way to memorialize the passing person while also protecting the marine environment. The high cost of the memorial reefs has caused this alternative form of burial to remain minimal and uncommon. This kind of natural burial

4984-446: The environment have been the backbone of the green burial movement. The use of coffins made from alternative materials such as wicker and biodegradable materials as well as trees and other flora are being used in place of headstones . Both practices provide sustainable alternatives to traditional burial practices. Natural burials have been attracting people for reasons outside of environmental and sustainability factors as well. With

5073-694: The environs of Middle Earth as 'the Necromancer of Dol Guldur ' in Tolkien's standalone prologue to the trilogy The Hobbit . In fictional settings such as Dungeons & Dragons , or fantasy video games, necromancy is associated with the reanimation of corpses often meant to be used as weapons. This tradition appears to combine associations of conjuring the dead from European and Mediterranean traditions with elements involving Zombies that seem to derive from Caribbean folklore and practice. Burial Burial , also known as interment or inhumation ,

5162-463: The expansion of urban centres, ecological corridors gradually disappear. Cemeteries for burial plots preclude alternative uses of the land for a long time. By combining these two aspects (need for connectivity and land take imposed by cemeteries), two positive results can be achieved: protecting memories of the past and connecting ecosystems with multiple-use corridors. Green burials appeal to people for economic reasons. Traditional burial practices can be

5251-410: The family, still being cared for by family members. Northern Territory Australian Aboriginals have unique traditions associated with a loved one's death. The death of a loved one sparks a series of events such as smoking out the spirit, a feast, and leaving out the body to decompose. Immediately after death, a smoking ceremony is held in the deceased's home. The smoking ceremonies purpose is to expel

5340-550: The highest point of the coffin, unless the burial authority consider the soil to be suitable for a depth of only two feet. The earliest known reference to a requirement for a six-foot burial occurred in 1665 during the Great Plague of London . John Lawrence , the Lord Mayor of London , ordered that the bodies of plague victims "...shall be at least six foot deep." The city officials apparently believed this would inhibit

5429-406: The idea that the world would be "turned upside down" at the Apocalypse enjoyed some currency. There is at least one attested case of a person being buried upside down by instruction; a Major Peter Labilliere of Dorking (d. 4 June 1800) lies thus upon the summit of Box Hill . Similar stories have attached themselves to other noted eccentrics, particularly in southern England, but not always with

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5518-473: The impact traditional burial approaches have on the environment. It is an eco-friendly process which consists of dressing the cadaver in a bodysuit with mushroom spores woven into it, nicknamed the Infinity Burial Suit. Rhim developed her own mushrooms by feeding them her hair, skin, and nails to create a mushroom variety that will best decompose human remains. As the mushrooms grow, they consume

5607-594: The inclusion of grave goods , serves several purposes: Burials may be placed in a number of different positions. Bodies with the arms crossed date back to ancient cultures such as Chaldea in the 10th century BC, where the "X" symbolized their sky god. Later ancient Egyptian gods and royalty, from approximately 3500 B.C. are shown with crossed arms, such as the god Osiris, the Lord of the Dead , or mummified royalty with crossed arms in high and low body positions, depending upon

5696-440: The land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do according to the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you any one who maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or who useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all who do these things are an abomination unto

5785-526: The manifestation of the human desire to demonstrate "respect for the dead". Cultures vary in their mode of respect. Some reasons follow: In many cultures , human corpses were usually buried in soil. The roots of burial as a practice reach back into the Middle Palaeolithic and coincide with the appearance of Homo neanderthalensis and Homo sapiens , in Europe and Africa respectively. As

5874-474: The mundane to the grotesque, were commonly associated with necromancy. Rituals could be quite elaborate, involving magic circles , wands , talismans , and incantations . The necromancer might also surround himself with morbid aspects of death, which often included wearing the deceased's clothing and consuming foods that symbolized lifelessness and decay such as unleavened black bread and unfermented grape juice. Some necromancers even went so far as to take part in

