The Witch of Endor

This is a late 12th-century illustration of “the Witch of Endor,” a prophetess from the Bible who could raise the spirits of the dead and talk to them. Artists have enjoyed illustrating her almost as much as religious people have enjoyed debating about her powers.

In the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament First Book of Samuel (1 Samuel 28: 3-25), the great leader Saul tries to figure out his prospects in an upcoming battle using magic. However, he had banished all sorcerers and suchlike out of his kingdom, so he had some trouble finding his prognosticator. Eventually he finds “she who owns the ‘ōb’ of Endor,” with ‘ōb’ translated in various ways — one prominent translation has it meaning a sort of ritual pit for summoning the dead (and this probably needs to be everyone’s next trendy home addition btw).

The Latin and Greek translations call her an oracle, akin to the Pythian oracle of Apollo at Delphi. You can see the Latin word for this in the illumination: “Phitonissa” — it is not a word that comes up that often in Medieval Latin. But the sorceress was not referred to as a witch until after the 16th-century, when fears of witchcraft started to arise around Europe, resulting in the death of many (mostly women) alleged magic users.

In the Biblical narrative, the necromancer at first refuses Saul, since he has banned all such practices. But after he assures her she will come to no harm, the sorceress does indeed summon the prophet Samuel from the dead. In the picture you see here, the witch of Endor gets center-stage treatment — she stands behind the prophet and lifts him up with her arms, with Samuel still in his burial shroud. Usually the oracle is shown in a much more passive position in art.

“Querens ventura Saul audit tristia dura,” the picture is labeled: “seeking to know what will come, Saul hears terrible and sorrowful news.” Indeed, Saul, after asking why he is being disturbed, goes in to tell Saul that he will die in battle the next day, and that comes to pass.