Gods of Alchemy
Alexander Bowne
Paracelsus' Vulcan
Paracelsus claimed that Vulcan was the "artist behind all alchemy," mostly because of his association with fire, which was obviously a huge part in the metallurgy and distillation processes necessary for alchemy. The fact that Vulcan in Roman mythology was also the god of blacksmiths (another profession based around changing one thing into another) was also probably a factor in Paracelsus' thinking. In fact, the removal of impurities in metal through the furnace was used as a representation of the process alchemists aimed for within themselves (removing impurities to become a better being). Other alchemists who followed Paracelsus also noted the story of Vulcan's net capturing Mars and Venus as one of melding two opposites to create something new.
Interestingly, because Paracelsus lived during the Renaissance period, rather than in an ancient culture, his beliefs indicated that Vulcan operated at the behest of God (the Christian God). However, it was still Vulcan who was behind all alchemy, which Paracelsus expanding to include almost everything involving fire, from cooking (changing pork to its purer form of bacon, one must assume) to blacksmithing to the more traditional alchemy of transmutation. He did not seem to teach the alchemists so much as simply make the alchemy possible through his power of fire, although he himself would have practiced alchemy.
This Vulcan seems to be a different entity from the traditional Vulcan, though. As much as Vulcan was associated with blacksmithing, his association with fire was much more with its destructive side, rather than the side with the purifying potential. Additionally, since Paracelsus was obviously not an actual Pagan, it is impossible to determine how much of his "belief" in the Vulcan of the alchemists was real and how much was just a poetic way to express himself.
Paracelsus claimed that Vulcan was the "artist behind all alchemy," mostly because of his association with fire, which was obviously a huge part in the metallurgy and distillation processes necessary for alchemy. The fact that Vulcan in Roman mythology was also the god of blacksmiths (another profession based around changing one thing into another) was also probably a factor in Paracelsus' thinking. In fact, the removal of impurities in metal through the furnace was used as a representation of the process alchemists aimed for within themselves (removing impurities to become a better being). Other alchemists who followed Paracelsus also noted the story of Vulcan's net capturing Mars and Venus as one of melding two opposites to create something new.
Interestingly, because Paracelsus lived during the Renaissance period, rather than in an ancient culture, his beliefs indicated that Vulcan operated at the behest of God (the Christian God). However, it was still Vulcan who was behind all alchemy, which Paracelsus expanding to include almost everything involving fire, from cooking (changing pork to its purer form of bacon, one must assume) to blacksmithing to the more traditional alchemy of transmutation. He did not seem to teach the alchemists so much as simply make the alchemy possible through his power of fire, although he himself would have practiced alchemy.
This Vulcan seems to be a different entity from the traditional Vulcan, though. As much as Vulcan was associated with blacksmithing, his association with fire was much more with its destructive side, rather than the side with the purifying potential. Additionally, since Paracelsus was obviously not an actual Pagan, it is impossible to determine how much of his "belief" in the Vulcan of the alchemists was real and how much was just a poetic way to express himself.
Angel Pevensie
Demosthenes
Demosthenes is an enigmatic God; the brother of Ishtar, he dedicates himself to researching the secrets of the World. From the earliest accounts, he was always taking things apart and putting them back together again.
He did not take an interest in politics and remained totally neutral throughout the Darkness and Chaos Wars. He appears in many legends as a source of rumour, knowledge and obscure questions. He brewed the intoxicating Nectar for the Gods and the healing elixir Ambrosia. It was after consulting with Demosthenes that Selene discovered or created Moon and Than devised the vile Head spell.
These acts caused some anger among the Gods but the Alchemist demonstrated his neutrality by advising Neibelung on the fashioning of the Dwarves and researching the Head of Than for Rhadamanthus. He questioned Rhadamanthus and Humakt after all their quests and thereby learnt much of the World, though in exasperation they sometimes refused to answer him.
He was interested in all things, but particularly the origins of Chaos and its connections with Darkness, and both their links with the Moon.
He researched deeply into the nature of elements and it was upon his advice that the elements were allocated their places in the calendar and the cyclic nature of Time was so wrought.
