How Exorcism Became Medieval Necromancy & Demonic Conjuration - History of Magic

Medieval necromancy is strangely uniform in its rituals, language and symbols despite being an underground movement at the heterodox periphery of the minor clergy. What explains this uniformity? An important cause goes to the origins of medieval necromancy itself - that European Necromancy originates in the ancient rituals of Exorcism. In this episode I explore the relationship between exorcism and demonic conjuration from an exorcism ritual divinely revealed to Hildegard of Bingen, a mirror that summons Lilith to reveal mysteries, a bizarre exorcism in the horrid witch-hunting manual Malleus Maleficarum to Exorcism Manuals so close to magic that they were eventually banned by the Catholic Church.
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[@TheEsotericaChannel]

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[@beepboop204]

😀😃

[@AzazelSanteros]

"Evil Christ"?, really?. Not that I know anything about anything, but doesn't this sound like a reference to the "anti-chrust"? Wouldn't an "evil christ" be the Christ of tge adversary? But what in hell do I know? I'm just a scapegoat..

[@user-mc8xt1iq7c]

you actually believe this?

[@beepboop204]

@@user-mc8xt1iq7c beep boop, beep boop! boop beep! boop beep?

[@user-bk4um5gm6h]

You are an exceptional person

[@nelle8348]

"Demon be gone! ..... but while you are out could you run a few errands for me?"

[@TheEsotericaChannel]

and it's often shocking how mundane their tasks were. Literally cleaning up the house, sometimes. Same with golems, Ibn Gabirol literally made a golem to be a house-cleaner. Now that I think of it, I could use a demon/golem PA.....

[@nelle8348]

@@TheEsotericaChannel Perhaps women were thought to be more susceptible to the demonic because they could both relate to the men in their life treating them like their mother 😁

[@TheEsotericaChannel]

Ha!

[@Bildgesmythe]

Housecleaning you say! It might be worth the trouble to conjure a demon.

[@TheIndigoMagickian]

Literally this is the case. Gods children get to use his slaves, right?

[@TheEsotericaChannel]

Just to be clear - I am an academic studying, not practicing, this material. I've gotten a couple of messages asking me about obtaining an exorcism: *Please Note* I can't and don't offer spiritual advice of any kind. If you are experiencing obsession/possession symptoms I would urge you to contact a mental health professional and/or a reputable spiritual leader held to public account by their respective community.

[@darrylviljoen6227]

This is not exorcism advice. Please contact an exorcism professional if you experience any Of The following symptoms.

[@user-ey8qu1wf4n]

Well said sledgehammer;)

[@David-og7di]

The power of Esoterica compells you

[@geraldmeehan8942]

Lol, thank you for the disclaimer.

[@DefaultUser61]

“Spiritual leader held to account…” very nice verbiage.

[@DorothyPotterSnyder]

“The exorcist to necromancer pipeline.” More pure Sledgeian gold.

[@blixten2928]

Not to mention Hildegard downloading exorcisms directly from God.

[@jamesbradleysears7188]

Justin is just awesome!

[@vavakxnonexus]

I'm glad the necromancy terminology got addressed, since "Necromancy is about dealing with the dead" is such an established association nowadays that, as a casual viewer, it *is* somewhat surreal hearing about purely-demon-based necromancy. Either way, yay for the clerical necromantic underground!

[@TheEsotericaChannel]

Yep, by the medieval period the word was almost exclusively used to describe the conjuration of demons, e.g., of fallen angels of Christian mythology. Though, planetary and astral magic did exist, i.e., Picatrix, etc.

[@irishmanfromengland25]

wait, but doesn't "necromancy" literally mean to speak with the dead? as in the greek nekros?

[@MankarCamoran36]

@@irishmanfromengland25 it comes from latin word for black , so black magic.

[@irishmanfromengland25]

@@MankarCamoran36 oh, huh. so that's why OaFK used "nigromancer."

[@JeannieSoko]

I read in a news article, Mexicans are practicing necromancy. The reason of this is because many mexicans had lost trust in their priests and bishops. Correct me if I'm not mistaken Saint Death (Santa Muerte)

[@MichaelYoder1961]

Boring the Hell out of a demon is probably the most practical solution. Just keep reading until the demon says "Alright, already! Just shut up!".

