Alchemy: Encyclopedia II - Alchemy - Alchemy in art and entertainment

Alchemy - Alchemy in art and entertainment

Alchemy - Literature

Many authors lampooned alchemists and used them as the butt of satirical attacks. Two famous examples of these include the play The Alchemist by Ben Jonson and, two hundred years earlier, Geoffrey Chaucer's literary work Canon's Yeoman's Tale. Some others noteworthy examples include:

• The anime and manga series Fullmetal Alchemist (Hagane no Renkinjutsushi), by Hiromu Arakawa, is about two alchemists, and is largely concerned with Alchemy. The Philosopher's Stone is sought by both alchemists and homunculi, and transmutation is performed with the aid of transmutation circles. Numerous alchemical symbols are also made use of, including Flamel's crucified serpent. However, at the very beginning of the first volume of the Fullmetal Alchemist manga, the author states that the alchemy described is not scientifically based. Other anime/manga series following Fullmetal Alchemist, such as Busou Renkin, also include alchemy references.

• Daitokuji (Lyman Banner) of Yu-Gi-Oh! GX is an alchemist who during his lifetime sought to create the Philosopher's Stone. He suffered from a fatal illness that jeopardized his work, and thus transfered his soul into a homunculus of his own making.

• Keeper Martin in The Kingdoms and the Elves of the Reaches books practices alchemy and transmutation. In the story, there is a misunderstanding of the power of alchemy, and how it works.

• In the Harry Potter children's books and movies, a Philosopher's stone (in the American edition, titled a "sorcerer's stone") is mentioned. The stone could turn any metal into pure gold, and created an "Elixir of Life" that enabled the drinker to live much longer than usual. The alchemist Nicholas Flamel also appears in the novel, and he is given credit for creating the Stone. In the story, to remain immune to natural death, one must have a constant supply of this elixir.

• An alchemist named Melquíades is a character in Gabriel García Márquez's classic novel One Hundred Years of Solitude. The alchemical motifs add a magical sense to the novel (see magical realism).

• In the second part of Faust, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe portrays Faust's servant Wagner using alchemy to create a homunculus.

• Doctor Illuminatus, The Alchemist's Son by Martin Booth speaks about alchemy and a homunculus.

• The Fantastic Four villain Diablo is an alchemist. He uses his alchemical skills to concoct bizarre potions, slow down his aging, and, in a memorable story arc, he once temporarily cured The Thing of his lamentable mutation.

• The plot of the book The Geographer's Library by John Fasman revolves around thirteen alchemical artifacts.

• In Mary Shelly's Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein becomes enraptured in alchemy as a boy. Employing both alchemy and modern science, he creates the monster many refer to as Frankenstein's monster.

• The ways and methods of Alchemy were also essential to Paulo Coelho's novel, The Alchemist.

• The term 'alchemical' is sometimes used to refer to a study that is stumbling toward becoming science but has not reached that state yet. For instance, Larry Niven in his Known Space stories describes twentieth century psychology as being 'in its alchemical stages', before it is perfected by later generations into a true science.

• Margaret Mahy wrote a book called Alchemy, where a boy has to spy on a mysterious girl in his class who is studying alchemy, but a wizard from the boy's past wants the girl's power and is using the boy for information.

• The Baroque Cycle by Neal Stephenson features considerable sections concerning alchemy, with protagonistas including Isaac Newton, Nicolas Fatio de Duillier and sundry other Europeans of note during late 17th and early 18th centuries. The principal Alchemist of the tale is the mysterious Enoch Root who also features in the contempory novel Cryptonomicon.

• Newton and de Duillier, among others, are also important characters in Gregory Keyes's Age of Unreason series of novels.

• Roger the Homunculus, supporting cast member of the Mike Mignola comic book Hellboy. A product of alchemy, Roger was created by a mixture of blood and herbs.

Alchemy - Music

As in the above references to Alchemy stories being "metaphors for a spiritual transformation of the self", it can be seen that the album Lateralus by the band TOOL, a sort of "Philosopher's Stone."

In the song "The Grudge" there are references to Alchemy in an indirect way: "Saturn ascends, the one, the ten. ignorant to the damage done", "Saturn comes back around to show you everything" - references to astrology, numerology, and spiritual transformation. "Give away the stone. let the oceans take and transmutate this cold and fated Anchor. Give away the stone. let the waters kiss and transmutate these leaden grudges Into gold." - much more obvious reference to transmutation, turning lead into gold in reference to the soul.

Lyrics from the song Lateralus: "Over thinking, over analyzing separates the body from the mind"

Anyone who knows a great deal more about Alchemy should listen to this album, and read the lyrics, so as to make a better interpretation of these words in reference to Alchemy.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Alchemy in art and entertainment", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki