Speaker 1: You see, something's going to happen. What's going to happen? What?
Speaker 1: Welcome to the occult rejects. In today's episode, we'll be
Speaker 1: discussing someone who is a figure where history and legend intertwine,
Speaker 1: a prince of the mighty umaya Kaliphate who later became
Speaker 1: known as an alchemist and seeker of a cult wisdom.
Speaker 1: In this episode, we discuss Khalid i've bin Yazib, tracing
Speaker 1: his noble lineage, dramatic political struggles, and the enigmatic pursuits
Speaker 1: that earned him the title the first Arab Alchemist. In
Speaker 1: this episode, we will explore how this young umayad Air,
Speaker 1: once poised to rule an empire, instead became famous for mysticism, alchemy,
Speaker 1: and esoteric knowledge. From his upbringing amid the splendor and
Speaker 1: strife of a rising Islamic empire to the tales of
Speaker 1: secret teachings under a Christian hermit, Khalid's story is rich
Speaker 1: with human drama and supernatural appeal. I only pursue this
Speaker 1: art so that I may enrich my companions and brothers.
Speaker 1: I once craved the caliphate, and it was denied me.
Speaker 1: So I found solace only in attaining the ultimate knowledge
Speaker 1: of this craft such that no one who's known me
Speaker 1: will ever need to stand at a ruler's door out
Speaker 1: of want or fear. The journey of Khalid is it's
Speaker 1: not just a historical chronicle, but a window into the
Speaker 1: occult heritage of early Islam. Why does he deserve a
Speaker 1: feature on the Occult Rejects because his life embodies the
Speaker 1: very crossroads of power and arcane knowledge. A royal alchemist
Speaker 1: who pursued that which is impossible in the eyes of contemporaries,
Speaker 1: yet inspired generations of later scientists, mystics, and artists. Today,
Speaker 1: we will walk through Khalid's life, his princely youth during
Speaker 1: the Second Islamic Civil War, the heartbreak of losing a throne,
Speaker 1: his retreat into scholarly solitude, and the legacy of texts
Speaker 1: and legends that sprouted around his name. By the end,
Speaker 1: you'll understand how Khalid Iban Yazid's quest for wisdom left
Speaker 1: an imprint on occult lore, religious thought, and the scientific imagination,
Speaker 1: making his tale a perfect fit for exploration of the
Speaker 1: rejected and the arkane. Let us return to the exposition
Speaker 1: of the three words in which the whole art consists.
Speaker 1: Khalid was born around six sixty eight CE into the
Speaker 1: ruling family of the Umayad Kaliphate, a dynasty then consolidating
Speaker 1: its grip over the recently expanded Islamic world. His father
Speaker 1: was Calif Yazid the First, and his grandfather was mu Aweyah,
Speaker 1: the first founder of the Umayad state. Thus, Khalid grew
Speaker 1: up in the elite circle of Damascus, to Umayad capital,
Speaker 1: enjoying the privileges of a princely upbringing. We can imagine
Speaker 1: him as a child in the lavish courts of Syria,
Speaker 1: educated by tutors in chronic studies, Arabic poetry, and perhaps
Speaker 1: even exposed to Greek or Syriac learning through local Christian scholars.
Speaker 1: His mother, Fikda, was herself from a prominent clan. This
Speaker 1: noble heritage imbued Kalid with a sense of destiny from
Speaker 1: an early age. The world Kalid was born into was
Speaker 1: one of dynamic change and cultural fusion. The Muslim Empire
Speaker 1: had exploded out of Arabia in the mid seventh century,
Speaker 1: conquering lands from Persia to Egypt. By Khalid's youth, the
Speaker 1: Umaya Caliphate stretched across the Middle East and North Africa,
Speaker 1: ruling over diverse peoples and inheriting centers of ancient knowledge
Speaker 1: like Alexandria. The atmosphere in Syria was cultured. Arabic was
Speaker 1: the new official tongue, but Greek and Aramaic intellectual traditions
Speaker 1: still lingered in schools and monasteries. This environment likely influenced
Speaker 1: Khalid's later intellectual curiosity. Indeed, the conquest of Alexandria in
Speaker 1: six p. Forty two had put Muslims in contact with
Speaker 1: the bulk of Greek philosophy and science, including alchemy, planting
Speaker 1: seeds of scientific interest that Khalid would later nurture. One
Speaker 1: medieval Arab writer Al Jahiz gives us a fascinating glimpse
Speaker 1: of Khalid's character as a young man. Khalid ibin Yazid
Speaker 1: was an orator, a poet, and was eloquent, comprehensive of
Speaker 1: sound judgment, and extremely well mannered. Such praise suggests he
Speaker 1: was not only of noble blood, but also carefully educated
Speaker 1: in rhetoric and literature, standing out among his peers for
Speaker 1: his intellect. Life in the umaiyard court also meant exposure
Speaker 1: to politics and warfare early on. Khalid spent his childhood
Speaker 1: in teens amid the turmoil of the second Fitner Islamic
Speaker 1: Civil War. When he was about fifteen, his father had
Speaker 1: died and power passed briefly to Khalid's elder half brother,
Speaker 1: Muwayah the Second, but within months his brother also perished,
Speaker 1: plunging the caliphate into a succession crisis. Though very young,
Speaker 1: perhaps sixteen, Khalid suddenly found himself a potential candidate for
Speaker 1: the throne of an empire. Let's get into some of
Speaker 1: his education and influences. First. Khalit's education unfolded inside at
Speaker 1: Umayard court that drew on Arab Adab Churonic study and
Speaker 1: the Syriac Greek learning of Great Assyria. Later Arabic reportages
Speaker 1: remember him not merely as a prince, but as a
Speaker 1: seeker who turned from politics toward the divine art. Those
Speaker 1: same sources pair him with Byzantine monk named Mariannis or Marinus,
Speaker 1: a reclusive stage of Palestine Assyria. In this classic Arabic
Speaker 1: dossier later translated into Latin as the Liber Decomposition Alchemy,
Speaker 1: Mariannis teaches Khalid and is sustained dialogue, framing the art
Speaker 1: as both a science of substance and a path of purification.