[@Bildgesmythe]

I was thinking about Grandpa Simpson and his ramblings

[@TheEsotericaChannel]

.... because that was the style of the time

[@joshjames582]

Reminds me of Dagoth Vemyn's dialogue from Morrowind. "I'm one of the oldest things to ever have slipped from a womb, %PCName, but I've never heard of anyone talked to death. Of course, there's always a first time. And I was brought up properly. I know it's not polite to interrupt. So you just go ahead. Talk all you want. And when you're done, go home. Or take your best shot. It's all the same to me."

[@SpaceWhaIe]

The 5 millionth time you hear "The power of Christ compels you" and the demon in you is just like "Fine I'll leave already!" It's like annoying a sibling by just being slightly obnoxious for hours on end.

[@stuff4826]

ever pretend youre going to sell your soul just to be like naahhhh.

[@josephsekavec5232]

You’re one of the few occultists on KZbin that can genuinely make me laugh this hard when making sarcastic commentary.

[@nusaybah677]

Same for me

[@crancourt1789]

"Normal, not kinky exorcism stuff." We love to see it. Just a nooooormal exorcism with normal stuff by a normal priest. Yes indeed!

[@lollmaonice]

I want to exorcise a nun

[@uwu_smeg]

"what i am about to do has not been approved by the Vatican"

[@squid1712]

An average Wednesday.

[@aeropureinhakase855]

@@uwu_smeg ayyyee you play faith: the unholy trinity?

[@uwu_smeg]

@@aeropureinhakase855 not yet sadly 😔

[@DukensteinA1]

When you were talking about what they could possible talk about, I blurted out, “Buried treasure!” And then my wife said, “what are you talking about?” And then you said it. It was surreal.

[@ZuZu_Petals]

Synchro complete

[@SombreroPharoah]

With all the talk of buried treasure back then. What it's taught me, is hide your treasure up in trees. Nobody ever looks for it up.

[@foca7550]

No wonder the logging industry is so profitable..

[@howaboutataste]

The (sometimes) appearant connection between demons and disease pathogens makes the ability to poop out the demon you're afflicked with make sense.

[@SallyImpossible]

Or some of these folks had extreme anxiety-induced IBS. Feels good once you're cleaned out, but it always comes back. 😆

[@joshjames582]

Turns out Metamucil is a powerful anti-demon talisman.

[@evaulrikajansson62]

The obvious (?) Connection, between demons and desice??????

[@tyrlant2189]

What are the connections? Sounds interesting

[@stuff4826]

theres a belief that our poo are demons only sustenance on this plane. guess thats why you dont see them walking around here..

[@lousialb8962]

I don't remember the specifics, but I listened to an interview with a woman who purported to identify and negotiate with possessing entities (though she used much less spooky terminology, maybe something to do with energy?) According to her, there are lots of different kinds, each with their own characteristics. One thing that stuck with me was that, unlike the bossing and humiliation that seems to be foundational to exorcism (all that commanding and compelling and reminding them that they're never going to win), she was very respectful. She'd ask what the entity wanted, saying she'd help if she could. She often had to explain that the person or place possessed (again, not her lexicon) really couldn't provide what the entity was after, or even that the entity had no right to it (basically, "You're behaving like an entitled prat.") It sounded very much like a parent refereeing siblings, TBH. Nonetheless, I was struck by the novel approach of diplomacy she used rather than the traditional domination (in all its forms)

[@WolfoxBR]

You know, before your channel, I would never had imagined that learning about the occult in history could be this much fun. Thank you again for what has become one of my favorite channels ever on KZbin.

[@TheEsotericaChannel]

Very kind of you to say!

[@DerperDaDerpa]

Truly gold I agree

[@AENock]

Philith and Lilith were my favorite Rugrats.

[@Black.Light.193]

😄

[@adlerofthegrass1410]

Came for the scholarly deep dives on mysticism. Stayed for the unending wealth of Dungeons and Dragons inspiration. Thank you, Dr. Sledge.