For this alone he deserves respect from the Gods, for it was his hand that scribed the Great Pact that all the gods signed to end the Chaos Wars and Godtime.
Demosthenes is an enigmatic God; the brother of Ishtar, he dedicates himself to researching the secrets of the World. From the earliest accounts, he was always taking things apart and putting them back together again.
He did not take an interest in politics and remained totally neutral throughout the Darkness and Chaos Wars. He appears in many legends as a source of rumour, knowledge and obscure questions. He brewed the intoxicating Nectar for the Gods and the healing elixir Ambrosia. It was after consulting with Demosthenes that Selene discovered or created Moon and Than devised the vile Head spell.
These acts caused some anger among the Gods but the Alchemist demonstrated his neutrality by advising Neibelung on the fashioning of the Dwarves and researching the Head of Than for Rhadamanthus. He questioned Rhadamanthus and Humakt after all their quests and thereby learnt much of the World, though in exasperation they sometimes refused to answer him.
He was interested in all things, but particularly the origins of Chaos and its connections with Darkness, and both their links with the Moon.
He researched deeply into the nature of elements and it was upon his advice that the elements were allocated their places in the calendar and the cyclic nature of Time was so wrought.
For this alone he deserves respect from the Gods, for it was his hand that scribed the Great Pact that all the gods signed to end the Chaos Wars and Godtime.
Ariella McManus
Vulcan, the Roman God
The god that I have chosen as the topic for this assignment is the Roman god, Vulcan. Like many of the Roman deities, Vulcan has a Greek counterpart in Hephaestus, and many of the legends surrounding the two are intertwined. A being of many names, Vulcan is also known as Mulciber (the softener) in Roman mythology and Sethlans in Etruscan mythology. For the purposes of this particular essay, I shall be mainly concentrating on the Roman aspect of Vulcan, however, when appropriate, I will also attempt to interject some of his Greek origins as well.
According to the Roman legend, Vulcan was the son of Jupiter and Juno (Hera and Zeus if you are going the Greek route). There are several different stories surrounding his birth; none of them particularly pleasant. (Then again, very few of the old legends are, in my opinion, but that is what makes them all the more interesting.) One story has it that poor baby Vulcan had a face that not even a mother could love. Juno, repulsed by the hideousness of her son, picked up the squalling, red-faced newborn and hurled him down from the top of Mount Olympus. As a result, his leg was broken when he hit the water, and it never developed properly after that. As a result, he grew up lame and deformed. Another version states that Vulcan was born lame, and Juno threw him from Olympus because she was ashamed of his deformity. Either way, Juno is definitely not bucking for mother of the year. Fortunately, the sea-nymph, Thetis, had a kinder heart than cold-hearted Juno and took the baby to her underwater dwelling, raising him as her own son. Yet another version casts Mommie Dearest in a kinder light, though this one is of Greek origin. It states that Vulcan (Hephaestus) took Hera's side in a quarrel, and it was Daddy Zeus that threw him down from the heavens, crippling him in the process. Whatever way you dice it, luck was not his middle name!
As the adopted son of a sea nymph, young Vulcan spent many days playing on the beach. Quite by accident, it was on just such a day that the discovery of the remnants of a fisherman's fire, set his life's course. Enthralled by a coal that was still glowing, he safeguarded it in a clam shell until he could get it home and rekindle it into fire. The rest, as the saying goes, is history. He sat, transfixed, that first day, staring at it for endless hours. But Vulcan was a doer, not merely an observer, and on the second day, he tired of merely staring and decided to experiment. He soon discovered that by making the fire grow hotter with the use of bellows, certain stones sweated iron, silver, or gold. By the end of the third day, he was fashioning the cooled metal into all manners of things: swords, knives, jewelry, and shields, just to name a few. Industrious fellow that he was, he even made himself a chariot and bridles for the sea-horses to make them go faster, as well as golden slave girls to serve him. Now that is called putting a talent to use if I've ever heard tell!
