Splendor Solis

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Illustration The big washing festival in front of the city in Splendor Solis

Splendor Solis or Sonnenglanz is an illustrated alchemical manuscript in Middle Low German from the 15th century. The text was very likely written by Ulrich Poyssel around 1440 under the pseudonym Salomon Trismosin . Poyssel was a teacher of the famous humanistic scientist Paracelsus. In cryptic language, the influences of natural elements on people's lives are considered. The author drew his knowledge from the magical works of Kabbalah, among other things. Splendor Solis is considered a major work of the Alchemia Picta tradition. The oldest known copy of the basic alchemical theory comes from the years 1531–1532 and is kept in the Kupferstichkabinett (manuscript 78 D 3) of the Staatliche Museen Berlin at the Berlin Kulturforum . Further copies (a total of 20 are known) are among others in the Paris National Library and in the British Library (MS Harley 3469) in London.

  • Denmark, Copenhagen: Det Kongelige Bibliotek, GKS 3508, fol. 14v-33.
  • Germany, Berlin: State Museums Berlin, Kupferstichkabinett, manuscript 78 D3 (Nuremberg 1531).
  • Germany, Berlin: State Library of Prussian Cultural Heritage, Cod. Germ. F.42.
  • Germany, Kassel: University Library, Ms. chem. 21st
  • Germany, Kassel: University Library, Ms. chem. 11 [4], fol. 134-147.
  • Germany, Munich: Bavarian State Library, Hss Cgm 4228, fol. II-XLIIII.
  • Germany, Munich: Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Res / 4 Alch. 91-3: Aureum Vellus, or Güldin Schatz and Kunstkammer , Rohrschach am Bodensee 1599. [3]
  • Germany, Nuremberg: Germanisches Nationalmuseum, Hs. 146 766.
  • Germany, Wolfenbüttel: Herzog August Bibliothek, Cod. Guelf 43 Aug., fol 35-76.
  • France, Paris: Bibliothèque nationale de France, Ms. allemand 113. [4]
  • France, Paris: Bibliothèque nationale de France, Ms. français i12297.
  • Great Britain, London: British Library, MS Harley 3469 (1582).
  • Netherlands, Leiden: Universitaire Libraries, Ms Cod. Voss. Chyme. Q. 6, fol. 49v-77.
  • Netherlands, Leiden: Universitaire Libraries, Ms Cod. Voss. Chyme. Q. 17, fol. 99v-125.
  • Czech Republic, Prague: Knihovna pražské metropolitní kapituly, Ms 1663, O.79, fol 176v-194.
  • Switzerland, Bern: private collection.
  • Switzerland, Solothurn: Central Library, Cod SI 185, fol. 1-20v.
  • USA, Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania, Ms. Codex 108.
  • LI: La Toyson d'Or , 1612 (translation of the Aureum Vellus into French)
  • William Backhouse: The Golden Fleece, or the Flower of Treasures (Ashm. MS 1395). (Translation from La Toyson d'or into English).

The focus of the text, the authorship of which has not been fully clarified, is the production and operation of the Philosopher's Stone. For this purpose, in the tradition of floriculture literature, quotes from classical alchemical authors such as Alphidius , Aristotle , Rhazes , Avicenna , Chalid ibn Yazid , pseudo-donors (donors), Hermes Trismegistos , Morienus , Zosimos , the Turba Philosophorum and Ibn Umail (Senior Zadith) are used .

According to Jörg Vollnagel, the illustrator is said to have been Jörg Breu the elder , according to another assumption, Albrecht Glockendon or his workshop in Nuremberg. According to more recent research by Rafal Prinke, the Schaffhausen painter Thomas Schmid (approx. 1490-approx. 1555/60) comes into question.

It was translated into French (1612) and into English by William Backhouse . It was also printed in the Aurem Vellum collection in 1599 (alleged author Salomon Trismosin).

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Telle, in Priesner, Figala, Alchemie 1998, 339
  2. ↑ Page no longer available , search in web archives: Press release on the exhibition in the Berlin Kupferstichkabinett  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF file; 225 kB)@1@ 2Template: Toter Link / www.smb.museum@1@ 2Template: Toter Link / www.smb.museum  
  3. ↑ [1]
  4. ↑ [2]
  5. ^ The Splendor Solis. hermetics.org, accessed on October 30, 2010 (English, detailed description and links to the images).
  6. ↑ DER SPIEGEL 10/2004 - Fire in the vial
  7. ↑ Rafal Prinke: History and Authorship of Splendor Solis, in: Splendor Solis, The World's Most Famous Alchemical Manuscript, Watkins, London 2019, pp. 50–53

literature

  • Stephen Skinner, Rafal T. Prinke, Georgiana Hedesan, Joscelyn Godwin: Splendor Solis. The world's most famous alchemical manuscript , Watkins Publ., 2019.
  • Thomas Hofmeier u. a .: Splendor Solis: the Most Iconic Work on Alchemy Ever , Barcelona: Moleiro 2011
  • Gabriele Quinque: Splendor Solis, the purple bath of the soul, 22 gates of initiatic alchemy, printing and publishing house Pomaska-Brand, 2004, ISBN 978-3-935937-26-9 .
  • Joachim Telle: Splendor Solis, in: Claus Priesner , Karin Figala : Alchemie. Lexicon of a Hermetic Science, Beck 1998, pp. 339f.

Web links

Commons : Splendor Solis  - collection of images, videos and audio files