Fans of the Harry Potter stories know that the young wizard's first feat was to prevent an evil sorcerer from taking possession of the Philosopher's Stone. This magical substance was allegedly invented by Nicholas Flamel and with his help he gained wealth and immortality. So in a children's fairy tale, J. K. Rowling managed to revive public interest in the extraordinary personality of Nicolas Flamel, a famous medieval alchemist.
What was called alchemy in the Middle Ages? Roger Bacon in the XIII century. wrote: “Alchemy is the science of how to prepare a certain composition, or an elixir, which, if added to base metals, will turn them into perfect metals … This is the science of how things arose from elements, and about all inanimate things … “That is, the main goal of the alchemists was the transformation of common metals into silver and gold.
Alchemy originated in Egypt long before our era. Secret knowledge was passed on only to priests and initiates, who conducted amazing chemical experiments in the secluded halls of temples and sanctuaries. Some researchers believe that the origin of the word "alchemy" itself is Egyptian, because in ancient times Egypt was called the Black Country - khem. After the army of Alexander the Great conquered this country, the secrets of the priests were largely inherited by the Greek philosophers, who wrote the first treatises on alchemy that have come down to us. In the era of the Great Nations Migration, secret knowledge passed to the Arabs, who made a huge contribution to this science, and with the assistance of the crusaders, alchemy appeared in the 10th century. in medieval Europe and became extremely popular here. We know famous alchemists of the Middle Ages: Albertus Magnus, Roger Bacon, Thomas Aquinas,George Ripley, Paracelsus and, of course, Nicolas Flamel. All of them carefully concealed their studies of alchemy and kept records so that only an initiate could understand them. Suppose a record of the famous medieval alchemist Raymond Llull fell into the hands of an uninitiated, where he describes a recipe for making a philosopher's stone: “To prepare the elixir of the sages, or the philosopher's stone, take, my son, philosophical mercury and heat it until it turns into a red lion. Digest this red lion in a sand bath with acidic grape alcohol, evaporate the liquid, and the mercury turns into a gummy substance that can be cut with a knife. Place it in a clay-smeared retort and slowly distill it. Collect separately the liquids of various natures that will appear. You get tasteless phlegm, alcohol and red drops. Cimmerian shadows will cover the retort with their dull veil, and you will find the true dragon inside it, for it devours its tail. Take this black dragon, rub it on a stone and touch it with a hot coal. It will light up and, soon assuming a magnificent lemon color, will reproduce the green lion again. Make it gobble up its tail and distill the product again. Finally, my son, rectify thoroughly, and you will see the appearance of combustible water and human blood. "rectify thoroughly and you will see the appearance of combustible water and human blood. "rectify thoroughly and you will see the appearance of combustible water and human blood."
What can the uninitiated understand? Only that the author of the recording is a devilish brat who uses human blood in their experiments and with its help obtains gold.
Indeed, the main goal of all alchemists was the search for the philosopher's stone, but sometimes they made discoveries that brought no less benefit than the coveted artifact. A striking example is the find of Johann Friedrich Böttger. His father was a minter of coins, and this fact, obviously, aroused the boy's interest in the noble metal. At fifteen, young Böttger entered the Zorn pharmacy in Berlin as an apprentice and took up the study of chemistry. A manuscript about the manufacture of a philosopher's stone that accidentally caught his eye prompted him to try to get it and learn how to turn any metals into gold. The young man spent days and nights in the laboratory, doing chemical experiments, but this did not suit the owner of the pharmacy, and Bettger had to leave. But his studies were not in vain and soon Prince Egon von Fürstenberg became interested in his theory,who took him with him to Dresden and set up a laboratory right in his palace. However, the long-awaited gold could not be obtained in any way. The prince began to threaten the unfortunate alchemist who deceived him. Bettger tried to escape, but was caught and ordered to continue the experiments under the threat of severe punishment. At the same time, Böttger's notes were shown to the Elector of Saxony Augustus I, who disparaged them. The unlucky alchemist was in prison. Only thanks to the intercession of one of the courtiers was the young man given the last chance - he was allowed to experiment with clay, the rich deposits of which were in the vicinity of Meissen. It is unclear how the alchemist was going to extract gold from clay, but he managed to get the highest quality porcelain. In 1710, a manufactory was opened in Meissen, producing Meissen porcelain,the fame of which quickly spread throughout Europe. This enterprise brought in no less income than that which the philosopher's stone could give.
