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"...
Da ward ein roter Leu, ein kühner Freier,
im lauen Bad, der Lilie vermählt,
Und beide dann, mit offnem Flammenfeuer,
Aus einem Brautgemach ins andere gequält.
Erschien darauf, mit bunten Farben,
die junge Königin im Glas,
Hier war die Arzenei, die Patienten starben,
Und niemand fragte: wer genas?
So haben wir, mit höllischen Latwergen,
in diesen Tälern, diesen Bergen,
Weit schlimmer als die Pest getobt.
Ich habe selbst den Gift an Tausende gegeben:
Sie welkten hin, ich muss erleben,
Dass man die frechen Mörder lobt.
"
Faust, J.W. Goethe
A moment of reflection in the busy life of New Holland Honeyeater.
As per BirdLife Australia "one of Australia’s most energetic birds. Fuelled up on high-energy nectar taken from the flowers of banksias, eucalypts, grevilleas ..."
(Phylidonyris novaehollandiae)
"You are an alchemist; make gold of that."
William Shakespeare
"(...) kitchen alchemy: the moment when ingredients combine to form something more delectable than the sum of their parts."
Erin Morgenstern
The backroom of a club in the ancient jewish quarter Kazimierz at Kraków (Cracow). The color version.
Stein der Weisen
Diesen, von Schattenlinien verzauberten Stein, sah ich in Twyfelfontein, eine der bedeutendsten Fundstätten von Felsgravuren.
This final set of four shots from the series at Greens Beach in northern Tasmania is easily the most Metaphysical work I have done. If you want to understand the mood I was in when I took them, you can read the description under my photograph, "Man with Beanie".
Since then I have consciously allowed my unconscious to shape the way I have edited the shots. Some you have already picked up on that. For me the meaning of these photographs is in their titles. But they are just clues for you to build on.
Meaning in any art comes from the interplay of our social context or surface reality (Habermas' life-world) and our subconscious mythic or deeper reality (Jung saw this as our dream-world). Which is the best path to truth? Which can we trust?
Alchemists sought through their "metaphysical science" not to turn base metals into gold quite literally, but searched for the "philosopher's stone" (no, not the Harry Potter version!). They wanted the elixir of life. They wanted a return to the "Tree of Life".
In the Jewish mystical tradition this is called The Kabbalah. In the ancient Greek traditions this was called Gnosis.
* "gnosis" means true knowledge that comes from the depths of our true inner self.
I can't begin to tell you how much I adore and love these books.
Texture by Skeletalmess.
I have noticed recently that this photo has been posted quite a lot on Tumblr and We Heart It. I don't mind people using it on their blogs, but PLEASE PLEASE give me credit for it. A link back to this page is fine. It's rude not to give credit, and I really don't appreciate it. Thank you.
Late afternoon in Leadenhall Market. Leadenhall Market is a covered market in London, located on Gracechurch Street.
Did you know: Leadenhall Market was the setting (in 2001) for Diagon Alley in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.
An alchemist's laboratory or a goldsmith's workshop, located on Golden Lane (Zlatá ulička) in Prague, Czech Republic.
- Golden Lane is a famous, historic street situated within the walls of Prague Castle. Legends suggest it was once home to alchemists seeking to discover the philosopher's stone.
-The scene includes a variety of period-accurate tools and objects, such as a birdcage, scales, glassware like a round-bottomed flask on a stand, and numerous metalworking or alchemical instruments spread across a wooden workbench.
- The window features a distinctive honeycomb pattern (hexagonal) leading, which is a common characteristic of medieval and early modern European glass design.
The magic mirror is a mirror belonging to the universe of the marvelous. He is in turn gifted with speech, capable of revealing invisible truths or the deepest wishes through the image.The Mirror of Erised is a mystical mirror discovered by Harry in an abandoned classroom in Philosopher's Stone. On it is inscribed "erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi". When mirrored and correctly spaced, this reads "I show not your face but your heart's desire." As "erised" reversed is "desire," it is the "Mirror of Desire." Harry, upon encountering the Mirror, can see his parents, as well as what appears to be a crowd of relatives; Ron sees himself as Head Boy and Quidditch Captain holding the House Cup, thus revealing his wish to escape from the shadow of his highly successful older brothers, as well as his more popular friend, Harry. Dumbledore cautions Harry that the Mirror gives neither knowledge nor truth, merely showing the viewer's deepest desire, and that men have wasted their lives away before it, entranced by what they see. Dumbledore, one of the few other characters to face the Mirror in the novel, claims to see himself holding a pair of socks he always wanted, telling Harry that "one can never have enough socks," and lamenting that he did not receive any for Christmas, since people will insist on giving him books. However, Harry suspects that this is not true, and it is suggested in Deathly Hallows that what he really sees is his entire family alive, well and happy together again, much like Harry.The Mirror of Erised was the final protection given to the Philosopher's Stone in the first book. Dumbledore hid the Mirror and hid the Stone inside it, knowing that only a person who wanted to find but not use the Stone would be able to obtain it. Anyone else would see him or herself making an Elixir of Life or turning things to gold, rather than actually finding the Stone, and would be unable to obtain it. What happens to it afterwards is unknown. In Order of the Phoenix, Sirius gives Harry a mirror he originally used to communicate with James while they were in separate detentions. That mirror is a part of a set of Two-way Mirrors that are activated by holding one of them and saying the name of the other possessor, causing his or her face to appear on the caller's mirror and vice versa. Harry receives this mirror from Sirius in a package after spending his Christmas holiday at Grimmauld Place. Harry, at first, chooses not to open the package, although he does discover the mirror after Sirius's death, by which point it is no longer functional. It makes its second appearance in Deathly Hallows when Mundungus Fletcher loots Grimmauld Place and sells Sirius's mirror to Aberforth Dumbledore, who uses it to watch out for Harry in Deathly Hallows. When Harry desperately cries for help to a shard of the magical mirror (which broke in the bottom of his trunk), a brilliant blue eye belonging to Aberforth (which Harry mistakes for Albus's eye), appears and he sends Dobby, who arrives to help Harry escape from Malfoy Manor to Shell Cottage. The Chinese magic mirror is an ancient art that can be traced back to the Chinese Han dynasty (206 BC – 24 AD).[1] The mirrors were made out of solid bronze. The front is a shiny polished surface and could be used as a mirror, while the back has a design cast in the bronze. When bright sunlight or other bright light reflects onto the mirror, the mirror seems to become transparent. If that light is reflected from the mirror towards a wall, the pattern on the back of the mirror is then projected onto the wall. In about 800 AD, during the Tang dynasty (618–907), a book entitled Record of Ancient Mirrors described the method of crafting solid bronze mirrors with decorations, written characters, or patterns on the reverse side that could cast these in a reflection on a nearby surface as light struck the front, polished side of the mirror; due to this seemingly transparent effect, they were called "light-penetration mirrors" by the Chinese.This Tang era book was lost over the centuries, but magic mirrors were described in the Dream Pool Essays by Shen Kuo (1031–1095), who owned three of them as a family heirloom. Perplexed as to how solid metal could be transparent, Shen guessed that some sort of quenching technique was used to produce tiny wrinkles on the face of the mirror too small to be observed by the eye. Although his explanation of different cooling rates was incorrect, he was right to suggest the surface contained minute variations which the naked eye could not detect; these mirrors also had no transparent quality at all, as discovered by William Bragg in 1932 (after an entire century of them confounding Western scientists). Robert Temple describes their construction: "The basic mirror shape, with the design on the back, was cast flat, and the convexity of the surface produced afterwards by elaborate scraping and scratching. The surface was then polished to become shiny. The stresses set up by these processes caused the thinner parts of the surface to bulge outwards and become more convex than the thicker portions. Finally, a mercury amalgam was laid over the surface; this created further stresses and preferential buckling. The result was that imperfections of the mirror surface matched the patterns on the back, although they were too minute to be seen by the eye. But when the mirror reflected bright sunlight against a wall, with the resultant magnification of the whole image, the effect was to reproduce the patterns as if they were passing through the solid bronze by way of light beams."
Michael Berry has written a paper describing the optics and giving some photos. In Shrek, an animated animation film brocading traditional fairy tales, the magic mirror is both gifted with speech and able by the image to reveal distant truths.