Speaker 1: Medieval writers even make Mariannis a pupil as Stephanos of Alexandria,
Speaker 1: visually stitching Colored into a late antique chain of transmission.
Speaker 1: It is through this very legend that Khalid's influences come
Speaker 1: into focus Alexandra and Hermeticism and Neoplatonism, Syriac monastic craft lore,
Speaker 1: astrological cosmology, and the practical metallurgies of the Eastern Mediterranean.
Speaker 1: In short, whatever the historical literalness of Mariannas, the dossierre
Speaker 1: accurately maps the currents of knowledge that fed Arabic alchemy
Speaker 1: and that medieval readers believed Colored embodied. The Marianis Dialogue
Speaker 1: later libre decomposition Alchemy is the earliest well documented Arabic
Speaker 1: Latin alchemy translation and the chief literary source for the
Speaker 1: college teacher's storyline. It is precisely the text that made
Speaker 1: Khalid and Mariani's household names among medieval and Renaissance alchemists.
Speaker 1: For the nature and a pregnant woman is one thing,
Speaker 1: and in mercury another. In six point eighty four CE,
Speaker 1: the Umayad elite gathered to resolve the leadership crisis. Khaled,
Speaker 1: though of the ruling house, was still a teenager much
Speaker 1: younger than other contenders. The Syrian nobles opted to bypass
Speaker 1: him in favor of an older statesman, Marwuan Iban al Hakam,
Speaker 1: who held from a different branch of the Umayad clan.
Speaker 1: Morman was chosen as caliph on the condition that Khaled
Speaker 1: would be named Air after him. To seal this pact,
Speaker 1: Mowan married Khaled's mother, the young widow Faikita, strengthening the
Speaker 1: familial bond. For a moment, it seemed Khalid's royal ambitions
Speaker 1: were merely deferred. He might ascend the throne after Moran's reign. However,
Speaker 1: power struggled intervened. Once firmly in power, Moran reneged on
Speaker 1: the deal. He removed Khaled from succession and designated his
Speaker 1: own sons as heirs instead. When Khaled reminded Moran of
Speaker 1: the promise, the caliph reportedly publicly insulted Khaled's mother, Fikita,
Speaker 1: enraged and dishonoured. Fikita is said in later legend to
Speaker 1: have murdered Morn in revenge by suffocating him with a pillow.
Speaker 1: While historians doubt this dramatic tale, it captures the intensity
Speaker 1: of betrayal Khaled experience. In the span of a year,
Speaker 1: he went from the rightful heir of Muawia's lineage to
Speaker 1: a sidelined prince who had lost both his father and
Speaker 1: his promised throne. The Arabic chronic Ahmadi Eni some of
Speaker 1: the Khalid's plight with the remark that he was pursuing
Speaker 1: that which is impossible, that is alchemy. Many interpret this
Speaker 1: as a metaphor Khalid's political ambitions, like the alchemist's stream
Speaker 1: of turning lead to gold, had proved futile. This quote,
Speaker 1: possibly misread by later writers, would ironically spark the legend
Speaker 1: of Khalid the Alchemist. More on that soon. Despite the setback,
Speaker 1: Khalid adopted fast. He forged a close friendship with Marmon's son,
Speaker 1: the new Caliph, Abd al al Malik. Rather than rebelling,
Speaker 1: Khalid served loyally and was rewarded with influential roles. In
Speaker 1: sixteen ninety one, during a decisive campaign to reunify the
Speaker 1: fracture Caliphate, Abod appointed Khalid as a commander in the
Speaker 1: Siege of Circasium against the rebel faction. He then led
Speaker 1: the left wing of the Umayad army at the Battle
Speaker 1: of maskin which crushed the rival Caliphate in Iraq. These
Speaker 1: victories restored Umayad control over the eastern provinces. Khaled, still
Speaker 1: only in his early twenties, had proven his medal on
Speaker 1: the battlefield and earned the trust of the Caliph. As
Speaker 1: further affirmation, Abbid married his own daughter Ayesha to Khaled,
Speaker 1: making Khaled his son in law by blood and loyalty.
Speaker 1: Khaled was now firmly integrated into the ruling family, even
Speaker 1: if he would never wear the caliph crown himself. After
Speaker 1: these eventful years, Khaled made a crucial choice. He withdrew
Speaker 1: from public life. Around sixteen ninety two or shortly thereafter,
Speaker 1: Khalid left the political and military arena and settled in
Speaker 1: Hams in central Syria. Abbid Almalik granted him the governorship
Speaker 1: of Hams as a kind of estate, and there Khalid
Speaker 1: lived out the rest of his life and re relative seclusion.
