Necromancy, derived from the Greek nekros (corpse) and manteia (prophecy), is traditionally defined as the art of communicating with the deceased to gain hidden knowledge or foretell the future. While often dismissed as a "black art" associated with malevolent sorcery, modern practitioners and historians describe it more broadly as a spiritual practice involving ancestor veneration, graveyard work, and the building of collaborative relationships with the "local dead". Foundational Concepts
: The original purpose of necromancy was "sciomancy"—summoning shades to answer questions about the future. Necromancy
: Modern folk necromancy focuses on "trafficking" with spirits through ritual offerings, incense (suffumigation), and specific ritual speech or vocalizations. Necromancy, derived from the Greek nekros (corpse) and