Lord Farquaad, in search of a princess to marry, a necessary condition for him to become king, interrogates the magic mirror brought to him by his men. They pull it out of a thick bag, suggesting that it has been removed. The mirror is supposed to help Lord Farquaad in his approach, but his inability to lie from the beginning is taken for impertinence and his frankness is quickly swayed by the threat of a guard, who breaks a small mirror in front of him in a gesture of intimidation. The magical mirror then responds "carefully" to save his life. He speaks with a man's voice and his expression is personified by the image of a white mask that appears in his reflection. The image of the mask disappears in a second time, remains the voice that is transformed into voiceover of the program Tournez manège. Then appear in the reflection the three princesses candidate for marriage, qualified as "Catherinettes": Cinderella, Snow White and Fiona. When Lord Farquaad, indecisive and influenced by his henchmen, finally set his sights on Fiona, the magic mirror tries to warn him against an event that occurs at nightfall, but Lord Farquaad, in his impatience, does not give him time.The title of this chapter is a quote from Cassirer. In The Myth of State, he describes theories of myth that followed Schelling's: [The old spell was never completely broken. Every scholar still found in myth those objects with which he was most familiar. At bottom the different schools saw in the magic mirror of myth only their own faces. The linguist found in it a world of words and names-the philosopher found a "primitive ophy"--the psychiatrist a highly complicated and interesting neurotic phenomenon. This may indeed be true. But there is a correlative truth-at least concerning the theories of myth we're examining here. The reflec- tion and the reflected are much more intimately related than Cas- sirer admits. If the subject of myth is a mirror reflecting our intel- lectual concerns, our intellectual mirror myth as well. The present chapter has two goals. The first is piecing together the investigative results of Cassirer, Barthes, Eliade, into a coherent pattern of explanation and description. The second goal is more ambitious. We will examine this explanatory fabric for what it can theoretical endeavors. I will articulate the ways in which the theo- ries of myth themselves exhibit the same characteristics as those authors ascribe Though changed, its function remains the same: myth can be discovered at work in our most sophisticated theoretical constructions about myth. Our theo- retical accounts of myth serve the same tales around an open fire. through 5, we examined four theories of rather straightforward way. I offered synopses of the intellectual positions of the thinkers, outlined their views of myth, and pointed out areas of agreement and disagreement among them. The analysis undertake in this chapter is more like making a quilt. will take bits and pieces of the four accounts of myth, rearrange them into a harmonious pattern, and create something new without destroying the texture, the color, or the fabric of the old. The four authors we've been studying seem to have little in common beyond the selection of myth as an important topic for Cassirer is a critical idealist, investigating the mythical for what it exhibits of the movement of consciousness out of its embeddedness in organic, biologically determined exis- tence and toward an ideal freedom, the fulfillment of the telos of Spirit as it creates symbolic form. Barthes is a neo-Marxist struc- turalist semiologist inveighing against the furtive cover-up of con- tingent, historical processes; a cover-up performed by mythical sig- nification, especially as bourgeois mythmaking attempts to stop up free, revolutionary speech. Eliade offers an account of a sacred ontology, an existential position of being human made possible and available through reciting mythical narratives and participating ritual acts. Sacred ontology allows for the erasure of the terrors history and for full freedom for human being in participating in the creation of the cosmos as a meaningful, ordered, Hillman, a or archetypal psychologist, follows the path of soul-making through mythical forms to the soul's destination of freedom from analys and misogyny, movement toward a divine" psychology. the great differences in perspective we find these theories, why have I chosen to compare them in my own work on myth? First, I am doing a "second-order" analysis, not begun at the beginning, so to speak, examining myriad examples of myth and offering an original interpretation of them. That groundwork has already been done by many other competent researchers, includ ing Cassirer, Barthes, Eliade, and Hillman, I have taken for granted that thinkers of such intellectual sophistication, despite their inerad. 166 THE MAGIC MIRROR articulate and constitute the distinction between human being and the world for human being. We can also begin to elucidate more fully the means by which myth-and theories of myth-perform this task. We can identify these by piecing together our explanatory fabric in a different wa Rather than explicating the internal organization of a theory (for example, moving step-by-step through Eliade's account of the hiero- phany) and clarifying this through comparison we can look for more subtle points of congruence across the four theories. We can find these congruences, and they exhibit a definite theoretical pattern. I will offer a schematic rendering of this pattern here, it will be examined in detail in what follows. "Myth" is a functional construct with no definite able content. The function that myth serves is to unite and separate two opposed ontological regions. Myth is irreducible to one or the other and at the same time is intimately related to each and to both. This is the paradoxical nature of the mythical, it is a kind of gateway, hinge, turnstile, or threshold. This undecidable quality of myth in service of distinguishing opposing ontological regions means to maintain its status as myth it must con- tinue in its function as the boundary between incommensurables The ontological regions delineated through the paradoxical func tiot of myth are that which belongs to human being proper and that which is other. Myth also plays an important role in deter mining the ontological priority of the region that belongs to human being (however construed). The otherness of what belongs to the secondary region determined by the mythical makes it particularly intransigent for theoretical endeavor. However, certain features of what is mythically designated as other can be transformed and recu- perated for the truly human region through a reduction of what is other to that of the same, myth works as a kind of permeable boundary This pattern of explanation is evident in each of the theories we've examined. But the same constellation of traits can be found in way that each author uses the concept of myth. We will see how concept of myth works as it alternately hides and betrays (some- times) covert metaphysical, ontological, and valuational assump tions in the theories. The concept of myth serves as a gateway or threshold, the paradoxical site or the perfect alibi, demarcating anti thetical ontological realms, one of which is honored and valorized the other taboo. The concept of myth, like myth itself, serves to mark the limit of the truly human, however construed.The Magic Mirror is owned by the Evil Queen and has been depicted in different versions as either a hand mirror or a mirror on the wall. Every morning, the Evil Queen asked the Magic Mirror the question "Magic mirror in my hand, who is the fairest in the land?". The mirror always replies: "My Queen, you are the fairest in the land." The Queen is always pleased with that, because the magic mirror never lies. But, when Snow White reaches the age of seven, she becomes as beautiful as the day and even more beautiful than the Queen and when the Queen asks her mirror, it responds: "My Queen, you are the fairest here so true. But Snow White is a thousand times more beautiful than you." This resulted in the Evil Queen enlisting a huntsman to kill Snow White and bring her Snow White's lungs and liver.
After eating the lungs and liver of a boar that the Huntsman passed off as Snow White's lungs and liver, the Evil Queen asked the Magic Mirror the question "Magic Mirror in my hand, who is the fairest in the land?" The mirror replies: "My Queen, you are the fairest here so true. But Snow White beyond the mountains at the seven Dwarfs is a thousand times more beautiful than you." This caused the Evil Queen to disguise herself as different women to kill Snow White.
After the latest attempt with a poison apple which was undone by the Prince and Snow White marrying him, the Evil Queen asked the Magic Mirror who the fairest in the land was, the Magic Mirror quoted "You, my Queen, are fair so true. But the young Queen is a thousand times fairer than you." The Evil Queen learned too late at the wedding that the young queen in question was Snow White which eventually leads to the Queen's death which varied per version.
Real-life influences
The “Talking Mirror” at the Spessart Museum in Lohr am Main
German pharmacist and fairy-tale parodist Karlheinz Bartels suggests, in a tongue-in-cheek manner, that the German folk tale "Snow White" is influenced by Maria Sophia Margaretha Catherina von und zu Erthal, who was born in Lohr am Main in 1725.[1] After the death of Maria Sophia's birth mother in 1738, her father Philipp Christoph von und zu Erthal remarried.[2] Claudia Elisabeth von Reichenstein, the stepmother, was domineering and greatly favored the children from her first marriage.[3] The Queen's iconic mirror, referred to as “The Talking Mirror,” can still be viewed today at Spessart Museum in the Lohr Castle, where Maria Sophia was born. The mirror was likely a gift from Philipp Christoph to Claudia Elisabeth. It was a product of the Lohr Mirror Manufacture (Kurmainzische Spiegelmanufaktur). The mirror “talked” predominantly in aphorisms. The upper right corner of “The Talking Mirror” contains a clear reference to self-love (Amour Propre). Moreover, mirrors from Lohr were so elaborately worked that they were accorded the reputation of “always speaking the truth”. They became a favorite gift at European crown and aristocratic courts.
Modern adaptations
This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it. Disney Disney's Snow White franchise
The Evil Queen with her Mirror at Mickey's Boo-to-You Halloween Parade 2010. The Magic Mirror appeared in Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs voiced by Moroni Olsen. The Magic Mirror contained an imprisoned spirit who is referred to as the Slave in the Magic Mirror. In his first appearance in the film, the Evil Queen would consult with the Magic Mirror to ask who the fairest of one all was. The Magic Mirror always told the Evil Queen that she was the fairest one of all. When asked who the fairest of all is, the spirit replies that, while the Queen is beautiful, a fairer being exists. When the Queen angrily asks for the girl's name, the spirit describes her, making it obvious to the Queen that Snow White is the one being referred to. The Queen then orders her Huntsman to kill Snow White and bring her back her heart. When the Evil Queen asks the Magic Mirror who the fairest of them all was later that evening, the Magic Mirror told her that Snow White was the fairest of them all. Though the Queen at first believes the spirit to be incorrect and showed it the heart in question, she is told that she holds the heart of a pig and that Snow White still lives in the Cottage of the Seven Dwarfs.
The Magic Mirror appeared in Disney's House of Mouse, voiced by Tony Jay and seen in the lobby of the club. It would always answer questions given to him by the guests or give advice to the staff members. The Magic Mirror also appeared in Fantasmic! voiced again by Tony Jay.
The Magic Mirror appears in Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep voiced by Corey Burton. The Magic Mirror first appears in Terra's storyline. As per the movie, it told the Queen that Snow White was now much fairer than the vain ruler. However, it added on that her heart was a pure light than shone bright. It was then promised by the Evil Queen usage by Terra to find Master Xehanort if he brought her Snow White's heart. However, he did not do so and told the Evil Queen he never intended to. Terra then proceeds to tell her that unlike Snow White, she has much darkness in her heart. The Evil Queen, insulted and outraged, commanded the mirror to destroy Terra. The Magic Mirror refused saying it can only answer questions. The Evil Queen's increasing rage then caused the mirror to have a potion slammed on its face sucking Terra in and fighting him. However, he is defeated and releases Terra. The Evil Queen reluctantly has the Magic Mirror tell Terra where he can find Master Xehanort. The Magic Mirror quotes "Beyond both light and dark he dwells, where war was waged upon the fells." Upon learning this information, Terra takes his leave from the Evil Queen and the Magic Mirror where the Magic Mirror's cryptic response would direct Terra to the Keyblade Graveyard. The Magic Mirror later appears in Aqua's storyline. When Aqua looks for a cure for Snow White in the castle, the still-possessed Magic Mirror drags her into the mirror for a fight, but she also manages to defeat him and is released. The Magic Mirror then disappears stating to Aqua "The Queen is gone, my service done. Adieu, oh victorious one."
In the Disney Channel original movie Descendants, the Evil Queen has retained the Mirror after her exile to the Isle of the Lost, reduced to a small hand-mirror that is passed on to her daughter Evie. Although it is still controlled by rhymes spoken by the user and doesn't have an inhabitant in it.
A different version of the Magic Mirror appeared in The 7D voiced by Whoopi Goldberg. This version is a female that serves Queen Delightful of Jollyland.
Once Upon a Time
In Once Upon a Time, the Magic Mirror started out as a Genie (played by Giancarlo Esposito) where he and his lamp were discovered by King Leopold. King Leopold feels no need to wish for anything and uses the first and second wishes to free the Genie from the lamp and to give the third wish to the Genie. The Genie expresses the desire to find true love, so King Leopold takes the Genie to his castle as he believes the Genie can find true love there. He falls in love with the King's wife Queen Regina and gives her a hand mirror. The King reads in the Queen's diary that she has fallen in love with the man who gave her the hand mirror and asks the Genie to locate him. The Queen is then locked in her room to prevent her from leaving the King. To free her, her father has the Genie bring her a locked box, which turns out to be filled with poisonous vipers from Agrabah so the Queen can kill herself. Instead, the Genie uses the vipers to kill King Leopold and allow the Queen to be with him. She tells him that since the vipers were from his country, the guards will find out that he was the murderer and flee. Realizing the Queen never loved him, he uses his wish to be always with her and to never leave her sight. This traps him in the hand mirror. As a spirit in the Magic Mirror, he is able to move between and see through all other mirrors in the Enchanted Forest. He is used by Regina to spy on and locate others.
