where can find info on the mythology behind alchemy?

Answer 1

Alchemy refers to both an early protoscience and an early philosophical discipline, both combining elements of chemistry, metallurgy, physics, medicine, astrology, semiotics, mysticism, spiritualism, and art. Alchemy has been practiced in Mesopotamia, Ancient Egypt, Persia, India, and China, in Classical Greece and Rome, in the Islamic Caliphates, and then in Europe up to the 19th century — in a complex network of schools and philosophical systems spanning at least 2500 years.

Western alchemy has always been closely connected with Hermeticism, a philosophical and spiritual system that traces its roots to Hermes Trismegistus, a syncretic Egyptian-Greek deity and legendary alchemist. These two disciplines influenced the birth of Rosicrucianism, an important esoteric movement of the seventeenth century. In the course of the early modern period, as mainstream alchemy evolved into modern chemistry, its mystic and Hermetic aspects became the focus of a modern spiritual alchemy, where material manipulations are viewed as mere symbols of spiritual transformations.

Today, the discipline is of interest mainly to historians of science and philosophy, and for its mystic, esoteric, and artistic aspects. Nevertheless, alchemy was one of the main precursors of modern sciences, and we owe to the ancient alchemists the discovery of many substances and processes that are the mainstay of modern chemical and metallurgical industries.



try this link.. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alchemy

Answer 2

Mythology, there is none. Alchemy is as real as science ever was. Sure, there were some disproven theories, but alchemy is real. Here's a website of an orginization dedicated to alchemy where you can find your "mythology"

http://www.levity.com/alchemy/index.html

And just so we're clear on the history of alchemy, here's an answer I gave to another non-believer.

Alchemy is real, I can asure you that. It's as real as science or chemestry ever were. It should also never be catorigized with wichcraft, as the two have absolutly nothing in common. There are no "magic words" in alchemy, there are no "mystic potions" in alchemy. Alchemy is also not evil, as some might think. Those rumors, I'm sorry to say, were created by the roman cathlic church in the early 16th century.

England was running low on gold to make coins, so alchemists tried to help. Using a procedure that was lost in the burnings of librarys to follow, alchemists would take a small amount of gold, mix it with other metals and minerals, and create more gold than they started with. The church, worried that this way to make gold would hurt there economy, demed alchemy as demonic and burned hundreds of alchemists at the stake, along with importand alchemical texts in the burning of librarys stated previously.

Alchemy was not demonic, it was simply a way to speed up nature. If you're a bit sceptical, think of this: If a chunck of coal is left in the ground long enough, it becomes dimond. Alchemy was used to speed up this process, mostly through the use of tintuctures.

But alchemy's not the kind of stuff you see on Full Metal Alchemist. Alchemy isn't about clapping your hands, watching a magical light, then re-shaping things. In short, it's purifing things through fire, through the art of distilation.

You might have also heard some stuff about the Phlisopher's Stone on Full Metal, but again, they messed up the facts big time. The Phlosaphers Stone was, in midevil times, believed to be a combination of distilled mecury and sulphul, to a point which it could not be purified any further. It was said to be a substance so pure, it would pass on it's purity to anything it touched. Base metals would become gold (thought to be the purist substanc in existance then) and prolong the human life indefinatly.

I'm not saying not to watch Full Metal Alchemist, just don't belive everything you see on tv.

Answer 3

You can read c.g. Jung or some Joseph Campbell to investigate the link between the mythological archetype of Alchemy and the philosophers stone and how it translates and affects the psyche of all societies.

It seems as if myth in this sense means the mythos of all humanity rather than a false tale which many people take it to mean.

Answer 4

Alchemy is not mythology, it is an ancient pseudo-science which attempted to perfect an elixir that would prolong life indefinitely and find the touchstone, a type of lodestone capable of turning base metals into gold.

Medical science still attempts to prolong life and modern scientists can turn base metals into gold at a subatomic level by using a cyclotron, or atom smasher. Only the methodology has changed, the goals are still quite similar.

H

Answer 5

This is not mythology. The ancients were attempting to produce the philosophers stone. Read the book Secrets of the Lost Ark by Laurence Gardner.

Answer 6

Alchemy is not considered a mythology. It is an early science.(^_^)

Answer 7

it was the attempt to turn base metals into gold, just put the word alchemy into a web search and find out what you get.

Answer 8

Why do assume it is a myth? I go to work and turn sh!t into gold all the time, so my boss says.

Answer 9

wikipedia.org/wiki/Alchemy