Böttger's example, which transcends the chronological framework of the Middle Ages, is irrefutable proof of the popularity of alchemy. However, not a single reliable evidence has survived to this day that there is a way to turn simple metals into gold. In fact, Bettger was very lucky, since hundreds of his brothers ended their days on the gallows, which, for the sake of shame, were covered with gold leaf - this is where the alchemical gold-seeking was leading.
But even that did not stop enthusiasts, and Nicolas Flamel's writings had a tremendous impact on 17th century scholars such as Robert Boyle and Sir Isaac Newton. Newton even had a copy of Flamel's work, and the Oxford professor wrote a review in which he tried to show what true alchemy was, information about which has come down to us in a highly distorted form.
So who was Nicolas Flamel? Did he really manage to create the Philosopher's Stone? And if this is a myth, what caused its popularity?
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Nicolas Flamel is a real historical figure. The exact date of his birth is unknown, we can only say that he was born around 1330 in the city of Pontoise. Flamel's parents were able to raise funds for their son's education, and as a result, the young man received a so-called "free" education. Having sufficient knowledge in the field of fine literature, he managed to move to the capital and get a job there as a public clerk, who had to be able not only to write letters and rewrite books, but also keep accounts, draw up contracts, inventories and petitions. There are few mentions of these years in the chronicles, therefore, we can trace the path of the alchemist only from the moment of his appearance at the walls of the Temple of the Massacre of Infants, among the public clerks who, from time immemorial, set up their workshops here.
Flamel later moved under the vaults of the Church of Saint-Jacques-la-Bouchery. His business flourished as the young clerk knew how to draw and illustrated manuscripts with his own drawings. After a short time, Nicolas married a woman who was almost twice his age. Mrs Pernella has already celebrated her fortieth birthday and managed to be widowed twice. She had a small fortune, and the couple soon healed quite happily. Nicolas soon opened a second workshop, hired apprentices and took apprentices. The couple bought a piece of land and built a new house, opposite which Flamel's workshop was located. By the way, this house still exists and is considered one of the oldest houses in Paris.
We see that Flamel led the life of a respectable Parisian bourgeois and was far from thinking about taking up the occult sciences. The impetus for the awakening of interest in alchemy, according to Nicolas himself, was an amazing dream. Once in a dream an angel appeared to him, holding in his hand a very ancient, luxurious-looking book. He said: "Flamel, look at this book, you do not understand anything in it, but the day will come when you will see in it something that no one can see." However, Flamel did not manage to take the amazing book in his hands in a dream - the angel disappeared with her in a golden cloud.