In Storybrooke, he is Sidney Glass, a reporter for Storybrooke's local newspaper The Daily Mirror. On Regina's request, he researches Emma Swan's past to help Regina expel her from Storybrooke. After Graham's death, Regina attempts to appoint him sheriff, but the wording of the town charter calls for an election. He loses the position to Emma Swan. Regina has him removed from the newspaper staff, and Sidney goes to Emma, claiming that he wants to expose Regina as the corrupt person she is. However, the exposé reveals Regina's attempts to improve the community. Despite this, Sidney tells Emma that he will help her take down Regina, but it is revealed that he is secretly in league with Regina, who is using Emma's trust in Sidney to gain leverage over Emma. Emma later learns that he planted a bug in a vase glass after it is used to tip off Regina upon discovering a key piece of evidence that would have cleared Mary Margaret Blanchard of Kathryn Nolan's murder. Emma confronts Sidney and realizes that he is in love with Regina. Still, Emma presses him to help defeat Regina. However, after Kathryn is found alive, Sidney falsely confesses to kidnapping Kathryn and framing Mary Margaret so that he could "find" Kathryn and become famous. Later, a cell labeled "S. Glass" is seen in the hospital basement's psychiatric ward. The name "S. Glass" is visible on a door in the first season finale, suggesting that Regina had locked him in the Storybrooke Hospital's psychiatric ward after he confessed to the kidnapping. In "A Tale of Two Sisters," Regina frees Sidney Glass from the psychiatric ward to be her Mirror again in order to enlist him into helping get rid of the people that are in the middle of her happiness. Regina temporarily places Sidney in the mirror to find the exact moment in which Maid Marian was apprehended by Regina's men. Regina later consults with Sidney on how to change fate. Regina tells Sidney that the villains in the book don't get a happy ending and wants him to find the writer of the book so that she can make some changes like allowing the villains to get their happy endings. In "Breaking Glass," Regina has Sidney Glass look for the Snow Queen's hideout in order to force her into thawing Maid Marian from her freezing spell. When Emma arrives to know where Sidney Glass is, Regina states that she's too busy to tell her where Sidney Glass is. Sidney later reports to Regina about where the Snow Queen is hiding out after his failed attempt to get a leverage on Regina. Using a compact to remain in contact to Sidney Glass, Regina heads in the directions of the Snow Queen's hideout. Regina later admits that Sidney was in the mirror. Upon strong winds reaching Emma and Regina, Sidney states the Snow Queen had swayed him to her side as Elsa's ice bridge breaks. After Emma and Regina defeat a large Viking made of ice, the Snow Queen takes the compact that Sidney is and retreats. At her hideout, the Snow Queen frees Sidney from the mirror as she wanted the mirror that he was trapped in to go with her mirror that she is putting together. The Snow Queen states that she wants the mirror that Sidney Glass is in since it is filled with dark magic. Before declaring Sidney free, the Snow Queen advises Sidney to get a warm coat since it is "going to get cooler around here."
Other
The 10th Kingdom
In the TV miniseries The 10th Kingdom, a magic mirror is a key element of the plot, as protagonists Tony and Virginia Lewis travel from New York into the fairy-tale realm via a traveling mirror, which they subsequently lose and must spend the rest of the series searching for, while their enemy, the evil Queen and protégé of Snow White's deceased stepmother, spies on them with other magic mirrors. The travelling mirror that brought them to this world is destroyed in an accident, but an old mirror referred to as Gustav- which can only communicate and respond to queries made in rhyme- reveals that there were two other travelling mirrors made, with one sunk at the bottom of the ocean and the other in the possession of the Queen. With the Queen's defeat, Virginia returns to New York through the Queen's travelling mirror, although Tony decides to remain in the fairy-tale realm to enjoy his new status as a hero.
Faerie Tale Theatre
The mirror in Faerie Tale Theatre was played by Vincent Price, whose face appeared as if mounted on the top of the mirror (in reality, Price stuck his face through a hole). This mirror, as did all of the Queen's (Vanessa Redgrave) other mirrors, turned black as she found out that Snow White was alive.
Grimm's Fairy Tale Classics
The Magic Mirror appears in the "Snow White" episode of Grimm's Fairy Tale Classics. It is kept in a cabinet in the Evil Queen's chambers. Like the story, the Magic Mirror told the Evil Queen that she was the fairest of them all until the day when Snow White came of age. In this version when the Magic Mirror told the Evil Queen that the Seven Dwarfs freed Snow White from the deadly laces and that she can't be killed when she is in their protection, the Evil Queen breaks the Magic Mirror vowing to prove it wrong.
Happily Ever After
The Magic Mirror appeared as the Looking Glass in Happily Ever After voiced by Dom DeLuise. When Lord Maliss asks him where his sister the Evil Queen is and threatens it for information, the Looking Glass tells him that she has died trying to kill Snow White. After Snow White evaded Lord Maliss' dragon form, Lord Maliss consults the Looking Glass again as the Looking Glass tells him that Snow White and the Dwarfelles are heading to Rainbow Falls. When Snow White ventures to Lord Maliss' castle, the Looking Glass tells him that it will be tough for Snow White to find his castle. When the Dwarfelles enter Lord Maliss' castle and wonder where Lord Maliss has taken Snow White, the Looking Glass states that "beneath the Queen lies a secret door." After searching the area, they find a panel to the hidden door underneath the Evil Queen's bust.
The Hunters
In the 2013 SyFy film The Hunters, it is revealed that the Magic Mirror was inspired by a fabled mirror that is said to grant the wish of whoever looks into it; supposedly, the mirror triggered the Dark Ages. The mirror was sought by an ancient army known as the Krugen before the hunters- a group of scientist knights dedicated to protecting fairy-tale artefacts- acquired the mirror, breaking off four shards from the mirror and hiding them and the mirror away when destroying it completely proved impossible. The film focuses on a family of hunters, the Flynns, with the parents being experienced hunters seeking the shards to keep them away from the Krugen and their sons being forced to take up the hunt when their parents go missing. The mirror is eventually reassembled by the film's antagonist, but he is tricked into making a wish that caused the mirror to destroy him, with the protagonists subsequently wishing for the mirror to destroy itself.
The Huntsman film series
In Snow White and the Huntsman, the Magic Mirror appears as a golden gong-like mirror that oozes out a hooded robed being (voiced by Christopher Obi) whenever Queen Ravenna called upon it for information, although apparently, the being is only visible to Ravenna, as her henchmen observe her talking to thin air. The Magic Mirror first appeared where he told Queen Ravenna that Snow White was coming to the age where she will be more fairer than Queen Ravenna. The Mirror is last seen when Snow White defeats Ravenna, ending the Evil Queen's rule.
In prequel/sequel, The Huntsman: Winter's War, the Magic Mirror (voiced by Fred Tatasciore) is revealed to hold darker forms of magic. He is seen in flashbacks of Queen Ravenna's tyrannical reign, where it tells Ravenna that her sister Freya will give birth to a child who will exceed Ravenna's beauty as the fairest of them all. The Mirror also predicts that if the child was to be harmed, Freya will unleash powers, prompting Ravenna to orchestrate the murder of her own niece, both to preserve her own beauty and, in her own twisted way, help her sister. Freya, in horror at her discovery, releases icy powers that kill her lover and turns her hair white. Years later, after Ravenna's death, the Magic Mirror has gone missing while travelling to a Sanctuary where Snow White believes its evil can be contained. It is revealed to be in the hands of a troll in a forest, but Freya, seeking the mirror for herself, orders Sara- the Huntsman's presumed-dead wife- to retrieve it. Although Sara obeys this order, she tricks Freya by sparing Eric's life. Freya's subsequent attempt to use the Mirror herself reveals that Ravenna had hidden a part of herself in the mirror, restoring her to a form of life apparently formed of the Mirror's gold while still appearing human. In the final confrontation, Freya learns the truth about her sister's role in the death of her daughter (Ravenna was now the mirror spirit and was thus bound to answer Freya's questions truthfully), prompting her to aid Eric in destroying the Mirror at the cost of her own life. However, the final scene shows a golden raven flying away, suggesting that a part of the mirror - and thus Ravenna - may have survived.
Mirror Mirror
In the film Mirror Mirror, elements of the Magic Mirror are featured as a large mirror that serves as a portal to the Mirror House where Queen Clementianna consults with the Mirror Queen (played by Lisa Roberts Gillian). To access the portal to the Mirror House, Queen Clementianna would quote "Mirror Mirror on the Wall." The Mirror Queen would always advise Queen Clementianna not to use dark magic for her own gain. After the aged Queen Clementianna takes the slice of an apple she was to give to Snow White from her, the Mirror Queen declared that it was Snow White's story all along as the Mirror House and the Mirror Portal shattered.
Princesses
In Jim C. Hines' Princesses series – chronicling the adventures of Snow White with Princess Danielle Whiteshore (Cinderella) and former Princess Talia Malak-el-Dahshat (Sleeping Beauty) after their tales concluded with Snow and Talia being banished from their kingdoms and taken in by Danielle's mother-in-law – Snow White is a sorceress who uses her mother's mirror as a key focus of her spells, relying on various smaller mirrors to maintain a link to it when away from the palace; her power is commonly focused by using various rhymes as spells, although she can create other spells without speaking. The fourth novel, The Snow Queen's Revenge, reveals that the magic mirror was created by Snow White's mother imprisoning a demon and binding it to her service. The plot suggests that the mirror's role in the original story was motivated by the demon attempting to create a set of circumstances that would allow it to escape, inspiring Snow's mother to attack her daughter so that Snow would inherit the mirror and some day make a mistake that would let the demon out. In the novel The Snow Queen's Revenge, the mirror shatters after Snow tries to perform a particularly complex spell, allowing the demon within it to possess Snow while shards of the mirror corrupt others, forcing Danielle and Talia to return to Snow's kingdom in the hopes of rediscovering the secrets used by Snow White's mother to bind the demon in the first place so that they can try and exorcise it from Snow. After this plan proves impossible due to the demon's interference, the demon attempts to recreate a larger ice-mirror to summon further demons into this world, using the part-fairy blood of Danielle's son Jakub – Danielle having some fairy blood in her from her mother's side of the family – but a reflection of Snow's untainted self helps protect her friends long enough for them to destroy the demon, at the cost of Snow's life.
Sesame Street
The Magic Mirror appeared in Episode 685 of Sesame Street with the Magic Mirror's face being the face of Jerry Nelson. In the "Sesame Street News Flash" segment, Kermit the Frog interviews the Magic Mirror on which question the evil witch will ask him and tells Kermit that it is the same question where the Snow White answer "drives her up the wall." The witch who is the fairest in the land, has two beautiful eyes, is green, wearing a hat, wielding a microphone, and is in the same room as the Magic Mirror. The Magic Mirror states that Kermit the Frog is the fairest. The witch then notices Kermit the Frog hiding behind the curtain and states that he is good-looking.
Snow White: A Tale of Terror
In Snow White: A Tale of Terror, this version has the mirror a property of Lady Claudia (Sigourney Weaver). It is a wooden closet with a statue as the door and hands acting as locks. It is regarded as a family heritage artifact by her. Snow White's nanny, tries to see what's inside while cleaning it and immediately suffers a heart attack. The mirror displays a beautiful and younger version of the Queen who advices her what to do. The mirror also contains her life force and she ages rapidly when Snow White stabs the mirror and then engulfs in flame of the burning room.
Shrek
The Magic Mirror appears in the Shrek franchise voiced by Chris Miller. It is depicted as a mirror with a live spirit communicating through it, and with magical displaying abilities. In Shrek, the Magic Mirror is first brought to Lord Farquaad who asks it if Duloc is not the most perfect kingdom, exactly the same way the Evil Queen used to ask it if she was not the fairest of all. The Magic Mirror then presents Lord Farquaad with three princesses that he can marry (from which he chooses Fiona). This is done in a parody of Blind Date. It is later seen to be with Shrek's posse who in Shrek 2 use it as a television set such as announcing that the show will be back after commercials.In Shrek Forever After, Rumpelstiltskin has it and uses it on television broadcasting purposes.
