Looking for the proper name for black magic power derived from killing

[themightyxloph]

So I've recklessly decided to try my hand as swords & sorcery. Great fun so far. But now I've hit a small technical snag.

Ages ago, I read Larry Niven's "The Magic Goes Away" in which he describes:

"Necromancy. Magical power derived from death, from murder."

So that's the term I'd been working with as well: necromancy.

Unfortunately Niven was wrong in his use of the term. In actual fact, necromancy is the practice of magic involving communication with the dead – either by summoning their spirits as apparitions, visions or raising them bodily. (Wikipedia).

Game of Thrones wasn't much better: here the practice of deriving black magical powers from killing (a horse in this case) is called blood magic. This is a little more accurate, but blood magic involves the ritual spilling of blood rather than a requirement for death or murder.

Because I'd like to get my terms right: what is the proper name for the type of black magic that derives its power from killing?

PS: Fear not: the story I'm working on involves nothing gruesome. It revolves around sex magic; not black magic of any sort, least of all death. But it is set in a world where such a thing exists, and I'm using as the obligatory baddy that the protagonist has to oppose. I'm all too well aware of Lit's rules against "snuff" type stories.

Suggestions, anyone?

 

[SisterJezabel]

So I've recklessly decided to try my hand as swords & sorcery. Great fun so far. But now I've hit a small technical snag.

Ages ago, I read Larry Niven's "The Magic Goes Away" in which he describes:

"Necromancy. Magical power derived from death, from murder."

So that's the term I'd been working with as well: necromancy.

Unfortunately Niven was wrong in his use of the term. In actual fact, necromancy is the practice of magic involving communication with the dead – either by summoning their spirits as apparitions, visions or raising them bodily. (Wikipedia).

Game of Thrones wasn't much better: here the practice of deriving black magical powers from killing (a horse in this case) is called blood magic. This is a little more accurate, but blood magic involves the ritual spilling of blood rather than a requirement for death or murder.

Because I'd like to get my terms right: what is the proper name for the type of black magic that derives its power from killing?

PS: Fear not: the story I'm working on involves nothing gruesome. It revolves around sex magic; not black magic of any sort, least of all death. But it is set in a world where such a thing exists, and I'm using as the obligatory baddy that the protagonist has to oppose. I'm all too well aware of Lit's rules against "snuff" type stories.

Suggestions, anyone?

I'd trust Niven over Wikipedia! Use terms that work for you. Get clever and create new terms that work for your story. Usually naming something is not as important as describing how it affects things.

 

[MColton84]

It's your world. Call it what you want. Personally, instead of finding the best existing term for your magic, I would just create my own word for it.

For example Dàk-Lejeir = Magic derived from the collection and manipulation of restless spirits. Translated from the old tongue it means Ghost slavery.

I just made that up. Sure there is probably a name for it but in your world they call it something different. Just an idea.

 

[AlinaX]

Cidamancy

 

[Lori_the_Hoosier]

I'd always used the term 'sorcery' (as opposed to witchcraft or wizardry) to describe or define magic (sic.) used to wreak harm on another (I also love that Terry Pratchett described the Necromancy department of Unseen University as 'The Department of Post-Mortem Communication...').

My husband had an extended back and forth with another author here about the various rules and pitfalls possibly involved with magic workings and the use and misuse of magical influence. I don't know if it will help you, but these are the 'rules', based largely on the works of 1940's and 50's fantasy writers like Lin Carter, Fletcher Pratt, and L. Sprague de Camp, that he and his correspondent worked out and largely agreed on for the purposes of the stories they were both writing:

The Law of Contagion: Objects once in contact continue to interact at a distance, and can be used to wield undue influence; this is why it's always a good idea to destroy nail clippings and cut hair in fire, and to only spit in running water

The Law of Similarity: Objects that generally look alike will have similar attributes, or can assume them one from another i.e. a wheel from a child's toy can be magically changed to a chariot or wagon wheel, or a round shield as they all share the same characteristics, just differing in scale

