Caput mortuum

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Caput mortuum ( latin for "dead head"), and colcothar or Kolkothar or Morell salt , is from pyrite obtained by roasting of sulfur mineral pigment from iron (III) oxide . Its color is a purple-tinged red .

The bluish-violet iron (III) oxide as a powder

etymology

In seeking the Alchimisten of the 15th century to the production of "smoking" sulfuric acid at fell roasting of pyrite at very high temperatures in the dry state a fine bluish-purple powder as a by-product. The alchemists called it caput mortuum , which means “skull” in the sense of “worthless stuff”, following the usage of their profession .

In another reading, the name is derived directly from the skull : It is said to be the color of the coagulated blood at the intersection of the heads of decapitated people .

A second name of this pigment is colcothar or Kolkothar . One thought of the biblical place of the skull Golgotha , which is actually called golgota in Hebrew , and a connection was made between the place of the skull and the "skull".

The derivation of the third name Morellensalz , on the other hand, is simple: Morelles are the blue-red sour cherries , whose color is similar to the caput mortuum.

See also

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Caput mortuum in mineralienatlas.de
  2. ↑ Caput mortuum - spelling, meaning, definition. In: www.duden.de. Retrieved November 16, 2013 .