5963-445: The mutilation and consumption of corpses. These ceremonies could carry on for hours, days, or even weeks, leading up to the eventual summoning of spirits. Frequently they were performed in places of interment or other melancholy venues that suited specific guidelines of the necromancer. Additionally, necromancers preferred to summon the recently departed based on the premise that their revelations were spoken more clearly. This timeframe

6052-400: The necessary resources to hold a funeral. The Tongkonan represents both the identity of the family and the process of birth and death. The process of birth and death is shown by having the houses that individuals are born in be the same structure as the Tongkonan, houses that individuals die in. Up until the funeral the deceased being housed in the Tongkonan are symbolically treated as members of

6141-453: The norm in India and mandatory in big metropolitan areas of Japan ). Some burial practices are heavily ritualized ; others are simply practical. It is a common misconception that graves must be dug to a depth of six feet (1.8 metres). This is reflected in the common euphemism for death of six feet under . In fact, graves are rarely dug to this depth except when it is intended to later bury

6230-408: The outcome of a coming battle ( 1 Samuel 28:3–25 ). However, the so-called witch was shocked at the presence of a familiar spirit in the image of Samuel for in I Sam 28:7 states "Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor" and in I Sam 28:12 says, "when the woman saw Samuel, she cried out in a loud voice", and the familiar spirit questioned his reawakening, asking as if he were Samuel

6319-442: The planet. The Green Burial Council certifies natural and conservation burial grounds in the U.S. and Canada. The memorial reef is a natural, alternative approach to burial. The cremated remains of a person are mixed in with concrete and then placed into a mold to make the memorial reef or eternal reef. After the concrete sets, family members are allowed to customize the reef with writing, hand prints and chalk drawings. After this,

6408-620: The regions of Romania , Hungary , the Czech Republic , Slovakia , Switzerland , Austria , Germany , the Low Countries , France , and South-eastern England . Medieval European Christianity sometimes developed complex burial rituals and attached great importance to their correct performance: the fate of the soul of the deceased might depend on observing the proper ceremonial. For example: If you were to make it to heaven [...] you had to be interred correctly, for burial

6497-412: The remains within the suit as well as the toxins that are being released by the body. Rhim and her colleagues created this suit as a symbol of a new way for people to think about the relationship between their body after death and the environment. Another method of natural burial is being developed to plant the human body in fetal position inside an egg shaped pod. The pod containing the body will form

6586-419: The reopening of graves and manipulation of the corpses or artifacts contained within them was a widespread phenomenon and a common part of the life course of early medieval cemeteries across Western and Central Europe . The reopening of furnished or recent burials occurred especially from the 5th to the 8th centuries CE over the broad zone of European row-grave-style furnished inhumation burial, which comprised

6675-495: The spirit of the deceased from their living quarters. A feast is held where mourners are covered in ochre , an earthy pigment associated with clay, while they eat and dance. The traditional corpse disposal of the Aboriginals includes covering the corpse in leaves on a platform. The corpse is then left to decompose. Graves are free if the owner is poor, some ancient people ancient Iranians burial  [ fa ] colored

6764-410: The spread of the disease, not realising that the true vector was fleas living on rats in the streets. In the event, there were so many victims that very few were buried in individual graves. Most were placed in massive plague pits so it is unlikely that this event alone gave rise to the "six feet" tradition. Natural burial —also called "green burial" —is the process by which a body is returned to

6853-502: The tales related in occult manuals are found connections with stories from other cultures' literary traditions. For instance, the ceremony for conjuring a horse closely relates to the Arabic One Thousand and One Nights and French romances ; Chaucer's The Squire's Tale also bears marked similarities. This becomes a parallel evolution of spells to foreign gods or demons that were once acceptable, and frames them into

6942-474: The top of the coffin, but more commonly 30 to 36 inches are required in other places. In some areas, such as central Appalachia , graves were indeed once dug to a depth of six feet to prevent the body being disturbed by burrowing animals. However, this was unnecessary once metal caskets and concrete vaults started to be used. In the United Kingdom, soil is required to be to a depth of three feet above

7031-602: The tradition of Omari and Maadi cultures. Archeologists refer to unmarked prehistoric cemeteries using the neutral term " grave field ". Grave fields are one of the chief sources of information on prehistoric cultures, and numerous archaeological cultures are labelled and defined by their burial customs, such as the Urnfield culture of the European Bronze Age . During the Early Middle Ages ,

