VMs: Gratheus filius philosphi (pictures posted)

["PK#01" <pklist01@xxxxxxxxx>]

I have posted a few pictures form this manuscript on my private webserver.
It's slow and unreliable, but please take a look anyway. You will see a few
interesting pictures and you will get a sample of the text (I can read it,
it's old Dutch). It's here : http://uair01.xs4all.nl (I hope).

Notice the trumpet-like appendices in pictures 4 and 9. They remind me of
the central "asteroid" on the rosettes page. It has something to do with an
alchemical (alchemystical, alchemistic?) vessel. I will have to look up the
details. Then in picture 15 notice the drawing of "Sol".

At the moment I'm reading the commentary and there are some interesting
parallels. At least, I can learn from the (modern) author's way of placing,
timing and interpreting the manuscript. I'll try to write a short summary
sometime soon. What's most interesting is the way an author could make a
hodge-podge of basic alchemical notions, some badly translated and
misunderstood alchemistical tracts, add a lot of phantasy, make the text a
bit longer, combine some unrelated notions, and still produce a work that
was seen as "useful" or "valuable". The VMS might also be such a creative
cocktail.

What's very interesting is the mention of "the necessity of secrecy" in
alchemy and yet another old alchemical manuscript in code:

- Von zentraler bedeutung ist die Geheimhaltung in einem der frühesten
deutschen alchemistischen Texte, nämlich der "Alchemy teuczch" aus den
zwanziger jahren des 15, Jh.s, die in Cod. Pal. germ. 579 drei verschiedene
geheimschriftliche Alphabete verwendet. (With a reference to: G. Eis, Achemy
teuczch, in: Ostbair. Grenzmarken, Passauer Jb. f. Geschichte, Kunst und
Volkskunde 1 (1957), S. 11 ff.)

Do we know this old German manuschript?

Were it not for the VMS I would have never read a book like this. The
historic research is very interesting to read, but the subject of alchemy is
the most horrid subject I know. What a load of ... ! How is it possible that
whole generations and many big minds have wasted their time on this :-)

Enjoy the pictures.
Petr Kazil

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