Being a dutiful and loving son, Vulcan fashioned his adopted mother, Thetis, a beautiful necklace of silver and sapphires for her to wear to a dinner party she was attending on Mount Olympus. Juno, not to be outdone, asked where she could obtain such a lovely piece. Thetis was as terrible a liar as she was kind, and Juno figured out that the metalsmith was none other than the baby she had cast out years ago. She demanded that he return 'home' at once, a request he summarily refused, though he was kind enough to send her a chair made of silver and gold, inlaid with mother-of-pearl. Well, perhaps not so kind..it turned out to be a trap. When Juno sat upon it, the metal bands in the chair sprung, capturing the vain goddess fast within them.
For three days, she remained locked in torment, unable to eat or sleep. Jupiter saved the day by promising Vulcan the lovely Venus for a wife if he would release his birth mother from the chair-trap, which he agreed to do. A god of his word, Jupiter delivers and the two are married. Still enamored with his first love of working with metal, Vulcan builds a smithy under Mount Etna on the island of Sicily. Venus, though she may have done her part to free Juno, was not the most faithful of wives, and it is rumored that whenever Vulcan caught her being unfaithful he would beat the metal with such force that smoke would pour out the mountaintop, causing a volcanic eruption. So much for marital bliss!
It is quite obvious (or it should be), that Vulcan's tie to alchemy is quite strong. Alchemy, after all, deals with the manipulation of metal, and what better example of that than an immortal metalsmith?! According to the Renaissance alchemist/physician, Paracelsus, Vulcan personifies not only the manipulation of fire and base metal, but also something much deeper. He represents the creative and transforming power locked within all of mankind; the ability to overcome impossible odds to achieve 'immortality' by works of greatness that we can achieve if only we let our imaginations and creativity soar. Basically, life is what you choose to make of it, not what circumstances dictate. I rather like that sentiment, and tend to agree wholeheartedly. Vulcan..a myth perhaps, but certainly someone we can learn an important life lesson from..alchemy at its finest!
The god that I have chosen as the topic for this assignment is the Roman god, Vulcan. Like many of the Roman deities, Vulcan has a Greek counterpart in Hephaestus, and many of the legends surrounding the two are intertwined. A being of many names, Vulcan is also known as Mulciber (the softener) in Roman mythology and Sethlans in Etruscan mythology. For the purposes of this particular essay, I shall be mainly concentrating on the Roman aspect of Vulcan, however, when appropriate, I will also attempt to interject some of his Greek origins as well.
According to the Roman legend, Vulcan was the son of Jupiter and Juno (Hera and Zeus if you are going the Greek route). There are several different stories surrounding his birth; none of them particularly pleasant. (Then again, very few of the old legends are, in my opinion, but that is what makes them all the more interesting.) One story has it that poor baby Vulcan had a face that not even a mother could love. Juno, repulsed by the hideousness of her son, picked up the squalling, red-faced newborn and hurled him down from the top of Mount Olympus. As a result, his leg was broken when he hit the water, and it never developed properly after that. As a result, he grew up lame and deformed. Another version states that Vulcan was born lame, and Juno threw him from Olympus because she was ashamed of his deformity. Either way, Juno is definitely not bucking for mother of the year. Fortunately, the sea-nymph, Thetis, had a kinder heart than cold-hearted Juno and took the baby to her underwater dwelling, raising him as her own son. Yet another version casts Mommie Dearest in a kinder light, though this one is of Greek origin. It states that Vulcan (Hephaestus) took Hera's side in a quarrel, and it was Daddy Zeus that threw him down from the heavens, crippling him in the process. Whatever way you dice it, luck was not his middle name!
As the adopted son of a sea nymph, young Vulcan spent many days playing on the beach. Quite by accident, it was on just such a day that the discovery of the remnants of a fisherman's fire, set his life's course. Enthralled by a coal that was still glowing, he safeguarded it in a clam shell until he could get it home and rekindle it into fire. The rest, as the saying goes, is history. He sat, transfixed, that first day, staring at it for endless hours. But Vulcan was a doer, not merely an observer, and on the second day, he tired of merely staring and decided to experiment. He soon discovered that by making the fire grow hotter with the use of bellows, certain stones sweated iron, silver, or gold. By the end of the third day, he was fashioning the cooled metal into all manners of things: swords, knives, jewelry, and shields, just to name a few. Industrious fellow that he was, he even made himself a chariot and bridles for the sea-horses to make them go faster, as well as golden slave girls to serve him. Now that is called putting a talent to use if I've ever heard tell!