The Doctrine of Signatures: Plants which look like human body-parts exert a healing or inimical influence on the human part they resemble, and plants like mandrake can be used as a substitute in human sacrifice or enchantment, because the root resembles a human figure

The Law of Manifestation: This law states that anything you focus on with sufficient intensity can be made to manifest in your life, but beware also the Law of Equivalent Exchange (see below)

The Law of Triples ('Reciprocity'): This law states that whatever you do by magic, whether good or evil, will be repaid threefold; this is why magical workings should be approached reluctantly, and great restraint exercised

The Law of Consent: This is where a working causes no harm if the subject willingly submits; where no consent is given, dark enchantment ensues, see below for the havoc this can wreak on the practitioner

The Law of Sympathy: Like Attracts Like, or The Image Is The Thing; the image or facsimile can substitute for the real, this is how mommets and voodoo dolls work

The Law of Equivalent Exchange: Magic Comes With A Price e.g. 'The monkey's paw'

The Law of Balance: In the end, all things balance out e.g. if magic brings a person back to life, it must remove life from someone else, else the balance is destroyed

The Law of Direction: Magic, especially a dark working, must go somewhere; if you don't know where it's pointed, then it's pointed at you; death spells, in particular, must be completely right, or they're completely wrong and will backlash on you, so a way of safely 'earthing' the caster to deflect any rebounding spells must be devised

The Law of Harmony: This law recognizes that magic is neither black nor pure white, it is intent and execution that determines the tinge of magic; it also enables you to manipulate and influence all around you, physical and non-physical, because you have come to accept that you and your deeds and needs are part of a greater one-ness

The Law of Correspondence: This law permits you to create in your external world what you have already visualised in your internal universe (again, be cautious of the Law of Equivalent Exchange

The Law of Polarity - This law recognizes that for every magical form, there is an equal and opposite form which enables you to counteract any external influences directed against you by using the exact opposite of the attack to neutralize it

The Law of Compulsion; This law enables enchantment in its darkest form, as the compulsion will usually be set against the victim's will, and so it will eat away at the victim, and is a self-perpetuating danger to the one casting the enchantment; the weaker and more vulnerable the victim becomes, the stronger and more wilful the enchantment waxes

The Law of Reversal: This law states that changes made by magic are not and cannot be permanent; the world will undo them; this is why curses can be undone, and faerie gold melts away

Geas - A geas is a compulsion placed around one to be protected, deflecting inimical influences away from the protected one without acting on them at all

 

[Bramblethorn]

I'd always used the term 'sorcery' (as opposed to witchcraft or wizardry) to describe or define magic (sic.) used to wreak harm on another (I also love that Terry Pratchett described the Necromancy department of Unseen University as 'The Department of Post-Mortem Communication...').

My husband had an extended back and forth with another author here about the various rules and pitfalls possibly involved with magic workings and the use and misuse of magical influence. I don't know if it will help you, but these are the 'rules', based largely on the works of 1940's and 50's fantasy writers like Lin Carter, Fletcher Pratt, and L. Sprague de Camp, that he and his correspondent worked out and largely agreed on for the purposes of the stories they were both writing:

One of the most influential works in this area is Frazer's 1889 book The Golden Bough, a kind of anthropology of magical beliefs around the world which laid out several of the laws Lori mentions. (TGB has been criticised as an anthropological work by more recent authors, but that's done nothing to undermine its influence on fantasy fiction.)

 

[Bramblethorn]

Because I'd like to get my terms right: what is the proper name for the type of black magic that derives its power from killing?

PS: Fear not: the story I'm working on involves nothing gruesome. It revolves around sex magic; not black magic of any sort, least of all death. But it is set in a world where such a thing exists, and I'm using as the obligatory baddy that the protagonist has to oppose. I'm all too well aware of Lit's rules against "snuff" type stories.

Suggestions, anyone?

I'm not aware of a standard term. "Death magic" would probably work as a generic term, but if you are working within a particular magical framework that might suggest something more specific (e.g. name it after the god who sponsors it, yada yada).