[@voidleydvoid3601]

meanwhile, somewhere else...Gygax smiles

[@neoqwerty]

@@voidleydvoid3601 Bold of you to think Gygax smiles at anything but someone saying "I'll run OG Tomb of Horrors, how bad can it be?" /j

[@bartolomeothesatyr]

Coincidentally enough, the clerical necromantic underground is a major plot point in a game I just finished playing, 'Pentiment' by Obsidian Entertainment, makers of 'Fallout: New Vegas'. It's a brilliant point-and-click multi-generational murder mystery set in an alpine Bavarian village and monastery in the early decades of the Protestant Reformation, with art directly inspired by period woodblock prints and manuscript illuminations, and it really succeeds spectacularly at breathing life into history. It's fantastic, I highly recommend it, and I find it a remarkable coincidence that you released this video explaining that a clerical necromantic underground was an actual historical phenomenon less than a day after I finished playing a game in which it features prominently, plausibly portrayed in its proper historical context.

[@BiZkWiK87]

Pentiment is phenomenal!

[@user-ng2qx4xd1b]

this is one of the best religion & occlut & magic channels on the youtube. Its pure information without the bias. Thank you.

[@jaredpeterson7911]

You are the best academic studying these subjects I have found. Thank you for working on this channel.

[@LitherFamily]

Thanks a lot for this content! I'm a fan of your relaxed style of narration; I could listen to you for hours.

[@blixten2928]

As wonderful as always! And even more funny - humorous - than ever. "Get a good strong handle on the imperative." "Jesus, as we know, went on to greater stuff on Broadway." And other gems. Besides being completely informed, scholarly and fascinating. Thank you so much!!

[@LailokenScathach]

Great video and thank you, Dr. Sledge! If a book is banned - you should definitely read it! True yesterday as it is today.

[@VIP-ry6vv]

Something interesting which I thought of when you mentioned LDS baptisms for the dead. I was raised LDS and the weirdness goes deeper than I think anyone realizes. The prophet Joseph Smith was actually a necromancer, as was his father Smith Sr. If you want to jump down a rabbit hole look up the Smith family parchments, ceremonial dagger, and particularly his 'seer' stone or Jupiter talisman. LDS church history is as fantastical as it is explicitly heretical.

[@ZuZu_Petals]

I love me some LSD baptisms

[@ulfolsson14]

A wonderful and incredibly intersting episode. Thanks! 'Clerical Necromantic Underground' - why has no one started a punk/death metal band with that name?

[@alexjann5802]

Im seriously thinking about it

[@KnjazNazrath]

Because it wouldn't fit either as well as it would a black metal band.

[@geraldmeehan8942]

Thank you yet another informative and entertaining episode. Keep up the good work!

[@BacuChan]

I am intensely curious about what i perceive as an overlap between hildegard of bingen's exorcism and that of the ritualism displayed in bdsm. in both, the subject centers themself within a shadow play depicting a totality of their world: hildegard's exorcism leverages the cultural understanding of god and the world as described in christian dogma to give faces to the forces acting upon the subject, bdsm similarly acting as a microcosm of our modern drama of the world as a place of tense but supposedly mutually beneficial domination and subversion. a recalcitrant demon and a bratty submissive resemble one another. however in exporcism the demon is seen as an interloper to be drawn out, whereas within d&s the subject is portraying their own identity being strung between the recalcitrance and ultimate submission. the dominant additionally seeks to draw out the "good" "obedient" person within the subject, whereas the exorcist is attempting to draw out the "malicious" persona of a demon. ultimately i am fascinated by the way that narratives have to be in place for certain forms of healing or catharsis to take place. thanks for reading this, it means i wasn't censored for making vague reference to sexuality. sigh lol.

[@TheEsotericaChannel]

Would make a good article!

[@AnarchoSyndical]

The Catholic Church is the daddy of all BDSM 😌

[@neoqwerty]

@@AnarchoSyndical The "Father, I have sinned" to "Daddy, I've been naughty" pipeline

[@acupofwhitetea]

Very interesting. It makes me rethink the idea and purpose of self-flagellation, including modern crucifixion.

[@Juez13]

much waited video in Esoterica 👍🏽🔥🔥👍🏽

[@depraved420]

Love all your videos, they always pop up when I need something to do. 👍

[@TyronTention]

Found your channel late last week, and will be buying shirts. I love the channel already.

[@JeremyBowkett]

I got my Clerical Necromantic Underground longsleeve! It's pretty sweet!