Speaker 1: One might speculate on his motives. Perhaps the cutthroat nature
Speaker 1: of court politics and the trauma of his earlier disappointment
Speaker 1: left him disillusioned with power. By retiring to Hams, Kalin
Speaker 1: gains something he may have longed for, peace and time
Speaker 1: for intellectual pursuits. Later sources hint that in Harms he
Speaker 1: engaged in scholarly and artistic activities, such as writing poetry
Speaker 1: and studying hadith, which is prophetic traditions. We can picture
Speaker 1: him as a regional prince patron, holding learned discussions in
Speaker 1: his villa, far from the intrigues of Damascus. This period
Speaker 1: of quiet retirement set the stage for Klledge's transformation into
Speaker 1: a legendary wise man. Freed from worldly ambition, he now
Speaker 1: turned his formidal mind toward the wisdom of the stars
Speaker 1: and the secrets of substance. The relative obscurity of his
Speaker 1: final decade allowed legends to grow. There is scant contemporary
Speaker 1: record of Colleed's specific activity at Halms, but within a
Speaker 1: century or two stories began to circulate that this princely
Speaker 1: dropout had immersed himself in alchemy and occult sciences. As
Speaker 1: we shall see, what Khaled actually did in Halms is
Speaker 1: less documented than what later generations imagined he did, and
Speaker 1: those imaginations ran wild, casting Khaled as the seminal philosopher
Speaker 1: prince of the Islamic world. By the ninth century, Khaled
Speaker 1: Ibid Yazid's name had become enshrined in Arabic lore as
Speaker 1: a master of alchemy and the occult. This is an
Speaker 1: interesting evolution. In his own time, Khaled was known as
Speaker 1: a poet, patron, and ex prince, not necessarily an alchemist.
Speaker 1: So how did this legend take shape? A combination of
Speaker 1: later historical writings, synonymous t an oral tradition built the
Speaker 1: image of Khaled as the first Muslim alchemist. One early
Speaker 1: thread came from the historian al Baladuri in eight ninety two, who,
Speaker 1: as noted, quoted his teacher Al Madaini's witty description that
Speaker 1: Khalid busied himself with alchemy in the figurative sense. It
Speaker 1: appears that al Baladuri took it literally, or at least
Speaker 1: helped spread the anecdote that Khalid was pursuing that which
Speaker 1: is impossible alchemy. Later writers seized on this as evidence
Speaker 1: that Khalid dabbled in the art. Soon all the prominent
Speaker 1: scholars repeated the association. The great Adib al Jahiz praised
Speaker 1: Khalid's learning and explicitly wrote that he was the first
Speaker 1: in Islam who ordered the translation of works on astronomy, medicine,
Speaker 1: and alchemy. This claim, though historically dubious, hugely influential. It
Speaker 1: portrayed Khalid as a pioneer of science, a royal patron
Speaker 1: who kickstarted the translation of Greek knowledge into Arabic. In
Speaker 1: popular imagination, Khalid became the Arab ermes, a conduit of
Speaker 1: ancient wisdom into the new Muslim Empire. Another key figure,
Speaker 1: the bibliographer Abid alan Dadim, firmly cemented Khalid's alchemical reputation
Speaker 1: and his famous catalog al fist. Iban alan Dadeim wrote,
Speaker 1: the first Muslim alchemist was Kalid Ibid Yazid, who is
Speaker 1: said to have studied alchemy under the Christian Mariannus Marianus
Speaker 1: of Alexandria. This succinct statement packs in the core of
Speaker 1: the legend Khalid as a disciple of the mysterious Christian
Speaker 1: Sage learning the secrets of alchemia. We'll examine that story momentarily.
Speaker 1: Iban al Dadim also listed several alchemical books attributed to Kalid,
Speaker 1: indicating that by nine eighty Si seven CE, a substantial
Speaker 1: corpus bore Khaled's name. Why Kalid specifically, Scholars have theorized
Speaker 1: on the legend's origins. One view, man forred Omens, is
Speaker 1: that a simple misunderstanding gave birth to it. Al Madaini's
Speaker 1: quip about Khaled pursuing the impossible was glossed by al
Speaker 1: Baldo Hurri as a literal alchemy, thereby accidentally inaugurating the myth.
Speaker 1: Another view, Pierre Lauri's, suggests the texts attributed to Khaled
Speaker 1: were actually composed in humbler circles, perhaps by earlier occultists
Speaker 1: who lacked the noble patriarge and then ascribed to a
Speaker 1: prince to grant them prestige. By attaching their work to
Speaker 1: the famous Umaid royal, these eighth ninth century alchemists gave
Speaker 1: their writings an aura of antiquity and authority in any case.