Simon the Sorcerer
Near the end of the video game Simon the Sorcerer, the player can use the Magic Mirror in Sordid's tower as an surveillance monitor, using any reflecting surface like a camera.
Sisters Grimm
In the Sisters Grimm series by Michael Buckley, the Magic Mirror appears as a minor protagonist in the first six books, but is revealed to be the main antagonist in book seven and remains evil until near the end of book nine.
Snow White: The Fairest of Them All
Here, the wicked queen Elspeth possesses a hall of magic mirrors, and a hand mirror that displays several attributes not seen before. The Queen may command the hand mirror to terminate enemies (as she did to the Huntsman), use it as a means of transport or step through it to change appearances, even turning others into animals.
The Suite Life
A parody version of the Magic Mirror appears as a recurring character throughout The Suite Life of Zack & Cody voiced by Brian Peck. It is a high tech mirror that often compliments London Tipton's attire.
A direct representation of the Magic Mirror in The Suite Life on Deck episode "Once Upon A Suite Life" voiced by Michael Airington. It is seen when all the characters are dreaming of themselves in the classic fairytales such as Snow White, Jack and the Beanstalk and Hansel and Gretel.
The Wolf Among Us
Appearing as a magical object in the Business Office, the Magic Mirror is a minor protagonist in The Wolf Among Us. Usually demanding its request be given to it in rhyme form, the Magic Mirror is capable of showing a brief vision of its requested subject. The Magic Mirror's shattering and the search for its missing shard play key aspects following the end of the second episode.
Sinister Squad
Although the magic mirror does not appear directly in the Asylum film Sinister Squad, it is referenced as a key part of the film's backstory; when Rumpelstiltskin destroyed the mirror to prevent the forces of Death claiming it, it transferred several fairy-tale characters into our world, with Rumpelstiltskin relying on fragments of the mirror to sustain his own magical manipulation abilities until the final confrontation with Death.
Magic Mirror inspired technology
In 2017 Amazon announced Echo Look, a “style assistant” camera that helps catalog your outfits and rates your look based on “machine learning algorithms with advice from fashion specialists.
The Magic Mirror: Myth's Abiding Power
Par Elizabeth M. Baeten
come to die.
I'm so excited for Harry Potter. The trailer is amazing, and the film will be epic. xD
so... who else is excited? :3
” … Madame, I wish to give you something from the bottom of my heart." So said the Raven with the top hat, as soon as he landed; then added: ” Accept this gift, as you’re the elect...“. He just held a ruby red stone in his beak; it was so big and gleamed in a thousand facets.
Fulgora, the fairy with eyed wings, begun to stress out with the sudden view of such a huge being and her little white pooch Bohème started to yap and growl at the bird, even more when a big and radiant golden ball suddenly appeared over his head. It just looked like a bright planet or a small, silent sun.
The Raven otherwise read her mood, so said her: ” Don’t be afraid, trust me, less will be more… This is the Philosopher’s Stone! Sweetheart, take care of it and you’ll never get old. Past and future will be one in the present; they will be yours and every base metal will become gold at your slightest touch… ”
Better on BLACK >> L
[ texture by courtesy of JoesSistah
www.flickr.com/photos/27805557@N08/
Little white dog by Ana Librillana
www.flickr.com/photos/62776155@N02/7621570934/in/set-7215... ]
London, England, 1792 and disgraced former adviser to King George III, Thomas Stewart, is on the run. Knowing he has only hours before the authorities catch up with him, he unlocks the door to his secret workshop and attempts to complete the Great Experiment. The dream: to create the 'Philosopher's Stone', an alchemical device so powerful it can transmute base elements into pure gold... The hypothosis: that the right combination of light, focused through a crystal sphere, onto a receptive mineral specimen would yield untold power and riches. The problem: someone had been talking, and the authorities wanted the power for themselves. The solution: flight, hopefully taking the finished Stone with him, but had The Experiment worked? Would he be able to get away? Where would he go? ................................................. Composing this shot was almost as hard as making a Philosopher's Stone!! An awful lot of work has gone into preparing the little potion bottles, and into getting the lighting and composition right. I've been planning this, on and off, for a few months — I have some ideas around related subjects...#narrative #stilllife #still_life #leatherbound #antiquarian #crystalball #alchemy #alchemist #fiftyshadesoforange #orangewednesday #oxfordshire #uk #most_deserving #photowall #all_shots #uk_photooftheday #icatching #bd #markmakingdesign #philosophersstone #sorcerersstone
Nicolson’s Café was the place where J.K. Rowling wrote a lot of the first Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, after arriving in Edinburgh. This is likely the first coffee shop she worked at after moving to Edinburgh as it was then owned by Rowling’s brother-in-law. She could nurse a cup of coffee here for hours and write in relative peace with her daughter sleeping in the pram next to her. The space was later turned into a Chinese restaurant, and has more recently turned back into a café/restaurant called Spoon.
Facebook Fanpage. Tumblr. Etsy.
138/365
Lightbox this with L!
Harry picked it up and stared at it, his heart twanging like a giant elastic band. No one, ever in his whole life, had written to him. Who would? He had no friends, no other relatives - he didn't belong to the library, so he'd never even got rude notes asking for books back. Yet, here it was, a letter addressed so plainly there could be no mistake:
Mr. H. Potter
The Cupboard Under the Stairs
4 Privet Drive
Little Whinging
Surrey
- from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
In honor of the end of the Harry Potter series in movie form, I've decided to do a series all about Harry Potter. I will reenact a scene from each book.
Check out the one for Chamber of Secrets!
Of course, I begin with book one. I decided to do where Harry finds the letter addressed to him. I know he doesn't go to his cupboard under the stairs in the scene, but my friend Adam has one, so I thought I'd utilize it. I do hope you like this and will follow my series leading up to the final movie.
I am going to cry like a baby.
Also, selling prints. If you're interested, shoot me a message and we'll discuss prices. :)
Pottermore is officially open to the public! :D I was feeling miserable when I woke up because I have a cold, but then I found out the wonderful truth! :D
This photo was taken by my mother on her iPhone. I watermarked it with my name because I still don't want people using it.
So I have a username and password but they said they have to send me an e-mail and then I can start exploring. When it's time for the sorting I'm dressing up. Going to clean up my room and display all my wizarding merch and play TDH Part 2 on the laptop while refreshing my e-mail EVERY. FIVE. SECONDS. *checks again* RAWR. >..<
*UPDATE 4/14/12*
Yay! My owl arrived last night with my letter! :D I am in the House of. . . .
GRYFFINDOR! ^_^
My username is CrimsonHex13065 if you seek to add me as a friend. :) I'm brewing a potion right now, and let me tell you--it is NOT easy!
They discover a very important thing and wonder what it is.
HKD
Einbruch der Weisheit in den Alltag von Mr. Smith
Die Entdeckung, dass es den Stein der Weisen wirklich gibt, wird dazu führen, dass sich das uniformierte, an konservativen Werten ausgerichtete Denken verändert.
HKD
Stein-Auge-Symbolik:
Der Stein der Weisen wird häufig als Metapher für Weisheit oder Bewusstsein verstanden. Der Stein – in Abwandlung auch der Diamant – ist ein Symbol in mystischen Traditionen.
Die Tiefenpsychologie hat ihn als alchemistische Metapher erkannt.
Der „Stein reinsten Wassers“ steht am Ende eines Prozesses, der als eine Erweiterung des Bewusstseins und der Bewusstheit gesehen wird.
Das Streben eines Suchers geht dahin, den undurchsichtigen Stein in einen durchsichtigen, klaren Diamanten zu wandeln. Am Anfang steht das unwissende, kindliche Bewusstsein. Am Ende das aus seinen Mustern und Zwängen befreite Bewusstsein.
Ich habe hier in den Stein das Auge eingefügt, um zu verdeutlichen, dass es hier um „Sehen“, genauer um Bewusstheit, Klarheit und Einsichtigkeit geht. Das Auge ist ein altes Symbol für ein waches, göttliches Bewusstsein - traditionell auch für Gott. Wir finden das Auge auch in Verbindung mit Buddha - dem "Buddha-Bewusstsein".
Der Vogel ist eine Metapher dafür, dass es sich hier um einen geistigen Aspekt handelt. Das Bild kann nur auf der symbolischen Ebene gedeutet werden.
HKD
Have been waiting a while do do this shot! lol
I simply couldn't resist getting them all together for a photo..I wonder how many other people are doing just the same..
#24 Explore
Leadenhall food market, established in the 1300s and rebuilt in 1881.
The current building was designed in 1881 by Sir Horace Jones, who was also the architect of Billingsgate and Smithfield Markets. It has an ornate roof structure, painted green, maroon and cream, and cobbled floors. The market was used to represent the area of London near The Leaky Cauldron and Diagon Alley in the film Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. It is popular among local city workers and tourists alike and open from 7am-late Monday to Friday only.
Thanks everyone for your kind comments.