Being a dutiful and loving son, Vulcan fashioned his adopted mother, Thetis, a beautiful necklace of silver and sapphires for her to wear to a dinner party she was attending on Mount Olympus. Juno, not to be outdone, asked where she could obtain such a lovely piece. Thetis was as terrible a liar as she was kind, and Juno figured out that the metalsmith was none other than the baby she had cast out years ago. She demanded that he return 'home' at once, a request he summarily refused, though he was kind enough to send her a chair made of silver and gold, inlaid with mother-of-pearl. Well, perhaps not so kind..it turned out to be a trap. When Juno sat upon it, the metal bands in the chair sprung, capturing the vain goddess fast within them.
For three days, she remained locked in torment, unable to eat or sleep. Jupiter saved the day by promising Vulcan the lovely Venus for a wife if he would release his birth mother from the chair-trap, which he agreed to do. A god of his word, Jupiter delivers and the two are married. Still enamored with his first love of working with metal, Vulcan builds a smithy under Mount Etna on the island of Sicily. Venus, though she may have done her part to free Juno, was not the most faithful of wives, and it is rumored that whenever Vulcan caught her being unfaithful he would beat the metal with such force that smoke would pour out the mountaintop, causing a volcanic eruption. So much for marital bliss!
It is quite obvious (or it should be), that Vulcan's tie to alchemy is quite strong. Alchemy, after all, deals with the manipulation of metal, and what better example of that than an immortal metalsmith?! According to the Renaissance alchemist/physician, Paracelsus, Vulcan personifies not only the manipulation of fire and base metal, but also something much deeper. He represents the creative and transforming power locked within all of mankind; the ability to overcome impossible odds to achieve 'immortality' by works of greatness that we can achieve if only we let our imaginations and creativity soar. Basically, life is what you choose to make of it, not what circumstances dictate. I rather like that sentiment, and tend to agree wholeheartedly. Vulcan..a myth perhaps, but certainly someone we can learn an important life lesson from..alchemy at its finest!
Daniall Healfron
Geber
The Alchemy’s Legendary that I choose is an Arabic alchemy name; Abu Musa Jabbir Ibn-Hayyan - Geber, the Father of Islamic Alchemy. His major work looked at the nature of metals, trying to establish exactly what gave them their different properties. Geber made few distinctions between life and non-life, seeing minerals as a part of creation, in some ways a ‘genus’ with similar qualities.
Therefore, the distinctions between them were fine and transmutation was possible with the correct elixir. Likewise, he believed that distinctions between animals, or between plants, were equally fine and that the alchemist, given the correct elixir, would be able to transform animals from one species into another, perhaps even creating new species.
He wrote how to create and purify acids; nitric, hydrochloric and sulphuric, as well as the mixture of sulfuric and nitric acids, known as Aqua Regia, that can even dissolve gold. He described the methods used for extracting and preparing alum, antimony, lead acetate and mercury oxide. He wrote extensively about the use of varnishes to waterproof leather and metals. He also looked at organic acids, aware of how to concentrate acetic and citric acids.
The Alchemy’s Legendary that I choose is an Arabic alchemy name; Abu Musa Jabbir Ibn-Hayyan - Geber, the Father of Islamic Alchemy. His major work looked at the nature of metals, trying to establish exactly what gave them their different properties. Geber made few distinctions between life and non-life, seeing minerals as a part of creation, in some ways a ‘genus’ with similar qualities.
Therefore, the distinctions between them were fine and transmutation was possible with the correct elixir. Likewise, he believed that distinctions between animals, or between plants, were equally fine and that the alchemist, given the correct elixir, would be able to transform animals from one species into another, perhaps even creating new species.
