History: The dizzying world of alchemy and the philosopher’s stone in medieval times (2024)

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History: The dizzying world of alchemy and the philosopher’s stone in medieval times? ›

One of the goals of alchemy was to find the philosopher's stone, an elusive substance from which it might be possible to create an elixir of immortality and the transmutation of common substances into gold. Alchemy was frowned upon by the Catholic Church and practiced in secret during the Middle Ages.

The philosopher's stone was a legendary element in Western alchemy that alchemists believed could transform ordinary base metals into valuable precious metals such as silver and gold. Alchemy was a speculative philosophy and occult science in the Medieval Age that was mysterious and secretive, and cultivated magic.

One of the leading ideas of medieval Arabic alchemy was the theory that all metals were formed of sulfur and mercury in various proportions and that altering those proportions could transform the metal under study—even to produce silver or gold from lead or iron.

Alchemists attempted to purify, mature, and perfect certain materials. Common aims were chrysopoeia, the transmutation of "base metals" (e.g., lead) into "noble metals" (particularly gold); the creation of an elixir of immortality; and the creation of panaceas able to cure any disease.

The philosopher's stone was the central symbol of the mystical terminology of alchemy, symbolizing perfection at its finest, divine illumination, and heavenly bliss. Efforts to discover the philosopher's stone were known as the Magnum Opus ("Great Work").

According to legend, the philosopher's stone was a substance that could turn ordinary metals such as iron, tin, lead, zinc, nickel or copper into precious metals like gold and silver.

Alchemy was born in ancient Egypt, where the word Khem was used in reference to the fertility of the flood plains around the Nile. Egyptian beliefs in life after death, and the mummification procedures they developed, probably gave rise to rudimentary chemical knowledge and a goal of immortality.

Enthusiasts included Sir Isaac Newton, as well as Robert Boyle, who successfully lobbied for the art to be legalized in 1689. It had been banned in England three centuries earlier over concerns that alchemists could thwart the royal monopoly to mint gold and silver coins.

One of the greatest scholars of the middle Ages, Albertus Magnus (1193-1280), dedicated much of his life and work to alchemy. He, despite the works of Avicenna which he should have read, believed in the possibility of the transmutation and accordingly took effort in research.

The connection between alchemy and eschatology appears to have been particularly powerful: alchemy not only confirmed biblical and other prophecies about the operations of nature and the unfolding of earthly time, but also offered true Christians tools with which to engage the imminent Last Days, either by withstanding ...

What were most alchemists obsessed with? ›

The alchemists, obsessed with secrecy, deliberately described their experiments in metaphorical terms laden with obscure references to mythology and history.

The alchemists were a varied group of scholars and charlatans whose goal was two-fold: to create the Philosopher's Stone (which caused the transmutation of lead into gold) and the discovery of the Elixir of Life (bestowing immortality on the person who possessed it).

Indian alchemists and Chinese alchemists made contributions to Eastern varieties of the art. Alchemy is still practiced today by a few, and alchemist characters still appear in recent fictional works and video games. Many alchemists are known from the thousands of surviving alchemical manuscripts and books.

Alchemists also believed that an elixir of life could be derived from it. Inasmuch as alchemy was concerned with the perfection of the human soul, the philosopher's stone was thought to cure illnesses, prolong life, and bring about spiritual revitalization.

Alchemists believed the philosopher's stone could transform common metals like lead into silver or gold and could be used as an elixir of life for health and longevity. It was considered the most pure and perfect of all substances. Alchemical images often included pairs of animals or people uniting to become one.

One of the central themes of The Alchemist is Santiago's quest to achieve his Personal Legend. He learns to pursue it above all else, and something more: once it has been achieved, everything else will fall into place.

The art of alchemy was handed down through the centuries from Egypt and Arabia to Greece and Rome, and finally to western and central Europe. The word is derived from the Arabian phrase "al-kimia," which refers to the preparation of the Stone or Elixir by the Egyptians.

Alchemy is best described as a form of 'proto-science' rather than a distinct science in its own right. This is because, although many observations and theories made by alchemists were based on scientific fact, they often explained these in terms of 'magic' or divine intervention.

Alchemy was a branch of magic and an ancient science concerned with the study of the composition, structure and magical properties of the four basic elements, as well as the transmutation of substances; it was thus intimately connected with Potion-making, chemistry, and transformation magic.

Nicolas Flamel (French: [nikɔla flamɛl]; c. 1330 – 22 March 1418) was a French scribe and manuscript seller. After his death, Flamel developed a reputation as an alchemist believed to have created and discovered the philosopher's stone and to have thereby achieved immortality.