[@ktkatte6791]

as usual, thank you. finally in a place financially that i can hopefully start my patreon subscription to you (and others) soon

[@chaplam-lee949]

I never knew I needed to hear some one with a phd say thick with 2 c's. My day is made, I love these videos.

[@pag4433]

Always love your content, Dr. Sledge. Also, can you please, pleeaassee, produce merch of “thicc” spelled with the thorn! 😂

[@TheEsotericaChannel]

Ha! That would be a great one :)

[@FaoladhTV]

For a study of a different avenue of influence on medieval magic, especially the Solomonic grimoire tradition, I'd suggest reading Jake Stratton-Kent's _Geosophia_ and perhaps the entire 5-volume Encyclopedia Goetica, along with his _Pandemonium_ .

[@Sirius263]

Superb, Dr Sledge. Thank you!

[@TheTarotDJ333]

Thanks for such an interesting discussion, Justin! Dude, your humor makes me chuckle.🌞

[@reviewsfromasocialjusticel8558]

Thank you for taking us on this journey with you.

[@matthampton992]

Wake up babe, new Esoterica video on summoning demons just dropped

[@ryanw3658]

Theology nerds watching Justin flash his collection of middle age necromancy manuals: 😮

[@ryanw3658]

It’s our equivalent of a Maserati and $100,000 in a rap video.

[@TheOneSpoops]

babe wake up, esoterica just uploaded

[@ErikKing1]

Music references always on point!

[@WorldEverett]

Gotta love Justin's dedication to conjure demons on the channel - risking so much is worth at least making it Patreon only :D Listening in the background demons being summoned fits so well to working late on the Friday evening🖤

[@AngieInSFsunset]

I enjoy these lectures immensely.

[@generalmalice7941]

Justin Sledge, I must say I love it chanel, and all the interesting topics you cover.

[@pmgn8444]

That was weird. At about 21:30, my iPod touch started smoking and I though I saw a raven on the screen. Guess I need to stop drinking absinthe when watching these videos. Otherwise great and informative video Dr S!

[@yukiminsan]

we need a dedicated video just on why buried treasure was such a big deal

[@alyssafuller375]

Dr. Sledge, I love your channel more than I can say but this is by far my favorite episode you’ve done. Your jokes and silly comparisons really help me to understand the incredible amount of knowledge you’re putting on KZbin…for free and that’s on Josh of Nazareth 🙏🏻☝🏻

[@MicahRibbentrop]

Well I'm now completely obsessed with Esoterica, thanks a lot

[@scottydees2748]

Thank you Sir.

[@achristiananarchist2509]

On the "anyone can do a baptism as long as they follow the proper rituals" thing, my dad actually did this with my brother as a form of light protest against his inlaws. My grandfather is a 2nd generation Irish immigrant, his mom went through a lot of crap when she got here, and he went through a lot of crap for being who he was as well, so he was pretty attached to certain aspects of our Irish identity, most specifically our Catholicism. To stop being Catholic was basically to stop being Irish in his eyes. Both of my parents went to very strict Catholic schools though and were pretty disenchanted with Catholicism, so we were never religious, although we did the big sacraments and put on a good face for my grandparents. Apparently though, this was a matter of some contention for my dad, and so, while he caved and had me baptized in a Catholic church like my grandparents wanted, by the time my brother was born, he had apparently reached this same conclusion regarding what Catholic doctrine said about the authority of the church in this matter, and so he baptized my brother in the bathtub himself, following the whole baptism ritual just like a priest would so that he could fight my grandfather on any claims that my parents never had my brother baptized. Being a kid, I never got to see what the fallout from this looked like, but I imagine my grandfather wasn't particularly happy. My brother never got an "official" baptism though, so it looks like my dad ultimately won that argument.

[@rsorry]

CLERICAL NECROMANTIC UNDERGROUND 🔥🔥🔥

[@emeraldcitymystic]

I like how the intro starts at 3:33! Is that intentional?

[@TheEsotericaChannel]

Ha! Nah, I don't think I could even much plan something like

[@worthlessendeavors]

You’re the best man. Great Work!!!!

[@chriselliott4621]

When I open YT and see some notifications; read the headlines of videos released in notifications, this channel's video titles stand out the most lol.