He wrote how to create and purify acids; nitric, hydrochloric and sulphuric, as well as the mixture of sulfuric and nitric acids, known as Aqua Regia, that can even dissolve gold. He described the methods used for extracting and preparing alum, antimony, lead acetate and mercury oxide. He wrote extensively about the use of varnishes to waterproof leather and metals. He also looked at organic acids, aware of how to concentrate acetic and citric acids.
Diandra Mordecai
Hephaestus and Athena
For this question I decided to focus on Greek mythology—primarily because it’s the area of mythology with which I’m most familiar. In contemplation of the pantheon, though, I found myself torn between two particular deities: Athena, and Hephaestus.
Hephaestus seems, at first, to be the most logical choice: God of fire and forge, skilled in working with metals and patron of craftsmen and smiths. Fire is obviously key to the work of alchemy, and metal is intrinsic to the field, so it makes sense that perhaps his knowledge could be lent to the alchemists in their attempts at turning metals to gold. After all, who would better be familiar with the properties of the various metals, and the ways of manipulating them?
Hephaestus is credited with the construction of Helios’ golden chariot, as well as various other metal workings for the gods (primarily armour and weaponry). However, perhaps most significant, is his creation of Pandora—the first woman—from clay; this is much akin to the homunculus of Alchemy, and furthers the possible ties.
On the other hand, Hephaestus is considered only to be skilled with his hands—the master craftsman. The examples in the lesson all referred to beings of great wisdom, and so I came to consider Athena.
Athena is the Greek goddess of wisdom, but she also reigns over areas such as inspiration, mathematics, philosophy and craft/skill. These combine to make her an altogether worthy candidate for the Greek deity of alchemy, as all these elements are absolutely necessary for success in the “science.”
For this question I decided to focus on Greek mythology—primarily because it’s the area of mythology with which I’m most familiar. In contemplation of the pantheon, though, I found myself torn between two particular deities: Athena, and Hephaestus.
Hephaestus seems, at first, to be the most logical choice: God of fire and forge, skilled in working with metals and patron of craftsmen and smiths. Fire is obviously key to the work of alchemy, and metal is intrinsic to the field, so it makes sense that perhaps his knowledge could be lent to the alchemists in their attempts at turning metals to gold. After all, who would better be familiar with the properties of the various metals, and the ways of manipulating them?
Hephaestus is credited with the construction of Helios’ golden chariot, as well as various other metal workings for the gods (primarily armour and weaponry). However, perhaps most significant, is his creation of Pandora—the first woman—from clay; this is much akin to the homunculus of Alchemy, and furthers the possible ties.
On the other hand, Hephaestus is considered only to be skilled with his hands—the master craftsman. The examples in the lesson all referred to beings of great wisdom, and so I came to consider Athena.
Athena is the Greek goddess of wisdom, but she also reigns over areas such as inspiration, mathematics, philosophy and craft/skill. These combine to make her an altogether worthy candidate for the Greek deity of alchemy, as all these elements are absolutely necessary for success in the “science.”
Lenore Spiaggi
Cerridwen: Welsh Goddess of Alchemy
Although alchemy (its beginnings, at least) has traditionally been associated with the Eastern world, there are too many mentions of processes of perfection through transformation in Western and other cultures to ignore. I'm going to go out on a limb here, and claim that the myth of the Welsh goddess Cerridwen has a very definite alchemical subtext.
Cerridwen possessed the legendary cauldron of Awen (poetic inspiration): a receptacle that goes on the fire is the most crucial tool in any alchemical laboratory. The goddess had a son who was hideously ugly, so she decided to brew a potion to make him wise. The potion had to brew non-stop for a year and a day, so, like any decent alchemist, Cerridwen had two assistants tending to it, Blind Morda stoking the fire and Gwion Bach stirring. The first three drops from the cauldron granted wisdom, the rest would turn into a deadly poison. Unfortunately, three scalding drops spilled on Gwion's hand as he stirred; he put his thumb in his mouth to ease the burn, and instantly he gained the wisdom of the potion, ruining the entire effort in the process (which happened more often than not in any laboratory!)
