Nicholas Flamel
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For the Harry Potter character, see Historical characters in Harry Potter.
Nicholas, or Nicolas, Flamel was a French alchemist who lived in the 15th century. Though accounts of his life are often taken as mythical, evidence attests to the truth of his existence: his house in Paris, built in 1407, still stands, at 51 rue de Montmorency (IIIe arrondissement), though the building has been converted into a restaurant. However, his character and deeds have arguably proven quite legendary.
Flamel is supposed to have been the most accomplished of the European alchemists. It is claimed that he succeeded at the two magical goals of alchemy supposed to have been the chief aims of that discipline, that he made the Philosopher's Stone that turns lead into gold, and that he and his wife Perenelle achieved immortality.
Flamel is supposed to have received a mysterious book, written by an ancient person known as Abraham the Jew, from a stranger. The book was said to be a copy of the original Book of Abraham. The book was full of Kabbalistic words in Greek and Hebrew. Flamel made it his life's work to understand the text of these lost secrets. He travelled to universities in Andalusia to consult with Jewish and Muslim authorities. In Spain, he met a mysterious master who taught him the art of understanding his manuscript. The "master" was rumored to be an adept, or wise man, who had studied the same teaching as the Three Wise Men of the Bible. The adept's name was Master Canches, who was a practicing physician and on his way to Paris. However, on the way, Master Canches took ill and died. Flamel buried Master Canches in Orleans, and was able to learn translations of Abraham the Jew. This taught Flamel the base secrets of how to perform the Magnum Opus and the formula for transmuting base metals into the state of gold.
After his return from Spain, Flamel was able to become rich: the knowledge that he gained during his travels made him a master of the alchemical art. Flamel became a philanthropist, endowing hospitals and churches with the proceeds from his alchemical work. He caused arcane alchemical signs to be written on a tombstone, which is preserved at the Musée de Cluny in Paris. His tomb is empty [citation needed].
[edit] Allusions
- Nicholas Flamel's story is alluded to in Howard Pyle's children's books "Empty Bottles" from the "Twighlight Land", and more recently J. K. Rowling's first Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (or, the Sorcerer's Stone), in which he is an unseen character. He was friends with Albus Dumbledore and said to have lived for hundreds of years until the Philosopher's Stone was destroyed following the events of the book (see Nicolas Flamel in Harry Potter.)
- Flamel is listed as the 8th "Grand Master of the Priory of Sion" (1398-1418) as part of a 1950s hoax [citation needed] 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, and then in Dan Brown's bestselling 2003 novel, The Da Vinci Code. Many of the names of "Grand Masters" were evidently chosen for some sort of connection with alchemy.
- Flamel is mentioned on several occasions (chapters 20 and 44) in Victor Hugo's The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
- One of the symbols on his grave (below), the serpent cross, is a symbol used by several characters in the anime and manga series Fullmetal Alchemist, which also draws on several of Flamel's works including the Philosopher's Stone and creation of homunculi.
- In the DC Comics universe, he is described as an immortal (JLA Annual 2), and an ancestor of Zatara and Zatanna (Secret Origins 27).
- In the MMORPG Ragnarok Online, the Chief Researcher of the Alchemist (Job) Guild is named Nicholas Flamel.
- The concept-album Grand Materia (2005) by the Swedish metal-band Morgana Lefay is about Nicholas Flamel and his life and how he made the Philosopher's Stone.
- Map of Bones (publ. 2005) by James Rollins mentions Flamel as an alchemist
- 'L'Étoile des Amants', by Philippe Sollers (Gallimard, 2002) presents Flamel as a (deceptively) arbitrary idea for a character.
[edit] External links
- Nicholas Flamel
- 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.