This dream sunk into Flamel's soul, and when he finally saw that very book, he did not doubt for a second - this is his fate. The dream book ended up in his hands in 1357, when a stranger in need of money sold it to Flamel for just two florins. Flamel himself wrote about its appearance as follows: “The one who sold me this book, apparently, did not know its true value himself, just like myself when I bought it … I got it for only two florins, although it looked obvious expensive - gilded, old and very large book. It seemed to me that its pages were not made of parchment or paper, but of the thin bark of a tree. Its cover was made of soft leather, engraved with strange inscriptions and drawings. I believe it was either the Greek alphabet, or the letters of another ancient language … On the first page of the tome, it was written in gold letters:"Abraham the Jew, prince, Levite priest, astrologer and philosopher, addresses his story to the Jewish people, scattered by the wrath of God throughout Gaul." This miraculous appearance in his life of the "Book of Abraham the Jew" made Nicholas start a grand adventure to find the philosopher's stone. But very soon Flamel realized that he could not comprehend the secret meaning of the records of the sage of the Jews. This was very offensive, since Nicolas believed that on the first pages of the book he received the necessary information about all the manipulations; he could not establish the names of the materials and sequence, as well as the time of action. He pored day and night over the book. The wife began to worry about his health, and then he revealed his secret to her. There is a version that it was his wife who advised Flamel to seek the help of scientists.addresses his story to the Jewish people, scattered by the wrath of God throughout Gaul. " This miraculous appearance in his life of the "Book of Abraham the Jew" made Nicholas start a grand adventure to find the philosopher's stone. But very soon Flamel realized that he could not comprehend the secret meaning of the records of the sage of the Jews. This was very offensive, since Nicolas believed that on the first pages of the book he received the necessary information about all the manipulations; he could not establish the names of the materials and the sequence, as well as the time of action. He pored day and night over the book. The wife began to worry about his health, and then he revealed his secret to her. There is a version that it was his wife who advised Flamel to seek the help of scientists.addresses his story to the Jewish people, scattered by the wrath of God throughout Gaul. " This miraculous appearance in his life of the "Book of Abraham the Jew" made Nicholas start a grand adventure to find the philosopher's stone. But very soon Flamel realized that he could not comprehend the secret meaning of the records of the sage of the Jews. This was very offensive, since Nicolas believed that on the first pages of the book he received the necessary information about all the manipulations; he could not establish the names of the materials and the sequence, as well as the time of action. He pored day and night over the book. The wife began to worry about his health, and then he revealed his secret to her. There is a version that it was his wife who advised Flamel to seek the help of scientists. This miraculous appearance in his life of the "Book of Abraham the Jew" made Nicholas start a grand adventure to find the philosopher's stone. But very soon Flamel realized that he could not comprehend the secret meaning of the records of the sage of the Jews. This was very offensive, since Nicolas believed that on the first pages of the book he received the necessary information about all the manipulations; he could not establish the names of the materials and the sequence, as well as the time of action. He pored day and night over the book. The wife began to worry about his health, and then he revealed his secret to her. There is a version that it was his wife who advised Flamel to seek the help of scientists. This miraculous appearance in his life of the "Book of Abraham the Jew" made Nicholas start a grand adventure to find the philosopher's stone. But very soon Flamel realized that he could not comprehend the secret meaning of the records of the sage of the Jews. This was very offensive, since Nicolas believed that on the first pages of the book he received the necessary information about all the manipulations; he could not establish the names of the materials and the sequence, as well as the time of action. He pored day and night over the book. The wife began to worry about his health, and then he revealed his secret to her. There is a version that it was his wife who advised Flamel to seek the help of scientists. This was very offensive, since Nicolas believed that on the first pages of the book he received the necessary information about all the manipulations; he could not establish the names of the materials and the sequence, as well as the time of action. He pored day and night over the book. The wife began to worry about his health, and then he revealed his secret to her. There is a version that it was his wife who advised Flamel to seek the help of scientists. This was very offensive, since Nicolas believed that on the first pages of the book he received the necessary information about all the manipulations; he could not establish the names of the materials and the sequence, as well as the time of action. He pored day and night over the book. The wife began to worry about his health, and then he revealed his secret to her. There is a version that it was his wife who advised Flamel to seek the help of scientists.
Among Flamel's regular clients was a licentiate in medicine named Maitre Anselm. Nicolas copied several pages from the cherished book and showed them to Anselm. He approached the study of the records of the unknown sage very seriously, as he turned out to be a great lover of alchemy. Anselm dreamed of looking at the original of the book, and it took Flamel all his ingenuity and resourcefulness to hide that he had the manuscript. Maitre Anselm explained to the novice alchemist that the first sign in the book symbolizes time, and six pages after it indicate that it will take six years to make the Philosopher's Stone. The main components of the mixture are white heavy water (undoubtedly, this means "living silver", mercury), which cannot be caught and held by other means, except for long-term boiling in pure blood of young children. Allegedly, in the blood, mercury will react with gold and silver and turn first into grass, similar to the one painted on the book, then into snakes, which, after drying and calcining over a strong fire, will give gold powder, which will be the philosopher's stone.
