Abstracts

Eleni PACHOUMI
(University of Thessaly)
Encounters with the dead in magic: Resurrection of the body?

The paper explores the concept of reanimation, or bodily resurrection of the dead who died untimely, or had a violent death as presented in the Greek Magical Papyri Collection from Egypt dated to Roman period. I shall examine the question: are the corpses and body parts manipulated in magic just to achieve invocation of the spirits of the dead, or does this physical manipulation imply resurrection of the body in some spells? The purpose of this paper is to identify the logic of these invocations. I shall also examine the role of the dead in the magical operation and the professional life of the magicians.

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