Naturally, Cerridwen was furious. Gwion fled and she pursued him, both shifting into various animal forms, until finally Gwion turned into a grain of corn and Cerridwen became a hen and ate him. Still, Gwion did not die; Cerridwen got pregnant and gave birth to him again, and the infant with the old soul grew up to become the great bard Taliesin - a peak of perfection for the Celtic peoples, who appreciated poetry above all.
Although alchemy (its beginnings, at least) has traditionally been associated with the Eastern world, there are too many mentions of processes of perfection through transformation in Western and other cultures to ignore. I'm going to go out on a limb here, and claim that the myth of the Welsh goddess Cerridwen has a very definite alchemical subtext.
Cerridwen possessed the legendary cauldron of Awen (poetic inspiration): a receptacle that goes on the fire is the most crucial tool in any alchemical laboratory. The goddess had a son who was hideously ugly, so she decided to brew a potion to make him wise. The potion had to brew non-stop for a year and a day, so, like any decent alchemist, Cerridwen had two assistants tending to it, Blind Morda stoking the fire and Gwion Bach stirring. The first three drops from the cauldron granted wisdom, the rest would turn into a deadly poison. Unfortunately, three scalding drops spilled on Gwion's hand as he stirred; he put his thumb in his mouth to ease the burn, and instantly he gained the wisdom of the potion, ruining the entire effort in the process (which happened more often than not in any laboratory!)
Naturally, Cerridwen was furious. Gwion fled and she pursued him, both shifting into various animal forms, until finally Gwion turned into a grain of corn and Cerridwen became a hen and ate him. Still, Gwion did not die; Cerridwen got pregnant and gave birth to him again, and the infant with the old soul grew up to become the great bard Taliesin - a peak of perfection for the Celtic peoples, who appreciated poetry above all.
Marguerite Davenport
King Solomon
The person I chose to write on is not only a historical figure but also a biblical figure. This person is none other then King Solomon. Though he is best know as the king in the bible who was going to divide a child between two women, each of whom were claiming the child as their own. He is renowed for his great wisdom in all three major faiths, Judaism, Christianly, and Islam. There is strong evidence that either King Solomon practiced alchemy or God bestowed the alchemy knowledge on him.
According to some ancient text Solomon had a ring, a magic ring. With this ring he could cast out demons, talk to animals and there is some speculation that the stone in the ring is in fact the first written account of the philosophers stone. The symbol on the ring is what is now known as the “Star Of David”. According to Alchemy this symbol Y is called the “seal of Solomon” and is the sign for water, down triangle and fire the up triangle. However by combining the alchemical symbols for fire and water, the alchemical symbols for earth and air are also created. The downwards facing triangle is divided along the center by the base line of the opposite triangle. This is the alchemical symbol for earth. Conversely, the upwards triangle divided by the base line of the downwards triangle is the alchemical symbol for air. The fact that these four symbols are on his ring means that his ring in perfect balance.
The person I chose to write on is not only a historical figure but also a biblical figure. This person is none other then King Solomon. Though he is best know as the king in the bible who was going to divide a child between two women, each of whom were claiming the child as their own. He is renowed for his great wisdom in all three major faiths, Judaism, Christianly, and Islam. There is strong evidence that either King Solomon practiced alchemy or God bestowed the alchemy knowledge on him.
According to some ancient text Solomon had a ring, a magic ring. With this ring he could cast out demons, talk to animals and there is some speculation that the stone in the ring is in fact the first written account of the philosophers stone. The symbol on the ring is what is now known as the “Star Of David”. According to Alchemy this symbol Y is called the “seal of Solomon” and is the sign for water, down triangle and fire the up triangle. However by combining the alchemical symbols for fire and water, the alchemical symbols for earth and air are also created. The downwards facing triangle is divided along the center by the base line of the opposite triangle. This is the alchemical symbol for earth. Conversely, the upwards triangle divided by the base line of the downwards triangle is the alchemical symbol for air. The fact that these four symbols are on his ring means that his ring in perfect balance.