[@samuelphillian1286]

A couple times it felt like I was pooping out a demon, now I know the truth. Thanks Esoterica!

[@TheEsotericaChannel]

glad to help....but lay off the 2 am whiskey and taco bell

[@bartolomeothesatyr]

@@TheEsotericaChannel To the contrary, those are both vital sacraments, one required to chasten the bowel demons, and the other to hasten their departure. Gustatory autoflagellation, perhaps? 😆

[@rileytempest666]

Thanks for reading the passage. I received a lot from it.

[@jasonmyersOU812]

You, Sir, are a delight. I love your takes on the various books and your little asides gave me genuine laughs. For the most part I try to avoid anything dealing with the occult or supernatural but I really enjoyed this strange recommendation from the algorithm.

[@threewheeler7]

29:52 glad you showed the pop up, otherwise I wouldn't have believed it.

[@Bildgesmythe]

Now I'm worried about my milk, butter and cheese. I've never exorcized them.

[@phillipbernhardt-house6907]

If you're old enough, the Imperial Margarine and Parkay Butter commercials in the '80s would make one think that the products were possessed...!?! ;)

[@shmataboro8634]

Just eat them, and poop out the bad guys.

[@TheIgnoramus]

Love this. History is just a continuation of ideas. Awesome to see the total connection between things. It’s all layered influence. 🎉

[@capthappy345]

Very informative! Yur a smart dude

[@studiesonmagic]

Right up my alley! Very well done!

[@TheEsotericaChannel]

High praise, especially coming from you!

[@studiesonmagic]

@@TheEsotericaChannel In Romanian Orthodox Christianity, exorcisms are known to happen to this day, and sometimes they end up in newspapers. Largely the Prayers of Saint Basil of Cesarea! I might delve into that!

[@TheEsotericaChannel]

Yep, all the Abrahamic faiths have seen a huge uptick in exorcisms in the past couple decades. Prompting real changes in the Vatican and in Haredi Jewish communities - exorcist looks like a more promising career path than programmer at this point :)

[@pierrevillemaire-brooks4247]

You Sir are kind of a modern hero , by having the patience of learn Latin and reading old books about these odd subjects. Although I can see the interest to be able to learn from the original source without having to trust someone else to truly understand such a delicate subject matter. Kudos !

[@ItsMeMissV369]

People who say humorous things with a straight face are the funniest lol Love your humor in these valuable videos. So many blunt questions but I’ll watch to see if the answers are in here first💜

[@wendychavez5348]

Thanks for helping me know a wee bit more about this rabbit hole. Off topic, i dig your attitude. You remind me of my brother in law, only his field of expertise is geology and water sciences. Still, you have his mannerisms and deadpan humor and it's very comfortable.

[@clifb.3521]

Another walk off home run. I think I’m going to do the patreon thing. I’m just starting to feel guilty now.

[@tsolsen9596]

great job

[@mrlearningscholar4078]

Love it so far ❤

[@CrazyPablo44]

Love this episode! And you mentioned something about your summer catalogue for Antiquarian Books?

[@TheEsotericaChannel]

Yep, every season or so I have a small catalog of antiquarian occult books. Will be releasing it shortly

[@CrazyPablo44]

This wonderful episode brought back very good memories of my employment in a sprawling, chaotic, used book warehouse in Bristol, UK. They did a small-scale Antiquarian trade and I was lucky enough to handle some really amazing things. I actually rescued a copy of the first edition of the first English translation of John Calvin’s Commentary on Genesis, printed in his lifetime, from a trash can😅

[@The_Crow-]

20:50 my headache is gone. Thank you ☺️

[@lilitheden748]

I used to think that studying religion was not interesting and religious people were dull. Well dr. Sledge has proven me wrong. His videos are super interesting. The dr. himself is an amazing storyteller who keeps your attention by making these little witty jokes. As an atheist I must say that I have never been so excited of religion before.

[@monymendoza8012]

These are very interesting!!! I’m like a child watching a movie with your videos mister

[@tayknighting]

if i was friends with this guy i would host dinner parties for the sole purpose of inviting him with the expectation that, at some point in the night, he would dominate all conversations. i would purchase a special arm chair that would act as his soapbox and i would keep the drinks flowing to the room so everyone's eyes and ears are glued on him. what a delightful joy this channel is in this mediocre lifetime

[@TheEsotericaChannel]

Trust me, you wouldn't want that. ;)

[@lh384]

Is it me, or is Dr. Sledge extra snarky this episode? Also, my husband confirms, you can poop demons.

