Philosopher's Stone: history and properties of the elixir of life in the Harry Potter saga
The philosopher's stone is also called the philosophers' stone, from Latin Lapis philosophorum. It is the catalyst substance par excellence, a symbol of alchemy capable of healing the corruption of matter. Known to all thanks to the protagonism it assumes in the first volume of the Harry Potter saga, the philosopher's stone has much older roots and very varied properties. curious.
Moreover, the stones have been assigned specific value on several occasions, due to their particular shape or color.
The history of the philosopher's stone
The search for the philosopher's stone was the main aim of alchemy, as the etymology of the term itself affirms. Alchemy, in fact, it indicates the complex of techniques and theories to transform base metals into gold or, as in the case of our stone, the elixir of long life.
It is very difficult to establish what the philosopher's stone really was as the interpretation of the language of the ancient alchemists is very varied and sometimes divergent. For some it is a mere chemical composition with miraculous and extraordinary virtues; for others, however, it is not of a "material work. For some scholars, in fact, it is rather an "interior experience, sought for the purpose of spiritual progress.
In this sense, the so-called stone of the philosophers it is not a stone simply thought of, but is the result of a long series of symbolic and alchemical operations.
See also
According to the alchemists, therefore, the philosopher's stone was an amulet capable, mainly, of transforming base metals into gold or, as has passed primarily in tradition, also following the famous story told in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, to produce the elixir of long life. As mentioned, from the symbolic point of view, it was a representation towards wisdom and knowledge: the origin of these theories, moreover, is rich in dissimilar beliefs.
The oldest history dates back to Greek-Latin mythology. According to the legend, the god Saturn, Cronus for the Greeks, devoured his children to prevent them from rebelling against their father just as he had done in the past; the mother of the children, however, Rhea, replaced the last born, Zeus, with a stone, before it was ingested. had remained in the body of the god had acquired an extraordinary property, to turn metals into gold precisely.
Hundreds are the alchemists who, for four thousand years now, have dedicated themselves to the search for the philosopher's stone. Not only that: in the list, there is certainly no shortage of illustrious names of scholars and philosophers, such as Aristotle, Pythagoras, Paracelsus and Flamel.
The properties of the philosopher's stone
The most famous properties recognized to the philosopher's stone are essentially three:
- provide an elixir of life that can bestow immortality and heal from any disease;
- acquire omniscience, that is the absolute knowledge of the past, present and future (that's why "philosopher", of philosophers);
- ability to transmute base metals into gold.
In particular, this last property has attracted more popular greed, but the others are no less.
Many other legends, however, attribute other properties to the mysterious stone. In fact, the philosopher's stone has only been represented cinematically in a certain way, as red and solid: the stone we imagine as a philosopher is the one we see holding Harry Potter in the first book and film of the saga, but many speculate on the fact. whether it is rather a very dense red powder, or even a yellowish material similar to amber.
Despite numerous speculations, the philosopher's stone is not only the object of popular and non-popular legends and desires, driven by greed, or the head of research in the film and book of the most famous saga of recent times. Gold, on the contrary, was sought after. especially to be used as a catalyst in chemical reactions, that is, to carry out the transformations; and it has always been appreciated and considered the only metal capable of being unalterable over time. To obtain the mysterious philosopher's stone, it seems that a special oven called athanor, from the "Arabic" oven.
The "triple power" of stone therefore has deep roots: gold is considered an immortal and incorruptible metal, and understanding how to produce it starting from base metals has the consequence of understanding how to make immortal a mortal body subjected to the corruption of time. Gold is therefore similar to light, which is similar to spirit: transforming metals into gold, therefore, means transforming materiality into spirit.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone: The Famous Story of J. K. Rowling
It has been mentioned several times: J. K. Rowling's book has traveled the world, far and wide, bringing the story of Harry Potter and the wizards of Hogwarts to the homes of children and adults. Following the enormous success that printed books have enjoyed, film representation arrived immediately afterwards. Even in the case of films, the most famous magician of all time has depopulated at the box office, marking a sold out repeatedly.
In the film, as well as in the book, Harry discovers that he is a wizard and is taken to Hogwarts, the best school of wizardry in the world, where he will discover the whole truth about his past, the story of his parents and the existence of a dark wizard. , whose name must not be named, which he will find himself facing at the end of the first episode of the saga through Professor Raptus. It is precisely on this final occasion that the much sought-after philosopher's stone is represented: Harry holds it in his hands, without realizing how he got it.
The saga of Harry Potter it is an unprecedented success and still enjoys continuous reprints and new editions. The former, in fact, have an inestimable value for the most passionate: from the economic edition to the hardcover one, the best retailers count a large number of illustrated editions that tell the whole story of the magician that everyone has heard about.
