Week One – Alchemists
One of the most important characters – albeit one of the most static – in The Book Without Words is Master Thorston, the alchemist. Many questions come to mind.
- What were alchemists?
- Who were alchemists?
- What did they do?
- Did modern day chemistry really come from their efforts?
Here’s what you have to do for this disucssion:
- Using the links below, research alchemists that are well known.
- Post your findings here. Who did you find out about? What is your person known for?
Resource Links for this discussion –
One of the most famous alchemists is Abu Musa Jabir Ibn Hayyan, buy also known as Gerber, which i would say is much easier to pronounce. He was an Arabian Alchemist who lived in present day Iraq. He was the first one to pioneer the weaker acids such as vinegar. He has been credited for the elements Mecury,Sulfur, and Salt. Gerberbelieved the base of all metals was mercury and Sulfur and Gold could be made by recombining elements which would be called “Elixir”. He was a true pioneer to science and made many discovers such as ammonium acid and illustarted how to make white lead. He was not just an alchemist, but a pioneer and his discoveries helped the science world today as we know it. Gerber 721-815 AD.
Paracelsus
Full name: Philippus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim
Lived: 1493 – 1541 AD
Paracelsus was an alchemist, physician, astrologer, and general occultist. (A general occultist is one who is believer of supernatural things.) He was also a renowned Roman scholar of medicine.
The inventor of the word alcohol from the Arabic ‘al-kohl’, also created his own branch of alchemy called ‘spagyric alchemy’.
This alchemist was a strong believer in spiritual alchemy and that the purpose of alchemy was not to transmute metals, but to cure diseases.
Isaac Newton..
Of coarse we all know an alchemist practices alchemy. Alchemy is a form of chemistry and philosophy practiced in the Middle Ages. Issac Newton was one of the well known alchemists. He studied not only math and physics, but spent a lot of his time studying alchemy. His work on light and gravity came from his obsession with alchemy. It’s to be said that Issac Newton also sucessfully transmited lead to gold.
Isaac Newton 1642-1727 A.D.
Newton was one of the last well known alchemists.Newton was mostly known for his study of physics and maths but spent most of his time on alchemy.They say his inspiration for his work on light and gravity came from his obsession with alchemy.Sir Isaac Newton was also believed to sucessfully transmute lead to gold.
Geber full name: Abu Musa Jabir Ibn Hayyan ca. 721 – 815 AD
Geber, known by the Europeans, was an Arabian alchemist who lived in what we now know as Iraq.
He took strong acetic acid from vineger and he believed that metals are made up of mercury and sulfur invarying proportions.He also many popular the idea of the Philosopher’s Stone which would combine the mercury and sulfur to make gold
Geber is responsible for giving us the word ‘gibberish’, derived from his name!
Paracelsus full name: Philippus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim 1493 – 1541 AD
Paracelsus, was a Swiss alchemist who strongly believed in spiratual alchemy. He believed that the purpose of alchemy was to cure diseases, and not transmute metals like other alchemist such as Isacc Newton believed in. Paracelsus, even had his own branch o alchemy called “spagyrie alchemy”, and from this he created the word alcohol.
An alcamist is somebody that makes gold for a living.
Alchemy is the study of making gold for a living.
Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim : he was a travelor and he decdicated much time to help create the philosophers stone. unfortuetly he was a drunky and died from drinking too much
Arnold of Villanova 1235-1311 A.D.
Arnold of Villanova was born in Valencia,Spain, he was capable of speaking Arabic and Greek. He was a controversial writer with a strong view which sometimes challenged the teachings of the church, this tended to get him in trouble. He successfully treated Pope Boniface VIII and the wealthy Pedro III of Aragon. He prospered by treating the illnesses of the rich and powerful. His scientific dicovery was carbon dioxide, and he is creditied for being the first to develop pure alcohol.
–PARACELSUS–
*His full name is Philippus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim.
*He lived from 1493-1541 A.D
*Paracelus, Swiss born,took his name which means “better than Celsus”.
*Celsus is a renowned Roman scholar of medicine.
*From the Arabic word “al-kohl”, he invented the word alcohol.
*He also invented his own branch of alchemy which is called “spagyric alchemy”.
–Spagyric meaning pertaining to or resembling alchemy; alchemic
–Alchemy meaning a form of chemistry and speculative philosophy practiced in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance and concerned principally with discovering methods for transmuting baser metals into gold and with finding a universal solvent and an elixir of life.
*Paracelsus strongly believed in spiritual alchemy and that the purpose of alchemy wasn’t to transmute metals, but to cure diseases.
Sir Issac Newton 1652-1727 A.D. he was an English alchemist who became famous for his math, physics and the time he spent on alchemy. Some belive he once transformed lead into gold.
An alchemist was a person versed in the art of alchemy, an ancient branch of natural philosophy that eventually evolved into chemistry and pharmacology.
One of the greatest alchemists of all time was Abu Bakr Mohammad Ibn Zakariya al-Razi [864-930 AD]
Razi discovered alcohol, the use of alcohol in medicine, and Sulfric acid. He wrote 184 books and articles. Razi was recognized as the best physician of his time who had fully absorbed Greek medical learning.
Paracelsus- his full name was Philippus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenhiem (say that ten times fast)
*his name meant better than celsus. celsus was a Roman scholar of medicine.
*Paracelsus was born in to a swiss family on 1493 A.D
*Invented the word alcohol
*also created his own branch of alchemy. spagyric alchemy.
*He believed that alchemy should not be for transmuting metals but to cure diseases.
*He died in 1541 A.D
*I found out about Paracelsus
*His full name is: Philippus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim
*1493 – 1541 AD
*He took his name meaning ‘better than Celsus’, Celsus being a renowned Roman scholar of medicine.
*He invented the word alcohol from the Arabic ‘al-kohl’, and his own branch of alchemy called ‘spagyric alchemy’.
*He believed in spiritual alchemy
*Also that the purpose of alchemy was not to transmute metals, but to cure disease.
CARLOS—
You said that John Dee is an occultist…but what is that???
Full Name–Isaac Newton
-1642-1727 AD
-English scientist.
-Works in physics, maths, and alchemy.
-People have said that Newtons inspiration for his work on light and gravity came from his obsession wiht alchemy.
-Another amazing accomplishment from Isaac Newton is that he transmuted lead to gold.