Medea de Troja
Isis-Reknowned for Magic
The myth of Isis is a long and winding one. She learned the art of magic by tricking the sun god Ra into telling her his true name, thereby giving her access to his amazing prowess with Magic. Thereafter, her husband Osiris was killed by her brother-in-law/brother Set who locked him in a coffin and set it upon the Nile. Isis retrieved it to give her late husband/brother a proper burial but Set managed to acquire it first and chopped his brother’s body into many pieces then dispersed them across Egypt. In an ardent show of love and determination, Isis hunted down all the pieces of her husband and recreated his body.
The recreation of his body and her skill with magic tied Isis closely to the obscure science of Alchemy. Her name grew famous particularly among the Roman camps thanks to her developing the mummification rituals and healing techniques. These abilities caused many cults to form, worshipping the deity and it is in this way she became a goddess of Alchemy.
Alchemists associate the resurrection of her body with their great quest for immortality and believe that should they manage to duplicate something like resurrection, the secret of immortality would be just a variation of that technique.
Thus in vain, alchemists try to duplicate her extraordinary feat without using magic but to no avail.
The myth of Isis is a long and winding one. She learned the art of magic by tricking the sun god Ra into telling her his true name, thereby giving her access to his amazing prowess with Magic. Thereafter, her husband Osiris was killed by her brother-in-law/brother Set who locked him in a coffin and set it upon the Nile. Isis retrieved it to give her late husband/brother a proper burial but Set managed to acquire it first and chopped his brother’s body into many pieces then dispersed them across Egypt. In an ardent show of love and determination, Isis hunted down all the pieces of her husband and recreated his body.
The recreation of his body and her skill with magic tied Isis closely to the obscure science of Alchemy. Her name grew famous particularly among the Roman camps thanks to her developing the mummification rituals and healing techniques. These abilities caused many cults to form, worshipping the deity and it is in this way she became a goddess of Alchemy.
Alchemists associate the resurrection of her body with their great quest for immortality and believe that should they manage to duplicate something like resurrection, the secret of immortality would be just a variation of that technique.
Thus in vain, alchemists try to duplicate her extraordinary feat without using magic but to no avail.
Niamh Cassidy
Vulcan
"[I]ron must be cleansed of its dross before it can be forged. This process is alchemy; its founder is the smith Vulcan. What is accomplished by fire is alchemy -- whether in the furnace or in the kitchen stove. And he who governs fire is Vulcan, even if he be a cook or a man who tends the stove."
~Spagyrical Writings: Contemplations on Medicine and the Arts of the Physician
According to Paracelsus, a famous 16th century alchemist, the god Vulcan (or Hephaestus, to the Greeks) was in many ways the patron deity of alchemists. Fire was indeed a vital part of any attempt at alchemy -- the Four Degrees of Fire, for example, are very important -- and the process of heating was named Vulcan by the alchemists. Even the practice of blacksmithing in itself revolves around changing the state of a material, as in purifying the metals used or simply turning molten metal into a useful form.
More specifically, two alchemists -- an American named George Starkey and Sir Isaac Newton -- both believed that the ancient myths of the Greeks and Romans contained clues to the creation of the Philosopher's Stone. Newton was said to have continued to search the myths for secret formulas as part of his overall research into alchemy, though he did so secretly, afraid that he might be ostracized if anyone realized how closely he was studying the subject. Starkey, aka Eirenaeus Philalethes, actually used one of the myths about Vulcan to create something called the Net (no relation to the internet).
Vulcan's wife was Venus, whose name was used as the term for copper, and one day Vulcan found her in bed with the god Mars (iron in alchemical terms). As punishment, Vulcan caught them in a special net that he had forged. Guided by the myth, Starkey recreated the forging process Vulcan used and produced an alloy of copper and antimony. Appropriately enough, the substance has a crystalline, net-like appearance, and was believed to be an important step on the path to the Philosopher's Stone.
http://historymedren.about.com/od/primarysources/a/spagyrical.htm
http://www.crystalinks.com/philosopherstone.html
"[I]ron must be cleansed of its dross before it can be forged. This process is alchemy; its founder is the smith Vulcan. What is accomplished by fire is alchemy -- whether in the furnace or in the kitchen stove. And he who governs fire is Vulcan, even if he be a cook or a man who tends the stove."