According to Alchemy, every substance in the world has its own mysterious power. Alchemists extract this power innate within each ingredient and blend it with others to create special elixirs. Elixir of Death deals extra damage to an enemy after a successful Critical Hit for a set period of time. The elixir of life, also known as elixir of immortality and sometimes equated with the philosopher's stone, is a potion that supposedly grants the drinker eternal life and/or eternal youth. This elixir was also said to cure all diseases. Alchemists in various ages and cultures sought the means of formulating the elixir. In ancient China, various emperors sought the fabled elixir with varying results. In the Qin Dynasty, Qin Shi Huang sent Taoist alchemist Xu Fu with 500 young men and 500 young women to the eastern seas to find the elixir, but he never came back (legend has it that he found Japan instead). When Shi Huang Di visited, he brought 3000 young girls and boys, but none of them ever returned. The ancient Chinese believed that ingesting long-lasting precious substances such as jade, cinnabar or hematite would confer some of that longevity on the person who consumed them. Gold was considered particularly potent, as it was a non-tarnishing precious metal; the idea of potable or drinkable gold is found in China by the end of the third century BC. The most famous Chinese alchemical book, the Danjing yaojue (Essential Formulas of Alchemical Classics) attributed to Sun Simiao (c. 581 – c. 682 CE),[1][2] a famous medical specialist respectfully called "King of Medicine" by later generations, discusses in detail the creation of elixirs for immortality (mercury, sulfur, and the salts of mercury and arsenic are prominent, and most are poisonous) as well as those for curing certain diseases and the fabrication of precious stones. Many of these substances, far from contributing to longevity, were actively toxic and resulted in Chinese alchemical elixir poisoning. The Jiajing Emperor in the Ming Dynasty died from ingesting a lethal dosage of mercury in the supposed "Elixir of Life" conjured by alchemists. British historian Joseph Needham compiled a list of Chinese emperors whose deaths were likely due to elixir poisoning. Amrita, the elixir of life has been described in the Hindu scriptures (not to be confused with Amrit related to Sikh religion (see Amrit Sanskar)). Anybody who consumes even a tiniest portion of Amrit has been described to gain immortality. Legend has it that at early times when the inception of the world had just taken place, evil demons (Ashur) had gained strength. This was seen as a threat to the gods (Devas) who feared them. So these gods (including Indra, the god of sky, Vayu, the god of wind, and Agni, the god of fire) went to seek advice and help from the three primary gods according to the Hindus: Vishnu (the preserver), Brahma (the creator), and Shiva (the destroyer). They suggested that Amrit could only be gained from the samudra manthan (or churning of the ocean) for the ocean in its depths hid mysterious and secret objects. Vishnu agreed to take the form of a turtle on whose shell a huge mountain was placed. This mountain was used as a churning pole. With the help of a Vasuki (mighty and long serpent, king of Nagloka) the churning process began at the surface. From one side the gods pulled the serpent, which had coiled itself around the mountain, and the demons pulled it from the other side. As the churning process required immense strength, hence the demons were persuaded to do the job—they agreed in return for a portion of Amrit. Finally with their combined efforts (of the gods and demons), Amrit emerged from the ocean depths. All the gods were offered the drink but the gods managed to trick the demons who did not get the holy drink. The oldest Indian writings, the Vedas (Hindu sacred scriptures), contain the same hints of alchemy that are found in evidence from ancient China, namely vague references to a connection between gold and long life. Mercury, which was so vital to alchemy everywhere, is first mentioned in the 4th to 3rd century BC Arthashastra, about the same time it is encountered in China and in the West. Evidence of the idea of transmuting base metals to gold appears in 2nd to 5th century AD Buddhist texts, about the same time as in the West. It is also possible that the alchemy of medicine and immortality came to China from India, or vice versa; in any case, for both cultures, gold-making appears to have been a minor concern, and medicine the major concern. But the elixir of immortality was of little importance in India (which had other avenues to immortality). The Indian elixirs were mineral remedies for specific diseases or, at the most, to promote long life. In European alchemical tradition, the Elixir of Life is closely related to the creation of the philosopher's stone. According to legend, certain alchemists have gained a reputation as creators of the elixir. These include Nicolas Flamel and St. Germain. The Elixir has had hundreds of names (one scholar of Chinese history reportedly found over 1,000 names for it), among them Amrit Ras or Amrita, Aab-i-Hayat, Maha Ras, Aab-Haiwan, Dancing Water, Chasma-i-Kausar, Mansarover or the Pool of Nectar, Philosopher's stone, and Soma Ras. The word elixir was not used until the 7th century A.D. and derives from the Arabic name for miracle substances, "al iksir". Some view it as a metaphor for the spirit of God (e.g., Jesus's reference to "the Water of Life" or "the Fountain of Life"). "But whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (John 4:14) The Scots and the Irish adopted the name for their "liquid gold": the Gaelic name for whiskey is uisce beatha, or water of life. Aab-i-Hayat is Persian and means "water of life".[3] "Chashma-i-Kausar" (not "hasma") is the "Fountain of Bounty", which Muslims believe to be located in Paradise. As for the Indian names, "Amrit Ras" means "immortality juice", "Maha Ras" means "great juice", and "Soma Ras" means "juice of Soma". Soma was a psychoactive drug, by which the poets of the Vedas received their visions, but the plant is no longer known. Later, Soma came to mean the moon. "Ras" later came to mean "sacred mood experienced listening to poetry or music"; there are altogether nine of them. Mansarovar, the "mind lake" is the holy lake at the foot of Mt. Kailash in Tibet, close to the source of the Ganges. The elixir of life has been an inspiration, plot feature, or subject of artistic works including animation, comics, films, musical compositions, novels, and video games. Examples include L. Frank Baum's fantasy novel John Dough and the Cherub, the science fiction series Doctor Who, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, House of Anubis, the popular manga Fullmetal Alchemist, the light novel Baccano!, and the movie Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva of the popular Professor Layton franchise.
better on black EXPLORED # 131 THANKS TO ALL OF YOU
a ottobre i riflessi dei topinambur nel Mugnone mi fanno sempre pensare al Buffalmacco e al Calandrino che qui cercavano l'elitropia
- Compagni, quando voi vogliate credermi, noi possiamo divenire i più ricchi uomini di Firenze, per ciò che io ho inteso da uomo degno di fede che in Mugnone si truova una pietra, la qual chi la porta sopra non è veduto da niun'altra persona; per che a me parrebbe che noi senza alcuno indugio, prima che altra persona v'andasse, v'andassimo a cercare. Noi la troveremo per certo, per ciò che io la conosco; e trovata che noi l'avremo, che avrem noi a fare altro se non mettercela nella scarsella e andare alle tavole de' cambiatori, le quali sapete che stanno sempre cariche di grossi e di fiorini, e torcene quanti noi ne vorremo? Niuno ci vedrà; e così potremo arricchire subitamente, senza avere tutto dì a schiccherare le mura a modo che fa la lumaca.
Giovanni Boccaccio Decamerone, ottava giornata, novella terza
Loving friends, if you were pleased to follow mine advise, wee three will quickely be the richest men in Florence; because, by information from a Gentleman (well deserving to be credited) on the Plaine of Mugnone: there is a precious stone to be found, which whosoever carrieth it about him, walketh invisible, and is not to be seene by any one. Let us three be the first men to goe and finde it, before any other heare thereof, and goe about it, and assure our selves that we shall finde it, for I know it (by discription) so soone as I see it. And when wee have it, who can hinder us from bearing it about us? Then will we goe to the Tables of our Bankers, or money Changers, which we see daily charged with plenty of gold and silver, where we may take so much as wee list, for they (nor any) are able to descrie us. So, (in short time) shall wee all be wealthy, never needing to drudge any more, or paint muddy walles, as hitherto we have done; and, as many of our poore profession are forced to doe.
Boccaccio Decameron eight day novel three
many thanks to ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/b/boccaccio/giovanni/b664d/index.html
For the 114 in 2014 Group - #109 Illustrate a children's book title
I chose the first Harry Potter book, as it is written for children around the 11 years mark.
One of the most memorable sequences is the game of chess, when Ron Weasley rides the knight to victory.
I couldn't get hold of a proper pair of HP specs - so I raided my optician for the closest I could get! ;o)
Great fun was had in the making of this image ;o))
My 114 in 2014 set is here: Elisa 114 in 2014
Model: Luis José Narváez.
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Magnum Opus means “Great Work” and derives from the legendary alchemist search for the Philosopher’s Stone. The Philosopher’s Stone was said to be the key element needed to turn lead into gold or attain great wisdom and longevity.
The way the light strikes this stone reminded me of that fable.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.
*Sorry it's been so long. I've gone to prom, finished high school, graduated, gone to the shore for Senior Week, and now I'm enjoying my last couple weeks before Harry Potter and my 18th birthday.
Nicolas Flamel showed up in the first Harry Potter book. JK Rowling seemed to want to base the series at least partially in reality. (Apparently, Flamel also showed up in The Da Vinci Code too, but somehow I missed that reference.)
Interestingly, more recent photos show that the facade has changed significantly since we were there in December 2003: by May 2006 renovations had begun, and by September 2009, in addition to the stonework being cleaned up, the gothic "Auberge Nicolas Flamel" inscription over the ground floor has been removed, as has the lamp and red sign, and it looks like the doors & windows have been replaced.
Obligatory WIkipedia writeup follows:
* * * * *
Nicolas Flamel (French pronunciation: [nikɔlɑ flaˈmɛl]) (early 1330-1418 or 2009, as some say) was a successful French scrivener and manuscript-seller who developed a posthumous reputation as an alchemist due to his reputed work on the philosopher's stone.
According to the introduction to his work and additional details that have accrued since its publication, Flamel was the most accomplished of the European alchemists, and had learned his art from a Jewish converso on the road to Santiago de Compostela. "Others thought Flamel was the creation of 17th-century editors and publishers desperate to produce modern printed editions of supposedly ancient alchemical treatises then circulating in manuscript for an avid reading public," Deborah Harkness put it succinctly.[1] The modern assertion that many references to him or his writings appear in alchemical texts of the 1500s, however, has not been linked to any particular source. The essence of his reputation is that he succeeded at the two magical goals of alchemy -- that he made the Philosophers' Stone, found on page 14 of the Book of Abraham the Mage, which turns lead into gold, and that he and his wife Perenelle achieved immortality through the "Elixer of Life" found on Page 7 of the Book of Abraham the Mage.
Life
Nicolas and his wife, Perenelle were devout Roman Catholics. Later in life they were noted for their wealth and philanthropy as well as multiple interpretations on modern day alchemy.
An alchemical book, published in Paris in 1612 as Livre des figures hiéroglypiques and in London in 1624 as Exposition of the Hieroglyphicall Figures was attributed to Flamel.[2] It is a collection of designs purportedly commissioned by Flamel for a tympanum at the Cimetière des Innocents in Paris, long disappeared at the time the work was published. In the publisher's introduction Flamel's search for the philosopher's stone was described. According to that introduction, Flamel had made it his life's work to understand the text of a mysterious 21-page book he had purchased. The introduction claims that, around 1378, he travelled to Spain for assistance with translation. On the way back, he reported that he met a sage, who identified Flamel's book as being a copy of the original Book of Abraham the Mage. With this knowledge, over the next few years, Flamel and his wife allegedly decoded enough of the book to successfully replicate its recipe for the Philosopher's Stone, producing first silver in 1382, and then gold.
Flamel lived into his 80s, and in 1410 designed his own tombstone, which was carved with arcane alchemical signs and symbols. Some believe that he died shortly after the tombstone was created. Later, according to popular culture, a local criminal (possibly a tomb robber) who wished to acquire Flamel's reputed gold went to Flamel's residence. Finding nothing, but undeterred, he was said then to have gone to the gravesite with only a spade and a lantern, and dug up the grave. Upon opening the coffin, he was disappointed to find an absence of gold, but shocked to find no trace of the corpse of Nicolas Flamel.[citation needed] Some claim that it was just the grave of the wrong person who was not dead at the time, while others claim that he faked his own death, citing as evidence the fact that long after 1410 several books were published in his name.[citation needed] The tombstone is preserved at the Musée de Cluny in Paris.
Expanded accounts of his life are legendary. In addition to the mysterious book of 21 pages filled with encoded alchemical symbols and arcane writing, he may also have studied some texts in Hebrew. Interest in Flamel revived in the 19th century, and Victor Hugo mentioned him in The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Eric Satie was intrigued by Flamel.[3] Flamel is often referred to in late twentieth-century fictional works such as the Harry Potter and The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel books and movies as well as The Da Vinci Code.
Death
Flamel's death was recorded in 1418, but his tomb is empty. Rumors spread that Nicolas Flamel never actually died and is still alive today, since people have claimed to have seen him and his wife roaming around Paris; Witnesses claimed to have seen him in 1761 at an opera in Paris.[citation needed]
Flamel's house, where he lived with his wife Perenelle Flamel, an alchemist in her own right, still stands in Paris, at 51 rue de Montmorency, and is the oldest house in the city. The ground floor currently contains a restaurant. A Paris road near the Louvre Museum, the rue Nicolas Flamel, has been named for him; it intersects with the rue Perenelle, named for his wife.