Having received such qualified explanations, Flamel began his experiments. For more than twenty years, he devoted to attempts, using the explanations of the licentiate, to make a philosopher's stone. He himself writes about this period as follows: “During twenty-one years I prepared a thousand broths, not with blood, of course, which would have been both evil and sin; I read in a book that the philosophers called blood the spirit of minerals, which should be contained in the metal, mainly the sun, the moon and Mercury (gold, silver and mercury), which I have always adhered to. However, despite all the efforts, it was not possible to get the desired result. After long studies, Flamel was struck by the idea, simple in its genius, - to turn to the author's compatriots, Jewish scientists, for explanations. In those days, Jews were persecuted in France, and most of them lived in Spain. After consulting with his wife,Flamel decided to make a pilgrimage to Saint Jacques of Galicia in order to receive a blessing, and at the same time look in the synagogues of Spain for some learned Jew who could help him understand the meaning of the mysterious symbols. On the way, Nicolas took with him copies of drawings from the book. In 1378, our hero went on a journey that, as the chronicles and legends say, changed his entire subsequent life. Having fulfilled his vow to Saint Jacques, Flamel began looking for the right person, but did not succeed. It's time to go back. On the way home, he passed through Lyon and met a merchant who had a friend - a doctor, a Jew by birth who converted to Christianity. Flamel wished to meet this man. The doctor, whose name was Master Kanches, turned out to be a sophisticated Kabbalist. One quick glance at the copies of the sheets from the book was enough for him,to be delighted. He was beside himself with surprise and joy and immediately asked where Flamel had these copies from. He replied that he would reveal this secret to someone who would help him decipher the symbols of the manuscript, to which Kanchez immediately agreed. He began to explain the meaning of the emblems, and the words struck Flamel as very convincing. With a beating heart, he listened to the revelations of a Kabbalist scientist, and then invited him to go with him to Paris and finish the interpretation using the original texts. However, in Orleans, Maitre Kanches fell seriously ill and after a week of fruitless efforts, Flamel died in his arms. But Nicolas already knew the main thing. Returning home, he took up the experiments with redoubled enthusiasm. Three years of hard work passed, in which Flamel was actively helped by his wife, and finally he received what he dreamed of - a great stone of wisdom. He was beside himself with surprise and joy and immediately asked where Flamel had these copies from. He replied that he would reveal this secret to someone who would help him decipher the symbols of the manuscript, to which Kanchez immediately agreed. He began to explain the meaning of the emblems, and the words struck Flamel as very convincing. With a beating heart, he listened to the revelations of a Kabbalist scientist, and then invited him to go with him to Paris and finish the interpretation using the original texts. However, in Orleans, Maitre Kanches fell seriously ill and after a week of fruitless efforts, Flamel died in his arms. But Nicolas already knew the main thing. Returning home, he took up the experiments with redoubled enthusiasm. Three years of hard work passed, in which Flamel was actively helped by his wife, and finally he received what he dreamed of - a great stone of wisdom. He was beside himself with surprise and joy and immediately asked where Flamel had these copies from. He replied that he would reveal this secret to someone who would help him decipher the symbols of the manuscript, to which Kanchez immediately agreed. He began to explain the meaning of the emblems, and the words struck Flamel as very convincing. With a beating heart, he listened to the revelations of a Kabbalist scientist, and then invited him to go with him to Paris and finish the interpretation using the original texts. However, in Orleans, Maitre Kanches fell seriously ill and after a week of fruitless efforts, Flamel died in his arms. But Nicolas already knew the main thing. Returning home, he took up the experiments with redoubled enthusiasm. Three years of hard work passed, in which Flamel was actively helped by his wife, and finally he received what he dreamed of - a great stone of wisdom.where did Flamel get those copies. He replied that he would reveal this secret to someone who would help him decipher the symbols of the manuscript, to which Kanchez immediately agreed. He began to explain the meaning of the emblems, and the words struck Flamel as very convincing. With a beating heart, he listened to the revelations of a Kabbalist scientist, and then invited him to go with him to Paris and finish the interpretation using the original texts. However, in Orleans, Maitre Kanches fell seriously ill and after a week of fruitless efforts, Flamel died in his arms. But Nicolas already knew the main thing. Returning home, he