What tradition believes in alchemy?

Alchemy (from Arabic: al-kīmiyā; from Ancient Greek: khumeía) is an ancient branch of natural philosophy, a philosophical and protoscientific tradition that was historically practiced in China, India, the Muslim world, and Europe.

Why is alchemy forbidden?

Moreover, alchemy was, in fact, illegal in many European countries from the Middle Ages down to the early modern period. This is because rulers were afraid of undermining the gold standard, of corrupting the gold supply in Europe.

Who first practiced alchemy?

Alchemy was practiced in much of the ancient world, from China and India to Greece. It migrated to Egypt during the Hellenistic period and was later revived in 12th-century Europe through translations of Arabic texts into Latin.

Is alchemy allowed in Islam?

Alchemy appears as a discipline in its own right in various Islamic classifications of sciences, such as that of al-Fārābī. The subsequent development of alchemy in Islam was significant, and it is from the Latin translation of Arabic works that the medieval West owes to know of alchemy.

What are the origins of alchemy?

Alchemy was born in ancient Egypt, where the word Khem was used in reference to the fertility of the flood plains around the Nile. Egyptian beliefs in life after death, and the mummification procedures they developed, probably gave rise to rudimentary chemical knowledge and a goal of immortality.

Why was alchemy debunked?

The old alchemical literature continues to be scrutinized for evidence, because alchemical doctrine is claimed to have on more than one occasion come into the possession of man but always again been lost. Nor is its association with chemistry considered accidental.

Is alchemy a crime?

So, in 1404, Parliament passed a statute called the Act Against Multipliers, making alchemy — or more specifically, the multiplication of gold and silver via alchemy — illegal: “None from henceforth shall use to multiply gold or silver, or use the craft of multiplication; and if any the same do, he shall incur the pain …

What type of alchemist is Edward Elric?

State Alchemist
Alchemist of Steel), is the youngest State Alchemist in the history of the fictional country of Amestris. His left leg was divinely severed in a failed attempt to resurrect his dead mother, and then his right arm was taken in exchange for his brother’s soul.

What is Arab alchemy?

The expression “Arabic alchemy” refers to the vast literature on alchemy written in the Arabic language. Among those defined as “Arabic alchemists” we therefore find scholars of different ethnic origins—many from Persia—who produced their works in the Arabic language.