In popular culture
• The plot of Shadow of Destiny for the PS2 follows that of the story of Nicholas Flamel. In that game, an alchemist becomes obsessed with finding the philosopher's stone after his wife dies of an illness. The game features multiple endings, one of which allows the alchemist to save his wife by forming the Elixir of Life from the philosopher's stone, while others involve him obtaining eternal youth for himself.
• Nicolas Flamel's story is alluded to in J. K. Rowling's first Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone(1997), in which he is something of a MacGuffin; though he is the clue to the whole mystery of the book, he never actually makes an appearance. He was friends with Albus Dumbledore and is said to have lived for six-hundred and sixty-five years until the Philosopher's Stone was destroyed following the events of the book.[4]
• Flamel has been alleged to be the eighth Grand Master of the Priory of Sion (1398-1418) as part of a 1960s intrigue where his name was planted in the French National Library in the Dossiers Secrets. This resulted in him being mentioned in the 1982 pseudohistory book The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail, Umberto Eco's 1988 novel Foucault's Pendulum, and Dan Brown's 2003 novel, The Da Vinci Code. Many of the names of "Grand Masters" were evidently chosen for some sort of connection with alchemy.
• Nicolas and his wife Perenelle Flamel are important characters mentioned in the Indiana Jones story Indiana Jones and the Philosopher's Stone by Max McCoy (1995), and an elderly couple named "Nicolas and Pernelle" save Indy during one scene, before professing to have followed Jones's career closely.
• Nicolas and his wife are central characters in Michael Scott's seriesThe Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel, The Magician: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel, The Sorceress: The Secrets Of The Immortal Nicholas Flamel ,and "The Necromancer: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel" . Also the book of Abraham the Mage is a focus in the series, called The Codex.
• He is the subject of Michael Roberts' poem "Nicholas Flamel", collected in These Our Matins (1930).
• The concept album Grand Materia (2005) by the Swedish metal band Morgana Lefay is about Nicolas Flamel, his life, and how he made the Philosopher's Stone.
• Flamel was once referenced in the anime Fullmetal Alchemist, when Edward Elric was researching alchemy in Central. The symbol on Edward Elric's coat is also known as a "Flamel."
• In the DC comics universe, Zatanna is a direct descendant of Flamel.
• Nicolas Flamel is also a character in the 1999 novel "The Burning Road" by Ann Benson. The Book of Abraham also plays a significant role in the novel.
• Nicolas Flamel is referenced in The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, père, when the title character is discussing chemistry, poisons, and alchemy with Madame de Villefort.
• Flamel is mentioned as possessing the Book of Abraham in Dennis Wheatley's novel about black magic, "The Devil Rides Out".
• Flamel is mentioned as Claude Frollo's scientific inspiration in Victor Hugo's The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Frollo seems to be obsessed with Flamel's work with the Philosopher's Stone.
• Flamel, Paracelsus, and Raymond Lull are described as "the magicians and alchemists of the Middle Ages" (62) in the 1885 sci-fi classic Tomorrow's Eve by Villiers de l'Isle-Adam (trans. Robert Martin Adams; University of Illinois Press, 1982).
• In the book series The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel by Michael Scott, he is one of the main characters, and so is his wife, Perenelle.
See also
• Alchemy
• Magic
• Gold
Notes
1. ^ Harkness, review of Dixon 1994 in Isis 89.1 (1998) p. 132.
2. ^ Laurinda Dixon, ed., Nicolas Flamel, his Exposition of the Hieroglyphicall Figures (1624) (New York: Garland) 1994.
3. ^ Wilkins 1993.
4. ^ JKRowling web page - rumour section
References
• Decoding the Past: The Real Sorcerer's Stone, November 15, 2006 History Channel video documentary
• The Philosopher's Stone: A Quest for the Secrets of Alchemy, 2001, Peter Marshall, ISBN 0-330-48910-0
• Creations of Fire, Cathy Cobb & Harold Goldwhite, 2002, ISBN 0-7382-0594-X
• The Alchemyst: The Secrets of The Immortal Nicholas Flamel, Michael Scott, 2007, ISBN 9780739350324
• Parashpathor(Philosopher's Stone) : A Bengali fiction by Adrish Bardhan,2008
• The Magician: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel, Michael Scott, 2008
• The Sorceress: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel, Micheal Scott, 2009
• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone JK Rowling,1997
External links
• An explanation of some of the alchemical figures on Flamel's tomb
• Flamel Technology French based company named after the alchemist includes a biography of his life and major accomplishments
• Reginald Merton, "A Detailed Biography of Nicolas Flamel" Highly detailed legend.
• The Alchemy Web Site, "The Hieroglyphic Figures" Contains some of Flamel's writings
REFERENCES
M.R. Carvalho & al. 2021: Neotropical rainforests origin.
J.C. Jenkins 2019: The humanure handbook.
S. Shoemaker 2018: Mapping the Maya with LIDAR.
J.G. de Souza & al. 2018: Pre-Columbian earth-builders settled along the entire southern rim of the Amazon.
D.C. Wahl 2016: Designing regenerative cultures.
U. Scheub & al. 2016: Terra preta.
V.J. Bruckman & al. 2016: Biochar.
T.K. Ralebitso-Senior & C.H. Orr 2016: Biochar application.
K. Wiedner & al. 2014: Anthropogenic dark earth in Germany.
C.H. McMichael & al. 2014: Predicting pre-Columbian anthropogenic soils in Amazonia.
N. Ladygina & F. Rineau 2013: Biochar and soil biota.
P. Nauta 2012: Building soils naturally.
D. Bressanini 2011: Biodinamica®: cominciamo da Rudolf Steiner.
A.K. Bates 2010: Biochar solution.
J. Lehmann & S. Joseph 2009: Biochar for EM.
W.I. Woods & al. 2009: Amazonian dark earths.
J. Lehmann & al. 2004: Amazonian dark earths.
G.J. Retallach 2001: Soils of the past.
R. Steiner 1924: Geisteswissenschaftliche grundlagen zum gedeihen der landwirtschaft, pp. 64, 76.
PB • BDHS • biome • wildlife garden • permaculture • synergistic gardening • desertification • reforestation • biochar • terra preta
El-Iksir
Maurycy Gomulicki, 2013
object, Plexiglass composite, 8.5 x 8.5 x 18 cm
multiple, 25 + 2AP
Rafał Dominik & Maurycy Gomulicki
May 16th – June 23rd
PGS Sopot, Plac Zdrojowy 2
Curator: Emi Orzechowska
Coordinator: Joanna Kustra
Big Thanks to Bunkier Sztuki, LETO Gallery and DESA.
Prints produced at Holy Art
Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger attend Dr. Augustine's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Become a fan on Facebook
Magic truffles, sclerotia or philosophers stones have a high concentration of psilocybin. Powerfull mind-trip and an altered consciousness like magic mushrooms.
I alternatively dub this 'Hovering Harry'
Bringing a bit of magic 'n' mystery into the 'book shot'.
Have been waiting a while do do this shot! lol
I simply couldn't resist getting them all together for a photo..I wonder how many other people are doing just the same..
Despite the visual resemblance to lizards, salamanders (also known as newts) are classified as amphibians, sharing tadpole stages and skin respiration with their close cousins, frogs and toads. One of the coolest things about salamanders is their capacity for regeneration; they can regenerate entire limbs as well as damaged internal organs and have been the focus of many medical research projects in the modern world. In the ancient world, salamanders were equally as intriguing. They were believed to have powerful magical properties and were key ingredients in many folk magic recipes. Even the three witches in Shakespeare’s Macbeth used them in their famous concoctions:
“In the cauldron boil and bake;
Eye of newt and toe of frog,
Wool of bat and tongue of dog,
Adder’s fork and blind-worm’s sting,
Lizard’s leg and owlet’s wing,
For a charm of powerful trouble,
Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.”
Macbeth, Shakespeare
One reason salamanders were connected with magic is because many salamander species possess poisonous glands underneath the skin which they use as predatory defense. While the levels of toxicity between species varies, the most poisonous examples secrete tetrodotoxin, the powerful neurotoxin also found in pufferfish. The effects of Salamander poison were noted in the Alexipharmaca believed to be written in the 2nd Century BCE, showing just how powerful the neurotoxins could be:
“But if hurt come from a draught, hard to cure, of the sorcerer’s lizard, slippery-skinned and utterly reckless, which they call the salamander, and which not even a fierce flame can harm, then on a sudden the base of the tongue is inflamed and then the victims are overcome with chill, and a fearful trembling burdens and loosens their joints. They stagger and crawl upon all fours like an infant, for the faculties of the mind are utterly blunted, and livid weals spreading thick over the skin blotch the extremities as the poison is diffused.”
Nicander, Alexipharmaca. trans A.S.F.Gow & A.F.Scholfield. A lizardlike amphibian that likes to live in moist places. In mythology the salamander is a poisonous creature that is able to live in fire. Pliny said that the salamander “seeks the hottest fire to breed in, but quenches it with the extreme frigidity of its body.” In Alchemy the salamander is a symbol of the Prima Materia. In the alchemical process, it plays the role of helping the substance under transformation to give up its secret fire, which will help the Philosopher's Stone claim its final power, as this alchemical verse describes: [The Salamander] is caught and pierced So that it dies and yields up its life with its blood. But this, too, happens for its good; For from its blood it wins immortal life, And then death has no more power over it. An emblem of the salamander in fire appears in Atalanta fugiens (1618) by MICHAEL MAIER. “As the Salamander lives in the Fire so does the Stone,” says Maier. The salamander symbolizes SULPHUR and the Secret of the Fire. The Secret Fire, corporified as SALT, is the hidden Sulphur that is the “Philosophick Tincture.” The salamander is an amphibian of the order Urodela which once, like many real creatures, often was suppositiously ascribed fantastic and sometimes occult qualities by pre-modern authors, as in the allegorical descriptions of animals in medieval bestiaries. The legendary salamander is often depicted as a typical salamander in shape, with a lizard-like form, but is usually ascribed an affinity with fire, sometimes specifically elemental fire. In alchemy, the salamander is a legendary elemental spirit (or elemental) associated with fire. Unlike the ordinary amphibian, the alchemical salamander was believed to be a mythical creature born from and sustained entirely by flames.
Here is a breakdown of what the salamander represents in alchemical philosophy:The salamander is an amphibian of the order Urodela which once, like many real creatures, often was suppositiously ascribed fantastic and sometimes occult qualities by pre-modern authors, as in the allegorical descriptions of animals in medieval bestiaries. The legendary salamander is often depicted as a typical salamander in shape, with a lizard-like form, but is usually ascribed an affinity with fire, sometimes specifically elemental fire.
1. The Element of Fire
* Elemental Ruler: In Renaissance occultism (popularized by figures like Paracelsus), the cosmos was divided into four classical elements, each ruled by specific spirits. Sylphs ruled the air, undines the water, gnomes the earth, and salamanders ruled the fire.
