Nicolas Flamel

Radagast The Brown · 01-04-2005, 06:06 PM

Quote:

Nicholas, or Nicolas, Flamel was a French alchemist who lived in the fifteenth century. His life is no myth: his house in Paris, built in 1407, still stands, at 51 rue de Montmorency, where it has been made into a restaurant. His deeds, though, are the stuff of legend.

Flamel is supposed to have been the most accomplished of the European alchemists. It is claimed that he succeeded at the two magical goals of alchemy supposed to have been the chief aims of that pseudoscience: he made the Philosopher's Stone that turns lead into gold, and he and his wife Perenelle achieved immortality.

I don't suppose it's a coincidence?

See, I just looked in a history book and was amazed to find that in 1383 Nicolas Flamel published a book about how to make other metals to gold.

Just thought it was interesting.

inked · 01-05-2005, 10:36 AM

No, and it is not coincidental that Nicolas and his wife are genuine alchemists who partnered with Dumbledore and especially NOT a coincidence that they voluntarily lay down their lives by ending the Philosopher's Stone - a true mark of the meaning beyond merely transmutation of matter!

**Nurvingiel** · 01-05-2005, 12:26 PM

I agree with you Inked, few things turn out to be coincidences in Harry Potter. That was a very meaningful action on their part too.

When did the Statute of Secrecy come in to effect? Did Flamel break the statute by publishing his book? Or did he do it as a Muggle?

Minielin · 01-05-2005, 03:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by inked

...they voluntarily lay down their lives by ending the Philosopher's Stone - a true mark of the meaning beyond merely transmutation of matter!

Excellent point, one that bears mention on other threads as well, perhaps?

Radagast The Brown · 01-05-2005, 05:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by inked

No, and it is not coincidental that Nicolas and his wife are genuine alchemists who partnered with Dumbledore and especially NOT a coincidence that they voluntarily lay down their lives by ending the Philosopher's Stone - a true mark of the meaning beyond merely transmutation of matter!

I don't think I understand... Nicolas Flamel was an alchemist, not only in the books of Harry Potter, but in the 14th century. I don't think there was really a person named Dumbeldore then who was his friend, or that they actually made the Philosopher's stone.... so I don't think I understand how does what you said have connects to the topic.. ?

I don't think you understood (after rereading Nurvingiels' post) - It's not from a site of Harry Potter, or one of the books - it's the reality.

He really was an alchemist. He was French, so his name should be said as 'Nicola' if you said 'Nicolas' till now.

Pytt · 01-05-2005, 06:32 PM

I had heard about him before the HP books, belive it or not.
I can't remeber where though. just remember the name from somewhere.

Wayfarer · 01-05-2005, 09:40 PM

Nicholas Flamel is one of those famous 'freaky stuff' cases that just won't go away, even though there's never qute enough evidence to prove it.

In the 14th century he published a book claiming that he had created the philosophers stone. He and his wife later dissapeared, but have supposedly reappeared under several other names.

inked · 01-05-2005, 11:04 PM

Radagast, my answer was within the corpus of the HP series. No confusion, just referencing the use to which I allege JKR put these characters in her book. It is interesting of course that there is a historical antecedent by the same name and with some of the same characteristics. But recognizing the usage is fun, and not coincidental. Also, if alchemy is a Christian variant under symbolic terms, then the true achievement of the book characters is their perfection of character, not their transmutation of metals!

barrelrider110 · 01-24-2005, 05:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pytt

I had heard about him before the HP books, belive it or not.
I can't remeber where though. just remember the name from somewhere.

There's no doubt that JK Rowling did her homework. Successful fantasy has an element of credability to it. Tolkien achieved the same in a different way- his fantasy world was complete to the most minute detail. Rowling is particularly adept at drawing us in that get the feeling as Pytt does that you've been here before.

ItalianLegolas · 01-24-2005, 05:10 PM

Tolkien had unbelievable credability in his works, if we didn't know the almost complete history of the earth, it could be real *sigh* wish it was

01-05-2005, 10:36 AM	#2
inked Elf Lord Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: sikeston, MO, usa, earth, sol Posts: 3,114	No, and it is not coincidental that Nicolas and his wife are genuine alchemists who partnered with Dumbledore and especially NOT a coincidence that they voluntarily lay down their lives by ending the Philosopher's Stone - a true mark of the meaning beyond merely transmutation of matter! __________________ Inked "Aslan is not a tame lion." CSL/LWW "The new school [acts] as if it required...courage to say a blasphemy. There is only one thing that requires real courage to say, and that is a truism." GK Chesterton "And there is always the danger of allowing people to suppose that our modern times are so wholly unlike any other times that the fundamental facts about man's nature have wholly changed with changing circumstances." Dorothy L. Sayers, 1 Sept. 1941

01-05-2005, 06:32 PM	#6
Pytt The Supreme Lord of The Northern Eagles Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: trondheim, norway Posts: 1,388	I had heard about him before the HP books, belive it or not. I can't remeber where though. just remember the name from somewhere. __________________ Don't Panic!

01-05-2005, 09:40 PM	#7
Wayfarer The Insufferable Join Date: Aug 2001 Posts: 3,333	Nicholas Flamel is one of those famous 'freaky stuff' cases that just won't go away, even though there's never qute enough evidence to prove it. In the 14th century he published a book claiming that he had created the philosophers stone. He and his wife later dissapeared, but have supposedly reappeared under several other names. __________________ Disgraced he may be, yet is not dethroned, and keeps the rags of lordship once he owned

01-05-2005, 11:04 PM	#8
inked Elf Lord Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: sikeston, MO, usa, earth, sol Posts: 3,114	Radagast, my answer was within the corpus of the HP series. No confusion, just referencing the use to which I allege JKR put these characters in her book. It is interesting of course that there is a historical antecedent by the same name and with some of the same characteristics. But recognizing the usage is fun, and not coincidental. Also, if alchemy is a Christian variant under symbolic terms, then the true achievement of the book characters is their perfection of character, not their transmutation of metals! __________________ Inked "Aslan is not a tame lion." CSL/LWW "The new school [acts] as if it required...courage to say a blasphemy. There is only one thing that requires real courage to say, and that is a truism." GK Chesterton "And there is always the danger of allowing people to suppose that our modern times are so wholly unlike any other times that the fundamental facts about man's nature have wholly changed with changing circumstances." Dorothy L. Sayers, 1 Sept. 1941

01-24-2005, 05:10 PM	#10
ItalianLegolas Tolkien-aholic Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: somewhere in the solar system... more specifically NJ... Posts: 712	Tolkien had unbelievable credability in his works, if we didn't know the almost complete history of the earth, it could be real sigh wish it was __________________ What was lost is now found.