Speaker 1: From the eight hundreds onward, Arabic writings frequently mentioned Khaled
Speaker 1: as an alchemist. Authors like al Jahizz al Tabari and
Speaker 1: Abu Faraj all name dropped him as a pioneer in
Speaker 1: the occult arts. The legend had eclipsed reality. At the
Speaker 1: heart of Khalid's alchemical lore is the captivating tale of
Speaker 1: his mentorship under Mariannus, often called Mariannas in Arabic. This
Speaker 1: story is the closest thing we have to a personal
Speaker 1: antidote about Khaled's mystical wanderings, and it reads almost like
Speaker 1: spiritual adventure literature. According to later accounts, Khaled, in his
Speaker 1: quest for the secrets of creation, learned of a Greek
Speaker 1: monk and hermit named Mariannas or Marianus, who dwelt in
Speaker 1: Palestine or Syria. Mariannus was said to be a reclusive sage,
Speaker 1: an ancient adept and hermit of Jerusalem, rumoured to possess
Speaker 1: the Philosopher's Stone and able to produce gold each year
Speaker 1: from base metals. Intrigued, Prince Khaled dispatched messengers and personally
Speaker 1: sought out this wise hermit. Eventually, he found Mariannus living
Speaker 1: in the wilderness near Jerusalem. In a dramatic meeting, Khalid
Speaker 1: invited the elderly monk to his court. Mariannus, clad in
Speaker 1: a coarse hair shirt and exuding an aura of wisdom,
Speaker 1: agreed to share his knowledge. It is said that Khalid
Speaker 1: visited Marianna's daily, sitting at the feet of the hermit
Speaker 1: to discuss philosophy, history, and the hidden arts. Over time,
Speaker 1: Mariannus initiated Kalad into the deepest secrets of alchemy, the
Speaker 1: knowledge of transmuting metals and achieving inner purification. This master
Speaker 1: disciple relationship echoes the archetypal transfer of Hermetic wisdom from
Speaker 1: the fading Byzantine world to then ascent Arabic world. One
Speaker 1: Arabic source even provides a chain of transmission. Jabir ibin Hayen,
Speaker 1: the eighth century father of his Life Alchemy, mentions that
Speaker 1: he studied alchemy under a monk who was a pupil
Speaker 1: of Mariannas, the tutor of Khalid Ibid Yazid. In other words,
Speaker 1: Jabir claims his teacher's teacher was Khalid's teacher, forming a
Speaker 1: neat lineage of occult knowledge from Alexandria to the Umayard
Speaker 1: court via Kalid, and then to the opposite era via Jabir.
Speaker 1: This lineage may not be historically true, but it was
Speaker 1: psychologically true for the medieval alchemists who craved continuity and antiquity.
Speaker 1: Through Khalid, they linked themselves to the ancient Hermetic tradition,
Speaker 1: going back to Hermes Trismegistus, The tale of Khalida Moriennis
Speaker 1: was immortalized in a book that became extremely influential in
Speaker 1: both the Islamic and European alchemical corpus Khalid's questions to
Speaker 1: the monk Mariannas. In this dialogue, Khalid poses queries and
Speaker 1: Mariannis reveals the answers, essentially laying out the step to
Speaker 1: create the electure or philosopher's stone. The text was translated
Speaker 1: into Latin in eleven forty four by Robert of Chester
Speaker 1: under the title Liber Decomposition Alchemy, notable for being the
Speaker 1: first Arabic alchemical work ever rendered into Latin, and the
Speaker 1: preface the translator explains the novelty of the science to
Speaker 1: the West. Since what alchemia is and what its composition
Speaker 1: is your Latin world does not yet know, I will
Speaker 1: explain it in the present book. The content that follows
Speaker 1: introduced European readers to the mystical dialogue of Khalid and Mariennis,
Speaker 1: describing all chemical concepts in allegorical language. For example, Mariannis
Speaker 1: tells Khaled that the thing o King is extracted from THEE.
Speaker 1: With THEE it is found by THEE it is received,
Speaker 1: hinting that the ingredients of the work come from the
Speaker 1: nature and the self, and that the king himself Khalid
Speaker 1: holds the key within Such cryptic wisdom would fascinate alchemist's
Speaker 1: for centuries. So powerful was the legend of Khalid's tutelage
Speaker 1: that his and Marianus's names became revered in the medieval alchemy.
Speaker 1: One historian writes that the names of Mariennis and Kalid
Speaker 1: became well known to all alchemists in Europe. Their importance
Speaker 1: matched that of al Razi, Ibinsina and Jabir. In other words,
Speaker 1: European alchemical texts placed Khalid rex King Khalid alongside luminaries
Speaker 1: like Razi's Evncia and Gerber and engraving from the seventeenth
Speaker 1: century even depicts Mauriennis to Greek in King Khalid Ibid
Speaker 1: Yazid sitting together, symbolizing the handoff of esoteric knowledge, an
Speaker 1: image often reproduced in alchemy compendiums of that era. With
Speaker 1: the legend firmly established, Khalid Ibid Yazid's historical persona was
Speaker 1: transformed to the later eyes. He was no longer primarily
Speaker 1: a failed claimant to the caliphate or a provincial governor.