~Spagyrical Writings: Contemplations on Medicine and the Arts of the Physician
According to Paracelsus, a famous 16th century alchemist, the god Vulcan (or Hephaestus, to the Greeks) was in many ways the patron deity of alchemists. Fire was indeed a vital part of any attempt at alchemy -- the Four Degrees of Fire, for example, are very important -- and the process of heating was named Vulcan by the alchemists. Even the practice of blacksmithing in itself revolves around changing the state of a material, as in purifying the metals used or simply turning molten metal into a useful form.
More specifically, two alchemists -- an American named George Starkey and Sir Isaac Newton -- both believed that the ancient myths of the Greeks and Romans contained clues to the creation of the Philosopher's Stone. Newton was said to have continued to search the myths for secret formulas as part of his overall research into alchemy, though he did so secretly, afraid that he might be ostracized if anyone realized how closely he was studying the subject. Starkey, aka Eirenaeus Philalethes, actually used one of the myths about Vulcan to create something called the Net (no relation to the internet).
Vulcan's wife was Venus, whose name was used as the term for copper, and one day Vulcan found her in bed with the god Mars (iron in alchemical terms). As punishment, Vulcan caught them in a special net that he had forged. Guided by the myth, Starkey recreated the forging process Vulcan used and produced an alloy of copper and antimony. Appropriately enough, the substance has a crystalline, net-like appearance, and was believed to be an important step on the path to the Philosopher's Stone.
http://historymedren.about.com/od/primarysources/a/spagyrical.htm
http://www.crystalinks.com/philosopherstone.html
Silmarien Szilagyi
Demosthenes
Okay, this might be a bit obvious, but I chose Demosthenes. I was originally going to do Hephaestus, but I wanted to go beyond the Greeks, since I already know too much about them. Enter Demosthenes.
He's the brother of Ishtar and widely regarded as another god of alchemy. He spent all his time, which, as a god, is considerable, learning about the world and how it worked. His greatest interest, however, was figuring out where Chaos came from and what its connection to the moon and Darkness were. Additionally, Demosthenes was responsible for elements' association with the calendar and Time's cyclical nature.
His followers began as knowledge-seekers, too, but splintered into various groups. One group, for example, is the Brewers, who not only produce alcohol but also retain a wealth of knowledge and wisdom that locals often call upon. Then there are the Apothecaries, who create and distribute medicines from herbs and other plants, and sell special objects. Finally, there are the actual alchemists who conduct experiments, as opposed to potions and medicines.
What's interesting about Demosthenes is that he promised his followers a place in his libraries and laboratories, where the Knowledge of the World is stored, after their deaths. Thus, even in the Afterlife, his followers would be performing alchemy.
Okay, this might be a bit obvious, but I chose Demosthenes. I was originally going to do Hephaestus, but I wanted to go beyond the Greeks, since I already know too much about them. Enter Demosthenes.
He's the brother of Ishtar and widely regarded as another god of alchemy. He spent all his time, which, as a god, is considerable, learning about the world and how it worked. His greatest interest, however, was figuring out where Chaos came from and what its connection to the moon and Darkness were. Additionally, Demosthenes was responsible for elements' association with the calendar and Time's cyclical nature.
His followers began as knowledge-seekers, too, but splintered into various groups. One group, for example, is the Brewers, who not only produce alcohol but also retain a wealth of knowledge and wisdom that locals often call upon. Then there are the Apothecaries, who create and distribute medicines from herbs and other plants, and sell special objects. Finally, there are the actual alchemists who conduct experiments, as opposed to potions and medicines.
What's interesting about Demosthenes is that he promised his followers a place in his libraries and laboratories, where the Knowledge of the World is stored, after their deaths. Thus, even in the Afterlife, his followers would be performing alchemy.