took up the experiments with redoubled enthusiasm. Three years of hard work passed, in which Flamel was actively helped by his wife, and finally he received what he dreamed of - a great stone of wisdom.where did Flamel get those copies. He replied that he would reveal this secret to someone who would help him decipher the symbols of the manuscript, to which Kanchez immediately agreed. He began to explain the meaning of the emblems, and the words struck Flamel as very convincing. With a beating heart, he listened to the revelations of a Kabbalist scientist, and then invited him to go with him to Paris and finish the interpretation using the original texts. However, in Orleans, Maitre Kanches fell seriously ill and after a week of fruitless efforts, Flamel died in his arms. But Nicolas already knew the main thing. Returning home, he took up the experiments with redoubled enthusiasm. Three years of hard work passed, in which Flamel was actively helped by his wife, and finally he received what he dreamed of - a great stone of wisdom.who will help him decipher the symbols of the manuscript, to which Kanchez immediately agreed. He began to explain the meaning of the emblems, and the words struck Flamel as very convincing. With a beating heart, he listened to the revelations of a Kabbalist scientist, and then invited him to go with him to Paris and finish the interpretation using the original texts. However, in Orleans, Maitre Kanches fell seriously ill and after a week of fruitless efforts, Flamel died in his arms. But Nicolas already knew the main thing. Returning home, he took up the experiments with redoubled enthusiasm. Three years of hard work passed, in which Flamel was actively helped by his wife, and finally he received what he dreamed of - a great stone of wisdom.who will help him decipher the symbols of the manuscript, to which Kanchez immediately agreed. He began to explain the meaning of the emblems, and the words struck Flamel as very convincing. With a beating heart, he listened to the revelations of a Kabbalist scientist, and then invited him to go with him to Paris and finish the interpretation using the original texts. However, in Orleans, Maitre Kanches fell seriously ill and after a week of fruitless efforts, Flamel died in his arms. But Nicolas already knew the main thing. Returning home, he took up the experiments with redoubled enthusiasm. Three years of hard work passed, in which Flamel was actively helped by his wife, and finally he received what he dreamed of - a great stone of wisdom. With a beating heart, he listened to the revelations of a Kabbalist scientist, and then invited him to go with him to Paris and finish the interpretation using the original texts. However, in Orleans, Maitre Kanches fell seriously ill and after a week of fruitless efforts, Flamel died in his arms. But Nicolas already knew the main thing. Returning home, he took up the experiments with redoubled enthusiasm. Three years of hard work passed, in which Flamel was actively helped by his wife, and finally he received what he dreamed of - a great stone of wisdom. With a beating heart, he listened to the revelations of a Kabbalist scientist, and then invited him to go with him to Paris and finish the interpretation using the original texts. However, in Orleans, Maitre Kanches fell seriously ill and after a week of fruitless efforts, Flamel died in his arms. But Nicolas already knew the main thing. Returning home, he took up the experiments with redoubled enthusiasm. Three years of hard work passed, in which Flamel was actively helped by his wife, and finally he received what he dreamed of - a great stone of wisdom. Three years of hard work passed, in which Flamel was actively helped by his wife, and finally he received what he dreamed of - a great stone of wisdom. Three years of hard work passed, in which Flamel was actively helped by his wife, and finally he received what he dreamed of - a great stone of wisdom.
In his notes, he noted: “The first time I transmuted, I applied the powder of projection to mercury, turning about half a pound of this metal into pure silver of a higher quality than that which is mined … noon. Only Pernella was present. Soon, judging by his notes, he was able to turn mercury into gold. It is not known what these conclusions are based on … Some researchers note that it was during this period that the wealth of the Flamel family increased sharply. The neighbors were intrigued to see that the clerk, although successful, began to spend heavily on charity. In 1407, a house was allegedly built on his order, in which Flamel made a shelter for poor wanderers. True, there were rumors that alchemists lived in the shelter.
Also, the elderly couple, who no longer hoped to have children, helped widows and orphans, founded a hospital, donated a large sum to restore the portal of the Church of Sainte-Genevieve-des-Ardans, financed the creation of the Thirty-Five Orphanage. Nicolas Flamel described alchemical experiments in several books, which were published from 1395 to 1414. However, none of his followers managed to recreate the philosopher's stone using the recipes given in the books.
