The story of an alchemist and scientist who sold his soul to the devil is known all over the world. Despite clearly mystical motives, Doctor Faust has a real prototype that lived in the 16th century. It is not known whether he had a relationship with otherworldly forces, but he received the glory of a warlock and necromancer during his lifetime. In fact, at the time of writing Goethe's famous tragedy, this character was already popular throughout Europe.
The life of the real Doctor Faust is described in many literary works, it was the basis for folk legends, therefore it is very difficult to single out a rational kernel from these materials today. Only a few documents have survived that mention this name, so there are versions that this character is a composite, it is possible that the real alchemist was credited with the "exploits" of other historical figures after death. The list of possible prototypes includes many thinkers and scientists: Pope Sylvester II, Roger Bacon, Abbot Johann Trithemius and Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa.
Johann Georg Faust, portrait by unknown artist of the 17th century.
However, there are reliable sources that report that Johann Georg Faust was actually born around 1480 in Germany. For the right to be called his homeland, four cities fought for some time: Knitlingen, Helmstedt, Zimmern and Salzwedel. The first won, and now it is there that the Faust Museum is open. The young doctor, apparently, began his career in science early and at the same time wandering around the world - most likely, at first, he was a wandering magician-magician. According to some sources, he studied for some time in Krakow, according to others - about 25 years old, he simply attributed to himself a magnificent title: “Master Georgy Sabellikus Faust Jr., treasure of necromancy, astrologer, successful magician, palmist, aeromancer, pyromancer and outstanding hydromancer ". With such an advertisement, he began his performances. In Gelnhausen's city records, for example,1506 Faust is mentioned in connection with "magic" tricks. He was also probably engaged in alchemy, fortune-telling, and healing according to healers' recipes.
Jan Matejko "Alchemist".
The magician and alchemist could not achieve anything significant, but after a few years, using the patronage of noble persons, he got a job as a school teacher in the city of Kreuznach (now Bad Kreuznach). However, this stage of life ended quickly and ingloriously, he was expelled from the city for pedophilia and black magic. In the documents stored in the archives of Nuremberg, there were also references to Dr. Faust, who is called at the same time a great sodomite, a necromancer and is prohibited from entering the city. In the same period, Johann Trithemius, an outstanding scientist of his time and abbot of the Spongheim Monastery, wrote an indignant letter to his friend, court astrologer and mathematician Johann Firdung: "The man you write to me about … who has the audacity to call himself the head of the necromancers is a vagabond, idle talker and a swindler." …
Despite this attitude of fellow scientists, judging by the documents, Faust still graduates from the University of Heidelberg and receives a degree. In the future, he continues to travel to cities. For example, there is evidence that in 1520 he compiled a detailed horoscope for 10 guilders by order of the bishop of the city of Bamberg. Such a fee was quite generous, so it can be concluded that Faust's reputation eventually reached a decent level. It is known that he tried to teach at universities, but each time he quickly left the position. Colleagues still speak contradictory about him, although they seem to be considered a great scientist. And at the end of his life, according to some testimonies, his fame was comparable to that of Paracelsus.
"Johann Faust (c. 1480 - c. 1540), astrologer, alchemist, lived here between 1525 and 1532" (memorial plaque on the house in Wittenberg).
Promotional video:
One of the first printers Johann Manlius in a letter mentions his acquaintance with Faust of Knittlinger, but he calls this man "a cesspool full of devils." By the way, about the devils, apparently, the doctor gained notoriety during his lifetime and, possibly, as a result of black self-promotion. Probably, such fame helped him in his work. There were absolutely fantastic rumors about him - supposedly the doctor, while dining in a tavern, swallowed a sluggish boy servant, or rode on a barrel of wine, which there was no way to roll it out of the basement, but his faithful companion, a black poodle, helped him in all his affairs. in fact, he was himself unclean.
But the main scandal in the life of Faust was, paradoxical as it may sound, his death. It is believed that he died in 1540 or 1541 when he exploded during an alchemical experiment. This memorable event took place at the Hotel U Lions (Zum Löwen) in the town of Breisgau. The corpse was severely disfigured, and, of course, rumor attributed this tragedy to the doctor's tricks with otherworldly forces. A legend appears about the pact with Satan and about the sold soul, which the devil shook out of the warlock's sinful body in such a noisy way.
Alchemist creating a homunculus.
After the death of Doctor Faust, his popularity only increased and was supplemented by numerous legends. He became the hero of folk tales and farce plays. The main points: an agreement with the devil, successes with women and in godly experiments, and, finally, a bright finale - dragging the soul of a sinner to Hell, just developed during this period. A few decades later, the first novel, The Story of Doctor Faust, was written by an unnamed author. It became a real bestseller and was sold throughout Europe. It was retold in French by the historian and theologian Pierre Caye, who, for example, introduced the ancient beauty Helen into history.
Since then, more than 30 literary works have been written about the rebellious doctor. In addition to Goethe, among many, Heinrich and Thomas Mann, Pushkin, Heine, Turgenev, Lunacharsky, science fiction writers Roger Zelazny and Robert Sheckley addressed this topic. In music - Berlioz, Wagner, Beethoven, Schumann, Liszt, Prokofiev, Schnittke and others. More than 15 films have been filmed; in the 21st century, Doctor Faust even became a hero of comics and computer games, so the popularity of this image does not fade over time.
Faust and Mephistopheles is an eternal story about a man's search for truth and knowledge of himself.