 

[jaF0]

Since it's all make believe, can't you just make up your own term? Sort of along the lines of post 7.

 

[SimonDoom]

If it's sword and sorcery stuff you are going to be world-building anyway, so I agree with those who say come up with your own term. You can have fun creating the background for it.

 

[TarnishedPenny]

Agreed with the above. You are writing fiction and can invent as needed.

Even assuming that there is a 'proper' term for magic powered by death, your magician might be using a different school of death-powered magic - judo vs karate vs kung fu.

 

[jaF0]

In 'Buck Rogers in the 25th Century', they used a variation of the vampire called a Vorvon that preyed on the living to overtake their wills.

In 'Babylon 5', there was a species known as the Soul Hunters - 'an immortal race who can sense death and supposedly steal someone's soul.'

You may be able to build on one of those types of themes.

 

[Rustyoznail]

Agreed with the above. You are writing fiction and can invent as needed.

Even assuming that there is a 'proper' term for magic powered by death, your magician might be using a different school of death-powered magic - judo vs karate vs kung fu.

I think the martial arts analogy is a good one. The word used would be different around the world, and in different magic styles.

 

[JaxRhapsody]

I can't recall any specific study. There is necromancy, voodoo, hoodoo to a degree... parts of other crafts that reach or dabble in that direction.

 

[UtherVierDragon]

So the first part will be a lesson in ancient Greek from a person who does not speak it. Forgive me.

Necromancy has two morphemes necro- and -mancy.

Necro- comes from the Greek nekrós and means something like dead person or corpse. Hence 'death' magic

-mancy comes from the Greek manteia (probably via the Latin -mantīa) and means something like divination or soothsaying. That is likely why wikipedia stresses the 'communicating with the dead' aspect of it - it is the literal meaning. (Also the bible may or may not use it with this meaning). However, in contemporary fantasy fiction -mancy usually means magic in general. So a pyromancer may (or may not) have divined the future from flames in some ancient past, but if you read about one nowadays they will usually cast fireballs or call down firestorms.

In short: Calling your evil murder-magic 'necromancy' is perfectly acceptable, and especially so for a sword and sorcery story.

In case you still want to call it something else, and you don't want to follow the quite reasonable suggestion of just inventing a word, there are some other things you can find on wikipedia:

-Left Handed Magic ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left-hand_path_and_right-hand_path )

- Maleficium ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maleficium_(sorcery) )

- Black/Dark Magic ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_magic )

 

[themightyxloph]

I'd trust Niven over Wikipedia! Use terms that work for you. Get clever and create new terms that work for your story. Usually naming something is not as important as describing how it affects things.

While you do have a point, I think I owe it to the reader to find proper terms for thing. I'd hate to describe an ostrich and call it a chicken.

 

[themightyxloph]

It's your world. Call it what you want. Personally, instead of finding the best existing term for your magic, I would just create my own word for it..

Hm. That's a thought. I might have to. There seems to be no generally recognized ("official") name for magical powers derived from death, other than witch-craft in general.

 

[themightyxloph]

I don't know if it will help you, but these are the 'rules', based largely on the works of 1940's and 50's fantasy writers like Lin Carter, Fletcher Pratt, and L. Sprague de Camp...

Thank you!

 

[themightyxloph]

After reading all the above (and thank you all; it's greatly appreciated) I tend to agree with almost all of it. There does not seem to an "official" term for the practice of deriving magical powers from killing, although from a linguistical standpoint, "necromancy" could cover it. Death Magic might work as a term, but making one up might be more fun and result in a more interesting story. So I'll start by giving the latter a go.

Thank you all!!

 

[SisterJezabel]

While you do have a point, I think I owe it to the reader to find proper terms for thing. I'd hate to describe an ostrich and call it a chicken.

I am wearing my Bin Chicken earrings today! Being an aussie I'm used to calling things differently to other parts of the world! Thanks for getting back to us though and all the best with your writing