Speaker 1: He was the wise prince who chose wisdom of a
Speaker 1: worldly power. In a sense, Kalid became an occult role model,
Speaker 1: a man who turned his back on the throne to
Speaker 1: seek enlightenment in the hidden arts. This dramatic art full
Speaker 1: of mystical lore, ensued that Khaled's name lived on far
Speaker 1: longer than many actual callous Next we will cover the
Speaker 1: writings attributed to him, the body of work that cements
Speaker 1: his status as an author of our chemical doctrine. Water
Speaker 1: is said to preserve the fetus in the womb for
Speaker 1: three months, air warms it for three months, fire guards
Speaker 1: it the same span. A large number of alchemical treaties, epistles,
Speaker 1: and poems are credited to Kalid in various manuscripts. Modern
Speaker 1: scholars generally view these texts as works written by unknown
Speaker 1: authors between the eighth and tenth century, but ascribed to
Speaker 1: Kalid to lend them authority. Nonetheless, they form a fascinating
Speaker 1: corpus reflecting early Islamic alchemical thought. Here I will touch
Speaker 1: on some of his major works. And first we have
Speaker 1: The Registry of the Stars and the Paradise of Wisdom,
Speaker 1: and that is described as a collection of alchemical poems
Speaker 1: and treaties attributed to Calid. These titles suggest a cosmic
Speaker 1: or philosophical framing of alchemical knowledge. In essence, it is
Speaker 1: an anthology of didacted poetry on alchemy, likely interspersed with
Speaker 1: short prose sections. One Arabic source explicitly calls this a
Speaker 1: dewan of poetry in Alchemy, indicating that this work chiefly
Speaker 1: consists of verse odes expounding chemical lore. These poems probably
Speaker 1: employ rich symbolism of stars, minerals, and the wisdom paradise
Speaker 1: of alchemy's sets. For example, one verse as tcribed to
Speaker 1: Kalid emphasizing keeping alchemical wisdom hidden truly, I conceal from
Speaker 1: people what I harbor of knowledge, for fear that a
Speaker 1: spiteful rival might enrich himself by it. This couplet reflects
Speaker 1: the esoteric ethos of the text, alchemy's truths availed to
Speaker 1: prevent misuse by the unworthy. The Registry of the Stars
Speaker 1: is believed to have been compiled at a relatively late date,
Speaker 1: perhaps thirteenth to fifteenth century, by later alchemists drawing on
Speaker 1: earlier materials. It may incorporate poems circulating in alchemical circles
Speaker 1: and compile them under Khalid's name to create a prestigious legacy.
Speaker 1: The original language is Arabic, and no medieval Latin version
Speaker 1: is recorded, while medieval bibliographers like Haji Khalifa mentioned the
Speaker 1: Registry of the Stars among Khaled's work. There is no
Speaker 1: evidence Khaled himself wrote this anthology. It is consider legendary attribution.
Speaker 1: And then we have the Book of his Testament to
Speaker 1: his Son on the Art. This work is known as
Speaker 1: Khalid's Spiritual and Practical Advice to his Son regarding the
Speaker 1: art of alchemy. It is essentially a testament or lengthy
Speaker 1: letter in which a father hands down al chemical doctrine
Speaker 1: to the next generation. This text is not widely published.
Speaker 1: Abin al Nadine in his Fearist records, having seen the
Speaker 1: Book of the Testament to his Son on the Art
Speaker 1: among four works of Kalid, this indicates writings existed by
Speaker 1: the tenth century. Its original language is Arabic and it
Speaker 1: was never translated into Latin, suggesting a primarily Middle Eastern circulation.
Speaker 1: Scholars unanimously regard the text as a later writer's creation.
Speaker 1: It may date from the ninth or tenth century, when
Speaker 1: the legend of college as an alchemist was flourishing. The
Speaker 1: didactic father to son genre was a known literary device,
Speaker 1: often used to convey secret knowledge. Thus, a later alchemist
Speaker 1: likely adopted Khaled's persona to lend authority to his own teachings.
Speaker 1: Man fren Omen and Sebastian Moreau note that such attributions
Speaker 1: reflect the image of Khaled as a sage carefully instructing
Speaker 1: his heir, which aligns with the narrative of him being noble,
Speaker 1: minded and deeply enamoredive sciences. Unlike the more popular college
Speaker 1: Questions to the Monk Marianos, which we'll talk about next,
Speaker 1: The Book of His Testament to his Son on the
Speaker 1: Art is less widely attested. It was certainly extent in
Speaker 1: the medieval period, but many copies have been lost. Modern
Speaker 1: researchers have identified at least one manuscript. A copy of
Speaker 1: the writing was noted by Fae sign as an item,
Speaker 1: and a PDF of a manuscript was circulated in a
Speaker 1: private forum in twenty eighteen, implying it survives in a collection.
Speaker 1: The Book of His Testament to his Son on the
Speaker 1: Art has not yet seen a printed edition or translation,
Speaker 1: remaining accessible only through manuscript studies. Libraries in the Middle
Speaker 1: East could possibly hold unstudied copies under variant titles. Often
Speaker 1: works of this genre are simply titled Wisia phi el
Speaker 1: Camia in catalogs. And next we have Khaled's Questions to
Speaker 1: the Monk Marianos, also known as the Epistle of the
Speaker 1: Wise Monk Marianos to Prince Khalib, This is perhaps the
Speaker 1: most famous work attributed to Khalid. This is a dialogue
Speaker 1: between Prince Khalid and a Byzantine monk, Mariannos, who instructs
Speaker 1: him in alchemy. In the Arabic, it is framed as
Speaker 1: an epistolary discourse often titled Epistle of the Wise Monk
Speaker 1: Mariannas to Khalid, consisting of questions by Kalid and answers
Speaker 1: by Mariannas. The text opens with a narrative prolog. Khalid,
Speaker 1: eager to learn alchemy, hears of a Christian hermit in Jerusalem. Mariannas,
Speaker 1: famed for his mess of the art Colled, sends for him.
