[Thaumatology] Divination as the Core of Magic

[Varyon]

Originally Posted by Fred Brackin

Not the spirits of deceased Men. those departed the world by the will of Eru to go to somewhere unknown to any who remained behind.

The oathbreakers Aragorn got the assistance of (freeing them to depart the world) were stuck in Middle Earth; maybe Sauron bound the souls of the dead before they could depart by similar means (probably has to be done while the person is still alive) and then forced information out of their spirits? Or he spoke to the spirits of deceased... Others (elves, orcs, dwarves, ents, etc). Or he interrogated existing undead, like the Barrow-Wights. My point is, I don't think we can blame Tolkien for "Necromancers turn corpses into servants." Unless there's some bit I haven't read that has the Necromancer sending out undead servants to do his bidding (other than the Nazgul, at least, but I think Sauron avoided using those while he was the Necromancer), anyway.