Underworld and Afterlife in Classical Cultures

As Dianne Skafte stated in her book , All the lives form the body of the Earth , and to that body all shall return . The earth is viewed as the source of life with all the agricultural crops it gives to sustain the living . However , this very earth is also the home of the dead People in different parts of the world plant their dead in the earth just like the seeds of their crops with the belief that their loved one will be born again as a new person , live in the body of

an animal , or stay in the underworld . Otherwise , our ancients believed that the spirits who were returned to the earth become wise and that they gain the ability to turn into clairvoyants who can see the future and thus give guidance to those who are still living (Skafte 2000

This is the primary reason why necromancy was constantly used in the classical world . If a person decides to contact the dead , he or she will have the ability to know many hidden things . The act of necromancy falls under the umbrella of many different occult divination practices . The term was rooted from the ancient Greek language with the word `nekros meaning `corpse ' and `manteia ' or `prophesy . Necromancy evolved through time and developed many different forms . Even though the Greeks may seem to be the civilization that is always connected to the act , summoning the dead was well-practiced by different civilizations around the world during these classical...