* Nature: They were thought to inhabit the hottest fires, volcanoes, and alchemical furnaces (athanors), acting as the living embodiment of thermal energy and combustion.
2. Purification and Transformation
* The Crucible of the Soul: In psychological and spiritual alchemy, fire represents the intense heat required to break down base materials, impurities, and ego.
* Withstanding the Flame: The salamander symbolized resilience and spiritual purity. Just as the creature could walk through fire unharmed, an alchemist or initiate had to possess the spiritual fortitude to endure the painful, transformative "fires" of the Great Work (Magnum Opus) without being consumed or destroyed.
3. Philosophical Mercury and Sulfur
* Internal Fire: Alchemists often used the salamander metaphorically to describe the internal, hidden fire (ignis secretus) within substances—specifically Sulfur, the active, combustible principle in matter.
* The Red Stage (Rubedo): In the stages of turning base metal into gold, the final stage (Rubedo) is associated with the color red, blood, and extreme heat. The salamander frequently appears in alchemical woodcuts and texts during this phase to signify successful transmutation.
> Note: The belief that real salamanders could put out fires or live inside them stems from ancient natural historians like Pliny the Elder. Alchemists adopted this lore, transforming a biological curiosity into a profound symbol of spiritual endurance and chemical transmutation. Wall Symbolism: The brick and white-plastered wall acts as the alchemical crucible or container (vas hermeticum). In alchemy, walls and boundaries separate the chaotic outside world from the controlled space where transformation takes place. While traditionally linked to fire, a green hue on a salamander evokes the early stages of alchemical work (often associated with the Green Lion or Verditer), representing raw nature, the beginning of transmutation, and the volatile life force hidden within matter. Its upward climb mirrors the vertical ascent of the soul or the sublimation process in alchemy—moving from heavy, base earth upward toward spiritual distillation and refinement. The stark white background section invokes the Albedo (the purification or whitening stage), signifying the cleansing of impurities after the blackness of the initial breakdown.
The distinct shadow cast by the creature bridges the gap between the material world and the illusionary, adding a layer of depth that represents the interplay between light (spirit) and matter (body) during the Great Work.
Classical
Aristotle, Pliny, Nicander, Aelian
The standard lore of the salamander as a creature enduring fire and extinguishing it was known by the Ancient Greeks, as far back as the 4th century BC, by Aristotle (384–322 BC) and his successor Theophrastus (c. 371–c. 287 BC)[3] who gave such description of the σαλαμάνδρα (salamandra). The salamander's mastery over fire is described by Aristotle in his History of Animals,[4][5] while his Generation of Animals offers the explanation that since there are creatures belonging to the elements of earth, air and water, salamander must be such a creature that belongs to the element of fire.[6] Theophrastus refers to the salamander as a lizard ("saura") whose emergence is a sign of rain.[7]
The Ancient Greek physician Nicander (2nd century BC), in his Therica, provides another early source of the lore of fire-resistance.[3][9] In his Alexipharmaca, he describes the product of the salamander, referred to as the "sorcerer's lizard" (or "sorceress's lizard", φαρμακίδος σαύρη[a]) in the form of poisonous potion. The aftereffects of ingestion included symptoms of "inflammation of the tongue, chills, trembling of the joints, livid welts, and lack of mental lucidity".[11] A person who consumed this beverage ("draught") was thus enfeebled and reduced to crawling on all fours, as illustrated in the Paris manuscript of the work.[12][13] It is puzzling why people would so frequently ingest the debilitating salamander potion such as to merit a warning. One conjecture is that a person could have been secretly administered a dose of poison or charm by another.[14][b] Another possibility is the accidental introduction of it into food or drink.[16] Pliny the Elder (23–79 AD) warns of its effects of (detrimental) hair loss,[20] though other sources hint at its controlled use for the "removal of unwanted hairs".[21][22]
Pliny described the salamander "an animal like a lizard in shape and with a body specked all over; it never comes out except during heavy showers and goes away the moment the weather becomes clear."[c][17] Pliny's description of physical markings suggest possible identification with the fire salamander (Salamandra salamandra), perhaps one of its subspecies.[1][23][24][d] Pliny even made the important distinction between salamanders and lizards, which are similar in shape but different in other respects, which was not systematized until modern times, when biologists classified lizards as reptiles and salamanders as amphibians.
Pliny offers the frigidity of their bodies as an alternate explanation to why the salamander can extinguish fire, considered implausible.[26][1] Note that Pliny offers this explanation in one part of his work,[17] while elsewhere he disbelieves the premise that the salamander has such fire-quenching capability, pointing out that if such an idea were true, it should be easy to demonstrate.[19][27] Pliny also reports that his contemporary Sextius Niger denied the idea that salamanders could extinguish fire, though Sextius also believed honey-preserved salamander acted as an aphrodisiac when combined with food after it was properly de-headed, gutted, etc.[19]
Pliny also notes medicinal and poisonous properties, which are founded in fact on some level, since many species of salamander, including fire salamanders and alpine salamanders, excrete toxic, physiologically active substances. These substances are often excreted when the animal is threatened, which has the effect of deterring predators.[25] The extent of these properties is greatly exaggerated though, with a single salamander being regarded as so toxic that by twining around a tree it could poison the fruit and so kill any who ate them and by falling into a well could slay all who drank from it, and also infect bread baking on the kiln by touching the wood or stone underneath it.[e][19][18][29]
Roughly contemporary with Pliny is a bas-relief of a salamander straddling the cross-beam of a balance scale in an anvil-and-forge scene found in the ruins of the Roman town of Pompeii. Liliane Bodson identifies the animal as Salamandra salamandra, the familiar fire salamander, and suspects that it might have been a sign for a blacksmith's shop.[30]
Salamander in a copy of Dioscurides―Vienna ms. 6th cent.
Dioscorides (c. 40–90 AD) in De materia medica also repeats the lore of the salamander extinguishing fire but refutes it. Miniature paintings of salamander engulfed in flame occurs in illuminated manuscript copies, such as the Vienna Dioscurides ms. (med. gr. 1, see fig. right) and Morgan Library ms. (M. 652).[13] The salamander purportedly had septic (or caustic and corrosive) abilities, allegedly useful in the treatment of leprosy.[31]
A few centuries later (late 2nd–early 3rd century AD), Greek-speaking Roman author Aelian describes salamanders as being drawn to the fires of forges and quenching them, to the annoyance of the blacksmiths. Aelian is also careful to note that the salamander is not born of fire itself, unlike the pyrausta.[32]
Jewish and Early Christian
Talmud, Augustine, Physiologus
The legendary salamandra (סָלָמַנְדְּרָה / סלמנדרה) mentioned in the Talmud[3] was a creature engendered in fire, and according to the Hagigah 27a, anyone smeared with its blood allegedly became immune to fire.[33][34] A fire salamander appears where a fire is sustained at a spot for seven days and seven nights according to the Midrash, but the fire needs be maintained 7 years according to Rashi (1040–1105), the primary commentator on the Talmud, describes the salamander as one which is produced by burning a fire in the same place for seven consecutive years.[34][35]
The Byzantine St. Gregory of Nazianzus (c. 329–390) referred to a creature that could dance in fire, which destroys other creatures, referring to the salamander, as indicated by his commentator Pseudo-Nonnus, who said it was the size of a lizard or a small crocodile, though land-dwelling.[13][f]
Saint Augustine (354–430) in the City of God based the discussion of the miraculous aspects of monsters (including the salamander in fire) largely on Pliny's Natural History.[37] Augustine used the example of the salamander to argue for the plausibility of Purgatory as a stage of purification of the dead, where human souls live but are not consumed by fire.[38][1]
A salamandra in a tub.―MS Bern 318 (Latin Physiologus), fol. 17v
The Physiologus thought to have been originally written in Greek by an author in Alexandria was a treatise on animals in the Christian context, and the antecedent of the later medieval bestiaries. It is possible the inclusion of "salamander" reflects the author's familiarity with the author's native (African) fauna.[39] In the Physiologus the salamander was allegoric for the three men cast into Nebuchadnezzar's fiery furnace and survived.[3]
An early surviving illustrated example is the Bern Physiologus of the 9th century, with the illustration (fig. right) described as "a satyr-like creature in a circular wooden tub".[40]
Early medieval Hermeticism
The 5th century Hieroglyphica attributed to Horapollo (supposed original written in Coptic) also mentions the salamander entering the furnace and putting out its flames;[41] it is pointed out this work draws from Greek classical authors as well as the Physiologus.[42][43][44]
The entry occurs in Hieroglyphica, Book 2, Ch. LXII.[45][46][47] This "alleged hieroglyph" is probably dubious.[47][49] An editor of the text finds it "strange" that a "A Man Burned by Fire" is represented by the symbol of the salamander, which is incapable of being burnt.[45][47] As for the fragment saying it "destroys" with "each of its two heads" (ἑκατέρᾳ τῇ κεφαλῇ),[50] this is thought to be a contamination with the lore of the two-headed amphisbaena.[51]
High Middle Ages
Salamander depicted in bestiary (detail)―MS Harley 3244, fol. 63r. c. 1236.
