Who is online?
In total there are 48 users online :: 0 Registered, 0 Hidden and 48 Guests :: 1 BotNone
Most users ever online was 138 on July 3rd 2019, 7:36 pm
Latest topics
Elementals
Page 1 of 1
Elementals
An elemental is a mythological being first appearing in the alchemical works of Paracelsus. Traditionally, there are four types:[1]
gnomes, earth elementals
undines, water elementals
sylphs, air elementals
salamanders, fire elementals.
The exact term for each type varies somewhat from source to source, though these four are now the most usual. Most of these beings are found in folklore as well as alchemy; their names are often used interchangeably with similar beings from folklore. The sylph, however, is rarely encountered outside of alchemical contexts.
The basic concept of an elemental refers to the ancient idea of elements as fundamental building blocks of nature. In the system prevailing in the Classical world, there were four elements: fire, earth, air, and water. This paradigm was highly influential in Medieval natural philosophy, and Paracelsus evidently intended to draw a range of mythological beings into this paradigm by identifying them as belonging to one of these four elemental types.
Elementals of Air, Earth, Fire and Water
In mysticism, magic and alchemy, an elemental is a creature (usually a spirit) that is attuned with, or composed of, one of the classical elements: air, earth, fire and water. The elements balance each other out through opposites: water quenches fire, fire boils water, earth contains air, air erodes earth. The concept of elementals seems to have been conceived by Paracelsus in the 16th century, though he did not in fact use the term "elemental" or a German equivalent. Paracelsus gave common names for the elemental types, as well as alternate names, which he seems to have considered somewhat more proper. He also referred to them by purely German terms which are roughly equivalent to "water people," "mountain people," and so on, using all the different forms interchangeably. The Paracelsian elementals were
Of these names, gnomus, undina, and sylph are all thought to have appeared first in Paracelsus' works, though undina is a fairly obvious Latin derivative. The other names are traditional terms, though the Paracelsian usage is thought to be novel.
He noted that undines are similar to humans in size, while sylphs are rougher, bigger, longer, and stronger. Gnomes are short, while salamanders are long, narrow, and lean.
In his influential De Occulta Philosophia of the same period, Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa also wrote of four classes of spirits corresponding to the four elements, though he did not give special names for the classes. Agrippa did however give an extensive list of various mythological beings of this type, although without clarifying which belongs to which elemental class.[4] Like Paracelsus, he did not use the term "elemental spirit" per se.
Elementals are commonly mentioned in grimoires dealing with alchemy and sorcery and are usually "called" by summoning.
gnomes, earth elementals
undines, water elementals
sylphs, air elementals
salamanders, fire elementals.
The exact term for each type varies somewhat from source to source, though these four are now the most usual. Most of these beings are found in folklore as well as alchemy; their names are often used interchangeably with similar beings from folklore. The sylph, however, is rarely encountered outside of alchemical contexts.
The basic concept of an elemental refers to the ancient idea of elements as fundamental building blocks of nature. In the system prevailing in the Classical world, there were four elements: fire, earth, air, and water. This paradigm was highly influential in Medieval natural philosophy, and Paracelsus evidently intended to draw a range of mythological beings into this paradigm by identifying them as belonging to one of these four elemental types.
Elementals of Air, Earth, Fire and Water
In mysticism, magic and alchemy, an elemental is a creature (usually a spirit) that is attuned with, or composed of, one of the classical elements: air, earth, fire and water. The elements balance each other out through opposites: water quenches fire, fire boils water, earth contains air, air erodes earth. The concept of elementals seems to have been conceived by Paracelsus in the 16th century, though he did not in fact use the term "elemental" or a German equivalent. Paracelsus gave common names for the elemental types, as well as alternate names, which he seems to have considered somewhat more proper. He also referred to them by purely German terms which are roughly equivalent to "water people," "mountain people," and so on, using all the different forms interchangeably. The Paracelsian elementals were
Of these names, gnomus, undina, and sylph are all thought to have appeared first in Paracelsus' works, though undina is a fairly obvious Latin derivative. The other names are traditional terms, though the Paracelsian usage is thought to be novel.
He noted that undines are similar to humans in size, while sylphs are rougher, bigger, longer, and stronger. Gnomes are short, while salamanders are long, narrow, and lean.
In his influential De Occulta Philosophia of the same period, Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa also wrote of four classes of spirits corresponding to the four elements, though he did not give special names for the classes. Agrippa did however give an extensive list of various mythological beings of this type, although without clarifying which belongs to which elemental class.[4] Like Paracelsus, he did not use the term "elemental spirit" per se.
Elementals are commonly mentioned in grimoires dealing with alchemy and sorcery and are usually "called" by summoning.
Page 1 of 1
Permissions in this forum:
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
|
|
September 1st 2010, 4:33 am by Tiggi
» Cara and Tiggi 1-1 :)
September 1st 2010, 4:32 am by Tiggi
» Tricked-Cara, Tiggi and oO Renn Oo
July 22nd 2010, 1:31 pm by Tiggi
» Avatar The Last Air Bender
May 13th 2010, 10:29 am by CJWatso
» New RP (no fixed plot yet)
January 15th 2010, 5:36 pm by Tiggi
» Good Charries...
January 15th 2010, 5:36 pm by Tiggi
» Mythical Creatures
January 15th 2010, 5:14 pm by Tiggi