The primary function of alchemy was to find the legendary substance, process, or object that could turn base metals into gold. Most modern readers only know of the alchemist Nicolas Flamel thanks to the Harry Potter series, but such pseudoscientists thrived in the Middle Ages and even developed some of the foundations of modern experimental science. Said to be a cup of "mysterious power," it was said to have held the blood and sweat of Jesus Christ (or to have been the cup from which Jesus drank at the Last Supper), and some believed that drinking from it could heal the body, enlighten the mind, and make the drinker's entire being immortal. The mythical Holy Grail was also said to confer immortality. Of course, as we know, Adam and Eve were thrown out of the Garden of Eden for instead eating the forbidden fruit from the Tree of Knowledge. The Tree of Life, most religious scholars agree, conferred immortality and incorruption upon the one who ate from it. According to Genesis, the garden contained two trees: the Tree of Knowledge, from which grew the forbidden fruit, and the Tree of Life: "And the Lord God brought forth of the ground all manner of trees, fair to behold, and pleasant to eat of: the tree of life also in the midst of paradise." (Gen. Immortality comes into play in the story of the Garden of Eden. But the body would have been transformed, the outer layers of gross matter having been shed." "Rather, it was about attaining a state of spiritual liberation or enlightenment (moksha) without having to die. "Indian traditions at least did not necessarily mean keeping one's body alive forever," professor Wujastyk said. The recipe has been lost to time, but historians believe it may have been made with the fermented milky sap of Asclepias acida, a kind of milkweed.Īncient Indian alchemy may have sought a more spiritual goal than our modern ideas of immortality. Other tales from ancient Indian folklore speak of soma, a fermented drink that was said to grant the drinker immortality. Mercury was not the only substance used to promote longevity of life amla (a fruit similar to a gooseberry) was also a common ingredient. The phrase loosely translates to mean "the science of mercury," according to Wujastyk. It is still referred to as the "mushroom of immortality" and has been used in Chinese medicinal practices as a potent hot water extract for nearly 2,000 years.Įarly cultures in India, starting around 400 BCE and continuing on to 800 AD, practiced ayurvedic rasayana, an early version of alchemy. "Although historical accounts referring to 'rivers of mercury' flowing through the tomb of the first Qin emperor may have been exaggerated, archaeological surveys have confirmed the presence of elevated levels of mercury in the soil around the tomb site," said Wujastyk.Ĭhinese mythology is also rife with images of Ling Zhi, a species of mushroom found throughout much of Asia. Ancient Chinese chemists believed that the demonstrated instability of mercury indicated "spiritual significance." In ancient China, Taoists believed that certain chemicals and minerals like mercury and cinnabar (an ore of mercury, bright red in color) had miraculous qualities. The earliest known attempts to create an elixir of life rather than just refer to it in mythology took place in ancient China during the Qin dynasty (during the first and second centuries BCE), according to Dagmar Wujastyk. Historians believe that the ancient idea of ambrosia would have been based on honey, although the Ancient Greek poet Ibycus called it "nine times sweeter than honey." It was believed that ambrosia could heal scars, cure diseases, raise people from the dead, and banish death completely. The ambrosia came from the horns of Amalthea, the goat (or goatherd) foster mother of Zeus. The ancient Greeks believed that what the gods ate and drank gave them immortality. He adds, stating the obvious, that "Claims of immortality have never been proven to be true."Īmong the many mythologies of the ancient Greeks, perhaps one of the most famous is that around ambrosia, the so-called ectar of the gods. Dagmar Wujastyk, a professor at the University of Vienna and expert in the history of classical medicines said. "Why do people believe in things they can't prove or that seem illogical? We may never know," Dr.
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