After the end of the Classical era, depictions of the salamander became more fantastic and stylized, often retaining little resemblance to the animal described by ancient authors.[citation needed]
The medieval European bestiaries contain fanciful pictorial depictions of salamanders. The oldest such illustration of the salamander, according to Florence McCulloch's treatise on bestiaries, occurs in the Bern 318 manuscript, but this actually the so-called Bern Physiologus of the 9th century, discussed above. Other iconographic examples come from bestiaries of the post-millennium, e.g., "a worm penetrating flames" (Bodleian 764, 12c.),[g] "a winged dog" ("GC", BnF fr. 1444. 13c.[h]), and "a small bird in flames" (BnF fr. 14970, 13c.[i]).[40]
The so-called second family group of bestiaries describe the salamander as not only impervious to fire, but the most poisonous of all poisonous creatures (or serpents). And (as Pliny had explained[53]) its presence in a tree infects all its apples,[54] and renders the water of the well poisonous to all who drink it. It dwells and survives in fire, and can extinguish fire as well.[52][55]
The bestiary of MS Bodley 764 (which is second family) has different incipit which reads "There is an animal called the dea, in Greek 'salamander' or 'stellio' in. Latin",[j] yet it still is followed by a separate chapter on the stellio newt.[56]
German polymath Albertus Magnus described the incombustible asbestos cloth as "salamander's plumage" (pluma salamandri) in his work.[57] (Cf. § Transmission of salamander-asbestos cloth lore below)
Love/anti-love symbolism
There seems to be a confused use of the salamander, as the symbol of passionate love and its opposite, its dispassionate restraint. The salamander in Christian art represents "faith over passion", according to one critic,[58] or a symbol of chastity in religious art, a view by Duchalais seconded by Émile Mâle.[59][60] In the rose windows of Notre Dame de Paris, the figure of Chasity holds a shield depicting a salamander (though perhaps depicted rather bird-like).[60][k]
In medieval Arthurian literature, the salamander who dwells in the fire of Agrimont[l] is invoked by the character Tschinotulander (var. Schionatulander, Schoynatulander) in professing his love for Sigune.[62] Tschinotulander owns an oriental made shield,[63] which "contains a living salamander" whose "proper" fiery heat enhances the powers of the surrounding gemstones"[64] but, it is explained by Lady Aventiure, it is the heathens who take the salamander as a love symbol, when it fact, it represents the opposite, unminne or "un-love".[66][m]
In the poem by Petrarch (1304–1374),[68] the salamander is used to represent "infinite, burning desire".[69]
Renaissance
Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519) wrote the following on the "salamãndra" : "This has no digestive organs, and gets no food but from the fire, in which it constantly renews its scaly skin. The salamander, which renews its scaly skin in the fire,―for virtue".[70][f]
Commentators in Europe still persisted in grouping "crawling things" (reptiles or reptilia in Latin) together and thus creatures in this group, which typically included salamanders (Latin salamandrae), dragons (Latin dracones or serpentes), and basilisks (Latin basilisci), were often associated, as in Conrad Lycosthenes' Prodigiorum ac ostentorum chronicon of 1557.[71]
Of all the traits ascribed to salamanders, the ones relating to fire have stood out most prominently. This connection probably originates from a behavior common to many species of salamander: hibernating in and under rotting logs. When wood was brought indoors and put on the fire, the creatures "mysteriously" appeared from the flames. The 16th-century Italian artist Benvenuto Cellini (1500–1571) famously recalled witnessing just such an appearance as a child in his autobiography.[72] Thomas Bulfinch in his commentary about Cellini's encounter explains that a salamander exudes a milky substance when frightened, which could plausibly protect it long enough to survive the fire as it scurried away.[72]
Paracelsus
Sixteenth-century woodcut questionably identified as a depiction of a salamander by Manly P. Hall
Paracelsus (1493–1541) suggested that salamanders were the elementals of fire,[73][74][76] which has had substantial influence on the role of salamanders in the occult. Paracelsus, contrary to the prevalent belief at the time, considered salamanders to be not devils,[77] but similar to humans, only lacking a soul (along with giants, dwarves, mermaids, elves, and elemental spirits in human form).[78][79] Salamanders due to their fiery environs cannot interact with humans as other elements may be able to do,[80] so, whereas the undine/nymph can marry a human and will seek to do so, to gain an immortal soul,[81] it is rare for other elements to marry humans, though they may develop a bond and become a human's servant.[82]
Paracelsus also considered the will-o'-the-wisp to be "monsters" or the "misbegotten" of the salamander spirit.[84]
Salamander iconography associated with Paracelsus
Frequently reprinted as Paracelsus's "salamander" image[85][86][87][88] is the illustration of a salamander is presented in the (influential[89]) 20th-century occult work by Manly P. Hall which attributes the illustration to Paracelsus.[90] This illustration appears to originate in a 1527 anti-papal tract by Andreas Osiander and Hans Sachs, where it is identified as "the Pope as a monster".[91] Its association with Paracelsus derives from his Auslegung der Magischen Figuren im Carthäuser Kloster zu Nũrnberg in which the author presents explanations of some illustrations found in a Carthusian monastery in Nuremberg; the illustration in question he labels as "a salamander or abominable worm with a human head and crowned with a crown and a Pope's hat thereon",[92] which is later explained to represent the Pope.[93][n][o]
Later alchemical treatises
A 16th-century image of a salamander from the Book of Lambspring
A later alchemical text, the Book of Lambspring [de] (Das Buch Lambspring, 1556), depicts a salamander as a white bird, being kept in fire by a man with a polearm. The text in German states the salamander while in fire exhibits an excellent color hue, while the Latin inscription connects this to the philosopher's stone (lapidis philosophorum).[96] But in the Book of Lambspring inserted into Lucas Jennis Musaeum Hermeticum (1625), an illustration with the same composition (man holding a polearm) depicts the salamander as a lizard-like animal with star-like markings (see right). The author is also styled Lamspring, and his Book bears the title Tractatus de lapide philosophorum with 15 pictures. The first 10 explains the Arabic alchemical process of extracting spirit/animus from the corpus, culminating in the crowned king and salamander.[97]
Gessner
Two salamanders of Gessner
The more realistic "salamandra"
The more realistic "salamandra"
The more fanciful "salamandra"
The more fanciful "salamandra"
―Conrad Gessner (1586) Historiæ animalium, Vol. 2, pp. 80–81
Conrad Gessner provided two illustrations of the salamander in his work, one realistically lifelike, the other fanciful (with mammal-like head), for comparison.[98][99][100] In the caption to the lower image, he explains that the upper image was drawn from life, whereas in the lower image someone supposed the salamandra to be the same as the stellio ("starred" newt), and based on book knowledge, drew literal stars down its back.[98][102]
Baconian
Francis Bacon known for a more scientific approach, discusses in Sylva sylvarum (1626/1627) the possibility of the salamander's fire-resistance, stating that if one's hand is cloaked in a hermetic enough seal to shut out the fire, e.g., using egg whites, igniting the hand afterwards with alcohol will be endurable.[103]
Thomas Browne, a follower of Baconian principles, in his Pseudodoxia Epidemica (1646) also discusses the salamander at more length, including esoterica from the past, such as the salamander's use as hieroglyphic symbol.[47]
C.S Lewis mentions salamanders living in the fire itself, liking small dragons in his book The Chronicles of Narnia, sixth book, The Silver Chair, chapter thirteen, The Bottom of the World.
"Oh no, your Honour. Not we. It's only salamanders live in the fire itself." "What kind of beast is your salamander?" asked the Prince Rilian. "It is hard to tell their kind, you Honour," said Golg."For they are too white-hot to look at but they are most like small dragons. They speak to us out of the fire. They are wonderfully clever with their tongues: very witty and eloquent."
In heraldry
Salamander as the animal emblem of King Francis I of France― Château d'Azay-le-Rideau, Vienne, France
Francis I's salamander device―Francis I's palace, Château de Chambord
In European heraldry, the salamander is typically depicted as either a lizard or a dragon within a blazing fire, sometimes also breathing out flames itself.[104][105][106] In some instance, the heraldic salamander resembles a fire-breathing dog.[105][106]
Francis I of France used a salamander as his personal emblem, as evidenced on the relief at the Château de Chambord and also displayed in the Palace of Fontainebleau and the Hôtel de Bourgtheroulde, with the motto "Nutrico et extinguo (I nurture, I extinguish)".[104][106][107][108] The lizards on the crest of the Worshipful Company of Ironmongers may also have originated as salamanders.[106]
Modern folklore
In French folklore, it has been alleged that the salamander's highly toxic breath was enough to swell a person until their skin broke.[109] In Auvergne, the salamander was known by such names as soufflet (meaning 'bellows') or souffle ('breath') or enfleboeuf ("beef-puffer"), and was thought capable of killing cattle, and in Berry was the belief salamander could cause cattle to swell, even from a considerable distance.[110] There was also a supposed black and yellow lizard known as lebraude locally, with similar attached lore: it only breathed once every 24 hours, but the exhalation killed any humans or plants or trees.[110] In Auvergne, it was told that the only way to eradicate the lebraude was to keep it isolated in confined space for 24 hours, and let its breath kill itself.[109] In the 18th century, Bretons had a taboo against calling the salamander by its true name, for fear people would come to harm if the creature heard it.[111]
A legend from Lausitz recorded in German tells of a sorcerer who kept a salamander sealed in bottle but could be unleashed on his enemies. While the magician was staying at Lauban, the broom maid's daughter tampered with the bottle and released the salamander. The spirit announced his gratitude to the townsfolk, and thereafter would warn them of an outbreak of fire by flying above the house in danger in the guise of a pyramid and serpent, and came to be called Feuerpuhz, a name that alludes to blowing of air, or swooshing out of a bottle.[112]
Asia
Main article: Huoshu
According to the sixteenth century Chinese pharmacopoeic treatise Bencao Gangmu, the Chinese "salamander" (actually the huoshu 火鼠 "fire-rat") grew long hair that could be woven into cloth which was unharmed by fire and could be cleaned by burning, hence called huo huan bu (火浣布 "cloths washed with fire" or "fire-laundered cloth").[113] The work is a compilation of past works, many ancient, and though its entry for the "fire rat" does not clarify its sources, similar description of the fire-laundered cloth could be found in Ge Hong's[p] Baopuzi (4th century): both works claim such fireproof cloth could be made from both animal hair and plant material.[114] Ge Hong's Chinese account of the "fire rat" is characterized as a "disguise of the classical salamander" by Berthold Laufer.[115]
Transmission of salamander-asbestos cloth lore
Laufer notes that Arab or Persian writers gave a mixed description of their versions of the salamandar, written samandal or samandar, sometimes as a bird or phoenix, but also as a marten-like animal, said to yield cloth which can be laundered in fire, similar to Chinese lore.[116] Such description of "samandar" as marten-like and yielding incombustible cloth was attested by the writer (Lutfullah Halimi,[117] d. 1516) cited by d'Herbelot[118] and (as "samandal") by al-Damiri (d. 1415).[119] As for the commingling of the creature with the bird-kind, the Yaqut al-Hamawi (d. 1229) recorded the popular belief that asbestos came from phoenix feathers,[120] and this is echoed by the European notion of asbestos as "salamander's plumage".[119]
Laufer was convinced such Arab lore had been transmitted into Europe in the 10th or 11th century, via Byzantium and Spain[121] (though the Arab literature he cited above did not date so far back). The earliest attestation in medieval Europe of associating the salamander with an unburnable cloth occurs in the Provençal Naturas d'alcus auzels (13th century) according to Laufer.[122] Also the German scholar Albertus Magnus had called the incombustible cloth pluma salamandri ("salamander's plumage") in his work.[123]
Some commentators also vaguely ascribe the introduction into Europe via early travellers to China[when?] were shown garments supposedly woven from such "salamander's" hair or wool. Such garments were, of course, actually made of asbestos cloth.[72][124]
According to T. H. White, Prester John had a robe made from it; the "Emperor of India" possessed a suit made from a thousand skins; and Pope Alexander III had a tunic which he valued highly.[29] William Caxton (1481) wrote: "This Salemandre berithe wulle, of which is made cloth and gyrdles that may not brenne in the fyre."[29]
Randle Holme III (1688) wrote: "...I have several times put [salamander hair] in the Fire and made it red hot and after taken it out, which being cold, yet remained perfect wool".[29][125]
An alternative interpretation was that this material was a kind of silk: A 12th-century letter supposedly from Prester John says, "Our realm yields the worm known as the salamander. Salamanders live in fire and make cocoons, which our court ladies spin and use to weave cloth and garments. To wash and clean these fabrics, they throw them into flames".[126] Marco Polo still employed the term "salamander" but recognized this was no creature, but rather an incombustible substance mined from earth, and had visited the production site.[57][125]
Eponymy
The beast's ability to withstand fire has led to its name being applied to a variety of heating devices, including space heaters, ovens and cooking and blacksmithing devices, dating back at least to the 17th century.[127][128]