[@brookechang4942]

Dr. Sledge: "Most importantly-" Me: "He's gonna talk buried treasure, isn't he?" Also, I'm definitely going to spell þicc with a thorn from now on.

[@tramasrarasoddplots]

You should make a react video about movie/TV show magic rites. Even tho those are not as popular any more. Still, it would be great

[@ryanmichelson218]

Babe wake up dr. Justin sledge posted again

[@theghost9479]

Thank you so much for what you do! I appreciate every one of your videos.

[@xanselmox]

I enjoy the content sir

[@indiopeltier9758]

I love this channel

[@KyleMaxwell]

Dr. Justin Sledge is literally a Call of Cthulhu character.

[@zackf3688]

Thanks!

[@joluoto]

Medieval priest: demon be gone, but before you go can you tell me how to find BURIED TREASURE.

[@ZuZu_Petals]

Can you blame them?

[@jamesevans5495]

FWIW there is a translation of the Flagellum Daemonum sold by Weiser Press. Also of interest is Francis Young's "A History of Exorcism in Catholic Christianity" where he talks more about the development of exorcism rites. Though part of his main thesis, if I recall, was that for most of Medieval Europe deliverance from possession was focused on saints shrines. Liturgical exorcism beyond Baptism was a later development closer to the time of the books you're discussing.

[@TheEsotericaChannel]

That translation is non-academic and incomplete.

[@janehughart9290]

Pontius Pilate a saint? *Googles* “Bruh….”

[@TheEsotericaChannel]

Nuts, huh ? There's getting it twisted and there that...

[@messengeroftruth1672]

Some Churches consider him a saint

[@janehughart9290]

@@TheEsotericaChannel I mean on one hand I kinda get the logic but at that rate might as well make Judas Iscariot and the Pharisees saints too.

[@Old52Guy]

Thank you for this video! It put exorcism in its historical and esoteric context. I greatly appreciate it.

[@deckape714]

Thanks! I'm thinking

[@TheEsotericaChannel]

Thanks for the donation!

[@janes3170]

Oh my, very interesting to hear about how exorcism took place... I'm a devinely guided exorcist..spirit releaser. I'm so happy my clients are not beaten. But they don't always know that I'm taking out dark force entities. It is a very soft approach that works in most cases.

[@lousialb8962]

Isn't a foundational principle seeking consent? Absent informed consent, you might be playing on the dark side

[@janes3170]

They come to me with a request for help. Even then I ask their higher self for consent. Is it playing on the dark side if I prevent telling certain people ( very il, old, frail or just closed off) that I take away an ugly demon ...is it playing on the dark side if we adapt the message so it becomes possible to help people, preventing worse.

[@TheHankGriffin]

"Evil Christ" is like Evil Spock, but, of course, no goatee, no beard at all.

[@shmataboro8634]

Bound naked to a candle the size of a tree trunk? How has South Park missed this?????

[@amandasutton3717]

Yass! Hildegard von Bingen!

[@zenosAnalytic]

Hot take: The reason we don't find ancient roman coin-stashes that often is cuz of all the Medieval Necromancers pressing demons into telling them where they are XD

[@Hiddeninplainsight6]

Will be posting some if these videos to Facebook

[@zedmeinhardt3404]

You had me at "criminal necromancy" Anything the Church bans raises my curiosity immensely.

[@welcometonebalia]

Thank you.

[@Douglas.Scott.McCarron]

So write that book Justin.

[@jasonwestra4530]

Justin Sledge, putting the Romance back in Necromancy, especially kinky romance with a strange take on BDSM and candle play!

[@ignatzly]

fascinating

[@liquidpaper1349]

"Clerical Necromantic Underground" sounds like a scene/hipster band name.

[@NormalWinterFox]

I knew you were going to say buried treasure 😂 I think that’s how I know I’ve been watching your channel for long 😂

[@maeve_a]

"Jesus, or 'Josh' as his friends called him" 😂❤😂❤😂❤ Christopher Moore/Biff reference? That's how I heard it. LOVE that book.