Flamel died in 1417 and was buried next to his wife in the mausoleum he built for her.
True, some argue that this death was just a clever staging, which was supposed to hide the main secret of Flamel - his immortality.
Two centuries have passed since the death of the alchemist. The researchers decided to open his grave and found … that it was empty. At the same time, there were interesting testimonies from people who claimed to have seen Flamel and his wife in good health. So, in the XVII century. the famous traveler Paul Luca talked about a strange incident that happened to him near a mosque in the city of Brusa. Allegedly, then he met a man who called the Seubya the best friend of the Flamels and said that he saw them three months ago in India. He also said that Flamel faked the death of his wife, and later his own, fled to Switzerland, and from there went to wander the world. If this statement is true, then Flamel's age was about 300 years.
A hundred years later, the priest Sir Morcel said that he saw Nicholas Flamel in an underground laboratory located in the center of Paris, where he, as it turned out, continued his work. In 1761, several witnesses claimed to have seen him at the Paris opera. This time he was with his wife and son, whom, according to rumors, the spouses were able to produce in India. There are records that in May 1818 a certain man "who lived at Rue de Clery, 22, offered rich amateurs, ready to pay in advance 300 thousand gold francs, a course in hermetic science. According to him, the graduates of the course could turn metals into silver and gold and make an elixir of youth. However, the mysterious "teacher" disappeared as soon as the police became interested in his case.
In the middle of the nineteenth century, in a grocery store … the tombstone of Nicholas Flamel was discovered. The enterprising grocer could not explain where it came from and used it as a cutting board. The slab is now in the Yuponi Museum. In the upper part of the slab, Peter with a key, Paul with a sword and Christ are depicted, and between them - the sun and the moon. The Latin inscription reads: “I came out of the dust and return to dust. I direct my soul to You, Jesus Savior of mankind, forgiving sins."
A lot of controversy and discussion was caused by a document called Flamel's will. However, studies have shown that it was written in the second half of the 18th century. secret follower of Nicolas. According to legend, the original of the will was written by Flamel in the form of a cipher in the margins of a pocket psalter. The only person to whom Nicolas has entrusted the key is his nephew. Each letter of the cipher had four variants of writing, and in total there were 96 characters in the code. Only Antoine Joseph Perneti and Saint-Marc, who received copies of the text in 1758, deciphered the will. In 1806, an English translation of the will was published, significantly reduced and containing a number of inaccuracies. Only in 1958, Eugene Canselier discovered in the National Library in Paris the manuscript of the will, which was compiled by Denis Molyneux.
Flamel's will contains a detailed description of the preparation of the Philosopher's Stone. As we have already mentioned, the will is addressed to Flamel's nephew, and the alchemist himself claims in it that he will take the secret of the Philosopher's Stone to the grave and asks his nephew for the same.
This story of the invention of the philosopher's stone, full of mysteries and wonders, attracts attention and excites the imagination. However, there are other interpretations of this story. It is possible that Flamel announced the invention of the philosopher's stone only in order to hide the real source of his nowhere wealth. And it was, most likely, a series of dubious transactions. Some chronicles claim that Flamel really became a very wealthy man in a short period and was even able to found and finance fourteen hospitals, seven churches and three cathedrals in Paris alone. However, a closer examination of the circumstances of our hero's life reveals that there is no evidence that the Flamels really had anything to do with alchemy. The first mention of this appeared only in 1500,almost 100 years after their death. Flamel's most popular book, Hieroglyphic Figures, was published in 1612 and, as the research of historians has shown, was written at the end of the 16th century. All other alchemical texts attributed to Nicolas Flamel were created after his death.
But despite all these statements, the legend about the creator of the philosopher's stone continues to grow overgrown with details and conjectures, and people believe in a wise and persistent amateur chemist who managed to comprehend the most intimate secret of nature, which gives wealth and eternal youth.
From the book: "Great secrets and mysteries of the Middle Ages." Author: Verbitskaya Anna