7120-492: The upper classes. With this change, the practice of cremation became viewed more as an alternative to traditional burials. Cremation was first introduced by Buddhism , but was banned in 1470. It was not until the Japanese colonization period that cremation was reintroduced in 1945 and later lifted the ban. It took until 1998 for cremation to rapidly grow in popularity. A TED Talk by Kelli Swazey discusses how Tana Toraja ,

7209-537: The use of containers for the dead, such as shrouds , coffins , grave liners , and burial vaults , all of which can slow decomposition of the body. Sometimes objects or grave goods are buried with the body, which may be dressed in fancy or ceremonial garb. Depending on the culture, the manner in which the body is positioned may have great significance. The location of the burial may be determined by taking into account concerns surrounding health and sanitation, religious concerns, and cultural practices. Some cultures keep

7298-467: The wake of inconsistencies of judgment, necromancers and other practitioners of the magic arts were able to utilize spells featuring holy names with impunity, as any biblical references in such rituals could be construed as prayers rather than spells . As a consequence, the necromancy that appears in the Munich Manual is an evolution of these theoretical understandings. It has been suggested that

7387-413: The workday was over, with the master present to view all the ceremonial procedures. Slaves from nearby plantations were regularly in attendance. At death, a slave's body was wrapped in cloth. The hands were placed across the chest, and a metal plate was placed on top of their hands. The reasoning for the plate was to hinder their return home by suppressing any spirits in the coffin. Often, personal property

7476-499: Was buried with slaves to appease spirits. The coffins were nailed shut once the body was inside, and carried by hand or wagon, depending on the property designated for slave burial site. Slaves were buried oriented East to West, with feet at the Eastern end (head at the Western end, thus raising facing East). According to Christian doctrine, this orientation permitted rising to face the return of Christ without having to turn around upon

7565-647: Was confirmed after a review by the Health Council of the Netherlands. After this process, the water used goes to a regular water treatment facility where it is filtered and cleaned and returned to the water cycle. At this time, resomation is permitted for commercial use in areas throughout the U.S. However, several other countries, including the UK are considering using this technology within their medical schools and universities. Mushroom burial has been developed by Jae Rhim Lee and her colleagues to address

7654-668: Was informal and university-based education rare. Most were trained under apprenticeships and were expected to have a basic knowledge of Latin, ritual and doctrine. This education was not always linked to spiritual guidance and seminaries were almost non-existent. This situation allowed some aspiring clerics to combine Christian rites with occult practices despite its condemnation in Christian doctrine. Medieval practitioners believed they could accomplish three things with necromancy: will manipulation, illusions, and knowledge: The act of performing medieval necromancy usually involved magic circles, conjurations, and sacrifices such as those shown in

7743-570: Was related to – and most likely evolved from –forms of shamanism or prehistoric ritual magic that calls upon spirits such as the ghosts of deceased forebears. Classical necromancers addressed the dead in "a mixture of high-pitch squeaking and low droning", comparable to the trance-state mutterings of shamans. Necromancy was prevalent throughout antiquity with records of its practice in ancient Egypt , Babylonia , Greece , ancient Etruria , Rome , and China . In his Geographica , Strabo refers to νεκρομαντία ( nekromantia ), or "diviners by

7832-490: Was the passage out of this world. The body had to be shrouded in the expectation that it would be reborn into eternal life . Then, on the eve of burial, the corpse had to be taken to church on a torch-lit bier and placed in the darkness of the nave, then laid in front of the high altar, surrounded by candles. The next day, in front of the whole community, a requiem mass was to be sung and the paschal candle lit [...]. Following this, there were prayers, hymns, special masses, and

7921-499: Was usually limited to the twelve months following the death of the physical body; once this period elapsed, necromancers would evoke the deceased's ghostly spirit instead. While some cultures considered the knowledge of the dead to be unlimited, ancient Greeks and Romans believed that individual shades knew only certain things. The apparent value of their counsel may have been based on things they knew in life or knowledge they acquired after death. Ovid writes in his Metamorphoses of

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