The Hands of the Necromancer

Ancient Egypt, to this day, remains a land of mysteries. No other civilisation has captured the imagination of scholars and laypeople alike. The enigma of its origins, religion, and monumental architecture: colossal temples, pyramids, and enormous Sphinx, discoveries are still being uncovered that continually shift our understanding of Ancient Egyptian life. Even more enigmatic is the practice of Heka, the magic used by this most mysterious of civilisations.

The Egyptians believed that Heka was the primordial force present at the creation of the world. This force could be summoned during religious rituals, and that its chief function was preserving the natural world order. However, Heka also had a darker side where priests could use this magic to smite enemies with plagues, destroy cities with unnatural storms and even resurrect the dead.

Lebanon Circle and Michael Diamond present one the finest creations in bizarre and storytelling magic to date; however, be warned; this performance is not for the faint-hearted. This routine will have audience members who have entomophobia running for the exits during the creepy (& crawly) climax. Take insane visuals, a powerful storyline and combine them with museum-quality props, and you have everything you need to perform the greatest demonstration of necromancy ever devised.

As the name suggests, The Hands of the Necromancer comes with not one but two complete museum-quality mummified hands and a canopic jar so authentic it wouldn't look out of place in The Museum of Egyptian Antiquities in Cairo. When you are not performing, both the hands and the canopic jar come supplied with dedicated display cabinets so that they can be proudly exhibited in your collection of curiosities. Whether you're a collector of oddities, a magician, or both, The Hands of the Necromancer presents a unique opportunity to obtain a work of art that you can create a whole show around.

The routine mechanics are simple and require no fiddly methods or sleights; it uses no remote controls, threads or wires. The hands-free operation can also be customised to your performance, and spectators can examine the props, but would you let Joe Public handle an artefact of this antiquity?  

What you receive -

• Two mummified hands (one PK gimmicked)

• Antique Egyptian style display case

• A Canopic Jar & display case

• Insect Specimen Tube

• A pair of cotton gloves (for handling the ancient artefacts)

• A one hour video tutorial and supporting documents
  

• Plus all of the items that make the magic happen

Although provided as part of an Egyptian themed routine, you can use the mummified hands with any other routine that requires the use of a wizened mitt. A Hand of Glory, an incorruptible religious relic from the crusades or a macabre trophy; what bizarre performer doesn't need an extra pair of hands?   

Effect synopsis

This story starts over 3000 years ago, with one of the oldest dynasties in Ancient Egypt. Pharaoh Amenhotep III and his wife Tiye ruled in prosperity from around 1386 BC for nearly 40 years, until he died from what was believed to be an abscessed septic tooth. On his death, his son, Akhenaten, took over as ruler. Akhenaten and his wife, Nefertiti, would be the parents of the most famous boy Pharaoh of them all - Tutankhamun.

Akhenaten inherited all of his father's kingdom, riches and personal advisors, including his high priest, Amun May. Amun May was known to be the most powerful and influential priest in Egypt. Yet, despite his notoriety, he mysteriously died four years into Akhenaten's rule with no record of the circumstances or final resting place. However, the tale takes a grim turn when an extraordinary grave was discovered during an archaeological dig at Thebes in 1993: the plot contained a mysterious figure named only as 'Aharon'.

Among the relatively meagre grave goods was Aharon's mummified body, arms crossed, clutching a cloth bundle containing a papyrus scroll and two mummified hands. Scholars translating the hieroglyphics on the papyrus soon uncovered the truth behind the strange death of Priest Amun May.

Amun May, it is said, was a remarkable man, a wise adviser and close friend to Amenhotep III and a practitioner of Heka with true powers of resurrection. He would regularly demonstrate his power by germinating dry seeds and bringing dead temple cats back to life by simply touching them. Akhenaten, already named as his father's successor, was impatient for his time to rule. Fueled with a jealous Oedipus complex for his mother Tiye, Akhenaten poisoned his father and took his place on the throne.

Rumours quickly spread, and Akhenaten, fearing Amun May could resurrect his father and expose his treachery, ordered that the priest be murdered. One dead, the assassins were given the strict instruction to remove his divine' hands of power' and bury them in a secret location in the Egyptian sands.

Several weeks after Amun May's death, his assistant priest, Aharon, was visited in a dream by Osiris, the god of the underworld. He told Aharon about Amun May's murder. He then guided him to the location of the priest's severed hands. Aharon dug up his master's hands and protected them until his death, preserving their power and history.

Fearful of ancient curses, the hands of Amun May have had many owners until Ripley's Believe It Or Not purchased them at an auction. They were displayed at their Great Yarmouth exhibition in the UK until it closed in 1997, where they were once again put up for auction.  

From this last private owner, I acquired the hands, and it is said that even after over 3000 years, the hands still hold the powers of life and death.

Let me demonstrate.

Before you can demonstrate the power of necromancy, you must perform a ritual to release the spirit of Amun May from the Canopic Jar. A Heka spell is chanted, and the jar's lid is removed to reveal a mysterious undulating mist inside. 

Another spell is spoken, and at your command, the spirit of Amun May materialises and rises from the jar into the room.

The jar can be examined and shown to be empty both before, after and during the performance.

A glass tube containing a dead *locust is opened, and the audience is invited to confirm that the creature is, without question, dead. A spectator then places the locust in the canopic jar. The mummified hands of Amun May are then carefully placed either side of the jar and the lid is replaced.

Another incantation is spoken, the Heka 'Spell of Resurrection', and the lid of the jar is removed. The once dead locust is tipped from the jar and leaps into the audience, causing panic, amazement and an empty front row.

*The Hands of the Necromancer is designed to be performed with live insects such as locusts, cockroaches or moths. These are readily available from pet stores as food for reptiles. However, if you are averse to using live creatures, you can still demonstrate the mysterious powers of Amun May by making seeds germinate or even turn sand into water or normal rocks into gold.

Exclusive Free Gift - The Khepri Amulet

Order the Hands of the Necromancer and receive The Khepri Amulet for free!

Initially discovered by Howard Carter in King Tutankhamen's tomb, this mysterious amulet allows the user to seek guidance and enlightenment from the gods. It was then acquired by Aleister Crowley and used in Golden Dawn rituals before vanishing in the 1940s. It was then rediscovered in an antique shop in Hastings in 1989 secreted inside a hollowed-out copy of The Book of Thoth.

Based on the Lebanon Circle bestseller 'Oculus' and inspired by the word force methods of U.F. Grant and Banachek, The Scarab Amulet gives you the ability to force multiple words, numbers or even hieroglyphs.  

Used as a standalone effect, as part of a grand Egyptian themed show or a Golden Dawn ritual, the Khepri Amulet is a versatile magic tool that can be used in any genre of magic where you need to force either one or multiple words with ease. The amulet can also be used traditionally to give one-word spiritual guidance as part of any reading. 

The Khepri Amulet also has a dedicated plinth in the display case so that it can be exhibited alongside the Hands of the Necromancer and canopic jar.

Ordering Information

The Hands of the Necromancer is not a limited edition item, but it also not a general stock item. Each order is treated as a private commission and built once your order is received. Please allow 4-6 weeks for your copy to be built and shipped.

Supporting documents and video tutorials are sent immediately after checkout so that you can discover the secrets of The Hands of the Necromancer before they arrive.