________________________________________________________________________ Taken from the 1960 reprint of AN ENCLYCLOPAEDIA OF OCCULTISM by Lewis Spence, University Books, Hyde Park, New York. First published in 1920, it is considered to be one of the best sources on the subject. Submitted by Alan Wright, Atlanta Ga., Illumi-Net 404-xxx-xxxx ________________________________________________________________________ Continued fron file NECRO1.TXT The last two examples are, of course, those of "white" necromancy. The procedure followed by savage tribes as of course totally different. Among certain Australian tribes the necromants are called Birraark. It is said that a Birraark was supposed to be initiated by the "mrarts" (ghosts) when they met him wandering in the bush. It was from the ghosts that he obtained replies to questions concerning events passing t a distance, or yet to happen, which might be of interest or moment to his tribe. An account of a spiritual seance in the bush is given in "Kamilaroi and Kurnai" (p. 251): The fires were let down; the Birraark uttered the cry "Coo-ee" at intervals. At length a distant reply was heard, and shortly afterwards, the sound as of persons jumping on the ground in succession. A voice was then heard in the gloom asking in a strange intonation "What is wanted?" At the termination of the seance, the spirit voice said "We are going." Finally, the Birraark was found in the top of an almost inaccessible tree, apparently asleep. In Japan, ghosts can be raised in various ways. One mode is to "put into an andon" (a paper lantern in a flame), "a hundred rushlights, and repeat an incantation of a hundred lines. One of these rushlights is taken out at the end of each line, and the would-be ghost-seer then goes out in the dark with one light still burning, and blows it out, when their ghost ought to appear. Girls who have lost their lovers by death often try that sorcery." The mode of procedure as practiced in Scotland was thus. The haunted room was made ready. He , "who was to do the daring deed, about nightfall entered the room, bearing with him a table, a chair, a candle, a compass, a crucifix, if one could be got, and a Bible. With the compass he cat a circle on the middle of the floor, large enough to hold the chair and the table. He placed within the circle the chair and the table, and on the table he laid the Bible and the crucifix beside the lighted candle. If he had not a crucifix, then he drew the figure of a cross in the floor within the circle. When all this was done, he rested himself on the chair, opened the Bible, and waited for the coming of the spirit. Exactly at midnight the spirit came. Sometimes the door opened slowly, and there glided in noiselessly a lady sheeted in white, with a face of woe and told her story to the man on his asking her in the name of God what she wanted. What she wanted was done in the morning, and the spirit rested ever after. Sometimes the spirit rose from the floor, and sometimes came forth from the wall. There was one who burst into the room with a strong bound, danced wildly round the circle, and flourished a long whip round the man's head, but never dared to step into the circle. During a pause in his frantic dance he was asked, in God`s name, what he wanted. He ceased his dance and told his wishes. His wishes were carried out, and the spirit was in peace." In Wraxall`s "Memoirs of the Counts of Berlin, Dresden, Warsaw, and Vienna" there is an amusing account of the raising of the ghost of Chevalier de Saxe. Reports had been circulated that at his palace at Dresden there was secreted a large sum of money, and it was urged that if his spirit could be compelled to appear, interesting secrets could be extorted from him. Curiosity, combined with avarice, accordingly prompted his principal heir, Prince Charles, to try the experiment, and, on the appointed night, Schrepfer was the operator in raising the apparition. He commenced his proceedings by retiring into the corner of the gallery, where kneeling down with many mysterious ceremonies, he invoked the spirit to appear. At lengh, a loud clatter was heard at all the windows on the outside, resembling more the effect produced by a number of wet fingers drawn over the edge of glasses than anything else to which it could well be compared. The sound announced the arrival of the good spirits, and was shortly followed by a yell of a frightful and unusual nature. Schrepfer continued his invocations, when "the door suddenly opened with violence and something resembling a black ball or globe rolled into the room. It was enveloped in smoke or cloud, in the midst of which appeared a human face, like the countenance of the Chevalier de Saxe, from which issued a loud and angry voice, exclaiming in German,"Carl, was wollte du mit mich?" - "Charles, what would thou do with me?" By reiterated exorcisms Schrepfer finally dismissed the apparition, and the terrified spectators dispersed fully convinced of his magical powers. - end -