Speaker 1: Mariannus comes to Damascus to become his teacher. This dramatic
Speaker 1: encounter is vividly described. I dwell in Jerusalem, the man
Speaker 1: tells cold, and I know of a hermit called Mariannus,
Speaker 1: the monk who has achieved the art. He comes each
Speaker 1: year to Jerusalem, giving great sums to the poor. Called
Speaker 1: entreats Marianus for knowledge, and the core of the text
Speaker 1: ensues Mariannus reveals the secrets of the great Work in
Speaker 1: a series of didactic exchanges. Oh, Mariannus, know that I
Speaker 1: have long sought the superior or great work, but found
Speaker 1: none to counsel me in this matter. Therefore I earnestly
Speaker 1: request that you prepare me for some portion of your
Speaker 1: magis theory. You shall have for me, then whatever you
Speaker 1: may ask, and I will see to it that you
Speaker 1: return to your own land, God willing. The dialogue covers
Speaker 1: classical alchemical doctrine, the nature of the Philosopher's Stone, the
Speaker 1: unity of metals, the stages of transmutation, and allegorical descriptions
Speaker 1: of chemical operations. Mariannas uses cryptic imagery, describing the one
Speaker 1: thing that conquers all, the marriage of sun and moon,
Speaker 1: gold and silver, and the generation of the elixir. For example,
Speaker 1: he explains that the stone is composed of a spirit
Speaker 1: and a body united, which must be repeatedly dissolved and coagulated.
Speaker 1: The Latin translation famously includes the line Arabic Appalachia elixir
Speaker 1: when introducing the Philosopher's Stone. This book is structured as
Speaker 1: questions by Kalipe and answers by the Monk, often in
Speaker 1: elaborate metaphor. At one point, Marianis declares take one part
Speaker 1: of the sun and one of the moon, indicating gold
Speaker 1: and silver as ingredients couched in hermetic symbolism. The dialogue
Speaker 1: emphasized this is divine inspiration. Mariannus attributes the power of
Speaker 1: transformation to God's will, aligning the mystical aspect of alchemy
Speaker 1: with its practical instructions. By the end calladists who have
Speaker 1: said to have grasped the divine secrets of the Magistrate,
Speaker 1: having received Mariannas's Testament of Wisdom. Though set in the
Speaker 1: late seventh century, the text itself was written much later.
Speaker 1: Scholarly consensus place it in the early to mid tenth century.
Speaker 1: Pierre Lauri even proposed an eighth century origin for some parts,
Speaker 1: but more recent analysis by Marian Dapson's suggests a tenth
Speaker 1: century compilation. The author is unknown, possibly an Arabic speaking
Speaker 1: Christian or Sabian alchemist familiar with Hermetic dialogues. The work
Speaker 1: shows syncretism of Greek, Alexandrian and early Islamic al chemical ideas,
Speaker 1: consistent with the atmosphere of Baghdad Assyria in the ninth
Speaker 1: to tenth centuries. It purports to preserve a legendary moment,
Speaker 1: the trans mission of Byzantine alchemy to the Arab world.
Speaker 1: In reality, this legend likely evolved over time. By the
Speaker 1: ninth century, writers like al Baladuri had mentioned Kaled's interest
Speaker 1: in alchemy, and by the tenth the full story of
Speaker 1: Kalid and Marianis was entrenched. This text may well be
Speaker 1: the literary crystallization of that legend, a dramatic teaching dialogue
Speaker 1: created to embody the fabled initiation of Islam's first alchemist.
Speaker 1: This Arabic dialogue holds a special place in history as
Speaker 1: the first Arabic alchemical treaties translated into Latin. On February eleventh,
Speaker 1: eleven forty four, Robert of Chester completed his Latin version,
Speaker 1: titled Liber Decomposition Alchemy. Robert's preface recounts how he obtained
Speaker 1: the Arabic texts in Spain and rendered it for the West.
Speaker 1: The Latin closely mirrors the dialogue form Marianis instructs Khalid.
Speaker 1: The content is nearly identical. For instance, Mariannas in Latin
Speaker 1: described the stone's four qualities hot, cold, dry, and moist,
Speaker 1: and how the hidden becomes manifest through the alchemical process.
Speaker 1: One passage reads, this is the book of the three words.
Speaker 1: In it there is heat, dryness, cold, and moisture. One
Speaker 1: power lies hidden, and another is manifest. Then this spirit
Speaker 1: is transformed into the most noble body, and does not
Speaker 1: flee the fire, but flows like oil, a living tincture,
Speaker 1: most perpetual, and yet it is the precious sun. Robert
Speaker 1: of Chester's translation had enormous influence in Europe. It introduced
Speaker 1: Latin readers to the concept of alchemy as a wisdom
Speaker 1: inherited from antiquity. The Testament of Marianis was widely copied, printed,
Speaker 1: and translated into vernacular languages in the early modern period.
Speaker 1: For example, it appeared in French and English alchemical compendia
Speaker 1: of the sixteenth and seventeenth century. Western alchemists from Roger
Speaker 1: Bacon to Isaac Newton were aware of Mariannus. It imparted
Speaker 1: key hermetic concepts, the unity of matter, the cyclic distillation
Speaker 1: into Latin alchemical discourse. Its very framed story an adept
Speaker 1: monk transmitting secrets to an Arab prince resonated as a
Speaker 1: legitimizing myth for alchemy's divine pedigree. On the Arabic side.
Speaker 1: This writing survives in multiple manuscripts, notably one in Istanbul
Speaker 1: Faith Ms. Three two two seven and Istanbul sehed Ali
Speaker 1: Pasa MS. Seventeen forty nine contained the complete Arabic dialogue.
Speaker 1: Fragments are preserved in the writings of later alchemists in
Speaker 1: the thirteenth and fourteenth century that both site Mariannas's teaching.
