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Necromancy is the most dangerous of all magical practices. Even in the days of the Old Religion, such sorcery was viewed with the utmost suspicion.
Gaius to Merlin[src]

Necromancy is primarily used to bring the dead back to life. It is one of the darkest forms of magic and is considered the most dangerous of all magical practices.

According to Gaius, even in the days of the Old Religion such sorcery was viewed with the utmost suspicion. This claim may be ironic, as the manipulation of life and death was the main principle of the Old Religion.

History

Morgause14

Morgause prepares to summon Ygraine from the Spirit World.

Nimueh, a High Priestess of the Old Religion, used necromancy to conjure Tristan de Bois from the dead as a wraith (Excalibur).

When Arthur was bitten by the Questing Beast, Nimueh used the power over life and death to cure him. She agreed to take Merlin's life as payment, but struck his mother with a deadly illness instead, leading Gaius to trade his life for hers in Merlin's place. Merlin later mastered the power over life and death and revived Gaius by exchanging Nimueh's life for his (Le Morte d'Arthur).

The legendary sorcerer Cornelius Sigan gained immortality by sealing his soul inside an enchanted jewel (The Curse of Cornelius Sigan).

The High Priestess Morgause summoned the spirit of Arthur's mother Ygraine to tell him the truth about his birth (The Sins of the Father).

Morgause used necromancy to awaken the Knights of Medhir (The Fires of Idirsholas).

During the Great Battle for Camelot, Morgana used the Rowan Staff to summon an army of undead skeletons from the tombs beneath the citadel (The Tears of Uther Pendragon).

After they gained possession of the Cup of Life, Morgause and Morgana used its power to create an immortal army and conquer Camelot, forcing Merlin, Arthur, and their allies to go into hiding. Merlin took the Avalon Vial with him when he escaped and later discovered that he could contact Freya's spirit through its waters. With her help, he retrieved Excalibur from the Lake of Avalon and used it to destroy the immortal army (The Coming of Arthur).

In the time of the Old Religion, the High Priestesses would gather on the Isle of the Blessed at Samhain's Eve (when the veil between the worlds was at its thinnest) and perform a blood sacrifice to release the Dorocha. Many years later, Morgana revived this tradition in order to exact revenge on her enemies (The Darkest Hour).

Morgana used an enchanted coin to summon Lancelot from the dead as a Shade. Though initially thrilled to have Lancelot back, Merlin soon grew suspicious of his odd behavior and used a pentacle to expose his true form. He later freed Lancelot from Morgana's influence and laid his soul to rest (Lancelot du Lac).

Nemeton 4

Arthur uses the Horn of Cathbhadh.

In the time of the Old Religion, the High Priestesses would meet at the Great Stones of Nemeton on Beltane and use the Horn of Cathbhadh to invoke the spirits of their ancestors.

Many years later, Arthur journeyed to the Stones and used the Horn to summon Uther's spirit, accidentally releasing him into the living world (The Death Song of Uther Pendragon).

Known Spells

  • Used by Morgause to summon Ygraine from the Spirit World. This spell doesn't last for long, and once the doorway is closed, it is closed forever (The Sins of the Father):
    • "Arise mid min miclan mihte þín suna to helpe. Hider eft funde on þisse ne middangeard þín suna wæs."
  • Used by Morgause to summon the Knights of Medhir (The Fires of Idirsholas):
    • "Cnihtas Medhires, éower sáwla sind min sáwol. Onwic and cóm hér eft. Rid eft ond forsliehð eft. Gehðu, Uther Pendragon."

Undead Creatures

Creature Description Photo
Wraith The spirit of a dead man conjured from the grave.
TristanUnmasked
Spirit Ghostly apparitions of the dead.
Uther in the light image 5x03
Knights of Medhir Seven former knights seduced by a sorceress's call.
MerlinS2Ep12Knights-300x160
Undead Skeletons An army of undead skeletons animated by the Rowan Staff.
2239
Immortal Army An army of the undead made immortal by the Cup of Life.
Merlin312 1586cup-0
Shade A tormented soul summoned from its rest.
310-Evangeline

Appearances

Series 1
Excalibur
Le Morte d'Arthur
Series 2
The Curse of Cornelius Sigan
The Sins of the Father
The Fires of Idirsholas
Series 3
The Tears of Uther Pendragon: Part Two
The Coming of Arthur
Series 4
The Darkest Hour
Lancelot du Lac
Series 5
The Death Song of Uther Pendragon

Trivia

  • Necromancy appears to be an area of great importance to High Priestesses. It was a cornerstone of many of their traditions and Nimueh, Morgause, and Morgana have all practiced it on at least one occasion.

Gallery

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To view the Necromancy gallery, click here.


See Also

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