Re: VMs: Southern Alchemy

Dear Dana,

Thanks for this ; I would mostly react to you first link, although I am of course interested in other ones ; you surely know for instance that the red red rose you mentionned in the heraldry of the Rozmberk family is the symbol of the achievement of the philosopher?s stone.

At the same time, the white one is representing an intermediate step, namely the thransmutation of one metal into silver ( red is for gold). Perhaps Baresch was part of the vicinity of one of the Rozmberks, who knows ?

Anyway, back to you first link :

http://www.ckrumlov.cz/uk/mesto/histor/t_alchym.htm

Here is the German version, for our German speaking colleagues :

http://www.ckrumlov.cz/de/mesto/histor/t_alchym.htm

Perhaps somebody in the list will be glad to know that there is a Yahoo group devoted to alchemy in Czech lands :

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/alchemy_museum_newsletter/

But possibly list already is aware of this group ; I further noticed that in the first quoted link, many exciting names are written ; one of them is Vaclav Lavin ; on this one I tried to dig a little. My feeling at the moment ? but perhaps I am wrong ? is that he could be Lavinius of Moravia.

The latter is a famous alchemist.

IMHO it is worthwile to know that according to Rafal in Adam?s site he could have been connected to Michael Sendivogius :

http://www.alchemywebsite.com/a-archive_dec01.html

He was living in Prague in the 1590?s and his major alchemical treatise was first published 1612 or so, it is the

Tractatus de Caelo terrestri.

Here is a Spanish version :

http://www.levity.com/alchemy/span02.html

An Italian one with references and commentaries :

http://www.farneti.it/TreTrattati.asp

And finally a French one :

http://www.kingsgarden.org/French/Alchimie/CielTerrestre.html

The latter is still available in Canseliet?s work :

http://www.worldcatlibraries.org/wcpa/ow/2eb8b8ede81f71d3.html

Thanks to Adam, although, an English version seems to be for sale too :

http://www.esotericism.co.uk/newbooks.htm

Jean

Dana Scott <dscott520@xxxxxxx> wrote:

Probably already known to this discussion group is that Krumlov in southern Bohemia was a center for alchemy during Rudolph's reign.

http://www.ckrumlov.cz/uk/mesto/histor/t_alchym.htm

http://www.virtourist.com/europe/krumlov/

http://www.4windstravel.com/shows/czech/cesky.html

While certainly not conclusive, I find it somewhat interesting that central Baresch's seal was a rose which was also found in the Rosenberg's Coat of Arms. Refer to the Athanasius Kircher Correspondence Project at Stanford University (need to download Luna Insight software to view letters; search by name for Barschius under Athanasius Kircher Project...; I had a lot of fun figuring out how Baresch's letter was folded and sealed and how Kircher opened the letter which was subjected both to the use of a sharp letter opener, in addition to human fingers; rather interesting.)

Rosenberg Rose:

http://www.ckrumlov.cz/obr/mesto/histor/290b.jpg

http://www.ckrumlov.cz/obr/mesto/histor/294b.jpg

Luna Insight:

http://www-sul.stanford.edu/depts/hasrg/hdis/insight.html

Athanasius Kircher: (Stanford University)

http://www-sul.stanford.edu/depts/hasrg/hdis/kircher.html

Regards,

Dana