Speaker 1: The National Library of Medicine holds an Arabic copy in
Speaker 1: NLMMSA seventy item nineteen. Other known manuscripts were in Cairo
Speaker 1: and Hyderabad. As noted by Paul Krauss, the Khaled Marianist
Speaker 1: dialogue has been studied extensively as a cornerstone of early
Speaker 1: Islae alchemy. Julius Ruska analyzed the legend and even doubted
Speaker 1: the historicity of Mariennas. Rusca initially suggested that the Latin
Speaker 1: texts might have been composed by a later, possibly Latin author,
Speaker 1: though subsequent research upheld the Arabic origin. Manfred Omen's article
Speaker 1: critically examined how the colled Marienna's story evolved, concluding that
Speaker 1: the alchemy legend was grafted onto college biography by later
Speaker 1: myth makers. Marion's recent doctoral thesis twenty twenty one provides
Speaker 1: the most comprehensive study comparing the Arabic and the two
Speaker 1: Latin versions. In detail, she investigates the text sources and
Speaker 1: its doctrine, which includes an explicit description of the elixir
Speaker 1: and the metallic transmutation process. Dabsence confirms that the Latin
Speaker 1: translation of eleven forty four is faithful and that it
Speaker 1: truly stands as the earliest full alchemical treaties in Latin.
Speaker 1: The impact of this text is twofold. In the Islamic world,
Speaker 1: it set a template for chemical teachers student dialogues. It
Speaker 1: may have inspired parts of the Tiberian Corpus, which often
Speaker 1: used dialogues and letters to impart wisdom. In Europe, the
Speaker 1: Testament of Marianis was seminal, along with translations of Avicina
Speaker 1: and Gerber It helped ignite the twelfth century Latin alchemical tradition.
Speaker 1: Roger Bacon in the thirteenth century echoes some of Marianis's
Speaker 1: teaching and even names Mariannis as an adept. Later, the
Speaker 1: text popularity is evident. It appears in the famous Theatrem
Speaker 1: chemicalm sixteen twenty two and was translated into English by
Speaker 1: fifteenth century practitioners. The liber decomposition also introduced the very
Speaker 1: word alchemy to the West, as coming from Arabic knowledge.
Speaker 1: In some this writing served as a bridge. It transmitted
Speaker 1: to the hermetic gnostic alchemy of late Antiquity into both
Speaker 1: the Islamic Golden Age and via Latin translation into medieval
Speaker 1: europe scientific canon. And here are a few excerpts. And
Speaker 1: this is said by Caliph, how can it be that
Speaker 1: the major work should have but one root and one substance?
Speaker 1: And Mariannis responds, its names may vary, yet I say
Speaker 1: it is but one. On this point, I will cite
Speaker 1: the authorities to you. And here's another excerpt. O, old man,
Speaker 1: wisest of men, know that I have long sought for
Speaker 1: many the magistry of Hermes, but can never find any
Speaker 1: who would open the true matter to me. Then we
Speaker 1: have another one. What words are these that you use?
Speaker 1: Are you ignorant? How many men have been deprived of
Speaker 1: their lives by me for such speeches. If your words
Speaker 1: are true, I will enrich you. But if false, expect
Speaker 1: extreme torments. And finally, the power lies hidden in another
Speaker 1: manifest Then the spirit is transformed into the most noble body,
Speaker 1: and it does not flee fire, but flows like oil,
Speaker 1: a living tincture. And next we have Libre Secretorum Alchemy,
Speaker 1: the Book of the Secrets of Alchemy. Libre Secretorum Alchemy
Speaker 1: is a Latin treatise attributed to Calid, son of Yazak.
Speaker 1: The Libre Secretorum is a practical handbook of alchemical recipes
Speaker 1: and secrets. It purports to reveal secret formulas for transmutation.
Speaker 1: Essentially a collection of alchemical instructions or aphorisms. This text
Speaker 1: is concise and recipe like. For instance, one surviving reference
Speaker 1: indicates it contained an age old formula for orum portobile
Speaker 1: or drinkable gold, instructing how to dissolve gold leaf in
Speaker 1: a mixture of wine and distilled vinegar to extract a
Speaker 1: medical elixir. The work likely enumerates the arcana of the art,
Speaker 1: preparation of the philosopher's mercury, various color stage indicators, and
Speaker 1: the secret properties of materials. In structure. It may open
Speaker 1: with a brief theoretical preface and then list a series
Speaker 1: of secrets, like methods to produce tinctures or accelerate maturation
Speaker 1: of metals. It is not framed as a dialogue. Rather,
Speaker 1: it reads as a manual or notebook of alchemical processes.
Speaker 1: Given its attribution to college. It might also contained occasional
Speaker 1: references to wisdom of ancient authorities, but primarily it promises
Speaker 1: practical knowledge the secrets kept hidden by the sages. Modern
Speaker 1: scholars believe that this book is based on an Arabic
Speaker 1: original now lost that likely dates to no earlier than
Speaker 1: the eleventh century. The Latin text as we have it
Speaker 1: was probably translated in the twelfth or thirteenth century, during
Speaker 1: the period of intense Arabic to Latin scientific translation. However, intriguingly,
Speaker 1: the Latin work does not correspond neatly to any extent.
