Necromantic knowledge. A study of the connection between the necromantic rituals described in Gustaf Adolf Reuterholm´s manuscripts and Western esotericism based on the terms gnosis and perfect knowledge

This thesis explores the connection between the necromantic rituals that, according to manuscripts written by Gustaf Adolf Reuterholm, took place in the esoteric circles that formed around Duke Charles and King Gustav III in the late 18th century and Western esotericism as a field. The analysis is based on Wouter J Hanegraaff and Kocku von Stuckrad´s theories on gnosis and perfect knowledge, and their comprehension of claims of knowledge of theese types as an integral part of Western esotericism. The purpose of the thesis is to examine to what extent it is possible to use theese theories to connect the necromantic rituals to Western esotericism as a field. The study is made through a qualitative text analysis of the Reuterholmian documents with the purpose of identifying claims of knowledge connected to the necromantic rituals as described by Hanegraaff and discourses of secrecy as described by von Stuckrad. The conclusion of the study is that even if a direct link between the necromantic rituals and a search for gnosis or perfect knowledge could not be found in the manuscripts there are indications of the possibility of the existance of an ultimate knowledge present within the esoteric circle´s worldview. By using von Stuckrad´s theories on discourses of secrecy it is possible to interpret the circle as an esoteric field and by using Hanegraaff´s theories on different claims of knowledge we can find support for von Stuckrad´s theories on overlapping fields of knowledge during the early modern period