Speaker 1: Arabic treaties attributed to Colin might derive from an Arabic
Speaker 1: compendium of alchemical secrets that circulated under Kalid's name in
Speaker 1: the High Middle Ages but later disappeared. According to the
Speaker 1: historian Jay Hello, the Libre Secretarium shows linguistic cues of
Speaker 1: translation and is classed as a translation from Arabic. Its
Speaker 1: Arabic source could have been a short treatise or a
Speaker 1: section of a larger pseudocalid a chemical corpus. The Latin
Speaker 1: translator is unknown. It was not Robert of Chester. Some
Speaker 1: have speculated it might have been translated in Spain or
Speaker 1: southern Italy, given the interest in alchemy there. Because it's
Speaker 1: simpler and more recipe like than the theoretical Marianis dialogue,
Speaker 1: the Libris Secretarium may reflect a later stratum of practical alchemy,
Speaker 1: possibly in Lance by the growing Giberian recipes circulating or
Speaker 1: Latin Gerber works of the thirteenth century. In any event,
Speaker 1: by the time it appears in Latin it was accepted
Speaker 1: as one of Kalid's authentic works, even though we now
Speaker 1: consider that attribution as bogus. The Latin Libre Secretorum Alchemy
Speaker 1: did not achieve the same wide manuscript diffusion as the
Speaker 1: Testament of Marienus. Scholars note that it was poorly circulated
Speaker 1: in the Latin West. Only a few manuscript copies are recorded.
Speaker 1: For example, a Middle English alchemical compilation mentions Liber Secretorum
Speaker 1: Alcheme of Kalid as one source, suggesting it was known
Speaker 1: to some fifteenth century English alchemists, perhaps in Latin or translated.
Speaker 1: Notable milestone is its inclusion in the fifteen forty five
Speaker 1: printed compendium Alchemy Giebri. This printed edition made that text
Speaker 1: available to early modern scholars to fifteen forty five. Print
Speaker 1: and subsequent reprints are our main sources today. Manuscript wise,
Speaker 1: the University of Glasgow and the British Library catalogs show
Speaker 1: entries for Libres Secretorum Alchemy under Pseudo Kalidy, indicating at
Speaker 1: least a couple of late medieval copies existed. For instance,
Speaker 1: an inventory of Saint Leonard's College in Saint Andrew's Lists
Speaker 1: Libres Secretorum Alchemy in a collection along with Speculum Alchemy.
Speaker 1: Manuscripts like Melon Ms. Thirty three at Yale also contain
Speaker 1: an English translation of it from the sixteenth century. Overall,
Speaker 1: why not plentiful. The presence of the text in a
Speaker 1: few key collections suggests it was read by practicing alchemists,
Speaker 1: albeit to a lesser extent than more famous works. He
Speaker 1: Lo's Lay's Texts makes an important observation. Libres Secretorum presupposes
Speaker 1: some Arabic source and can be understood only in that
Speaker 1: transmission context. Recent research by Marie lou von Franz and
Speaker 1: others in examining Latin outcome codses have described Libre Secretorium
Speaker 1: as a straightforward treatise of chirochemical secrets, essentially bridging alchemy.
Speaker 1: In early chemistry, the structure and language are less allegorical
Speaker 1: and more procedural. This has led some historians to compare
Speaker 1: it to later pseudo gerber works or the short experiment
Speaker 1: that found in medieval Latin collections. Dabsins and Moreau in
Speaker 1: a twenty twenty one article on alchemy transmission, note that
Speaker 1: unlike the Marianas texts, which has clear Arabic parallels, Libre
Speaker 1: Secretorium's Arabic archetype is not directly known, hinting it might
Speaker 1: have been an Arabic epistle of practical tips that simply
Speaker 1: did not survive or remains undentified. They also point out
Speaker 1: that the Latin Libre Secretorium did not become as foundational
Speaker 1: in university circles. It was more of a niche text
Speaker 1: for dedicated alchemists. Its contents is nonetheless valuable to history
Speaker 1: orians because it represents the kind of recipe knowledge that
Speaker 1: was being transmitted alongside theoretical texts. In some academically, the
Speaker 1: Libre Secretorum is seen as evidence of how early Islamic
Speaker 1: alchemical know how, especially technical processes and medicinal alchemy, trickled
Speaker 1: into Europe in a compact form. Within the Latin tradition,
Speaker 1: the Libre Secretarium Alchemy had a modest but real influence.
Speaker 1: It contributed to the growing body of secrets literature. Books
Speaker 1: of secrets were very popular in the late Middle Ages.
Speaker 1: It may have informed the works like Roger Bacon's Radik's
Speaker 1: Mundai or the anonymous Liber trace Gretium, which also compiled
Speaker 1: practical alchemical operations. For instance, the Minerological Record notes that
Speaker 1: the seventeenth century collections list Libre Secretarium Alcheme alongside the
Speaker 1: Tabula Smrigdina and other staples, implying that those who studied Ermes,
Speaker 1: Gerber and Lull also paid some attention to colle s
Speaker 1: secrets in the Arabic world. If the original was circulating,
Speaker 1: it likely reinforced Khaled's legend as well. However, since this
Speaker 1: work is known only through its Latin its primary influence
Speaker 1: was on European practitioners, who mined it for recipes such
Speaker 1: as the preparation of potable gold or the creation of
Speaker 1: philosophical mercury. Unlike the Marianas Dialogue, Libre Secretorium doesn't have
Speaker 1: to have spawned commentary or wide discussion. It was taken
Speaker 1: at face value as a cookbook of alchemy. By the
Speaker 1: sixteenth century, with its printing, it became one piece of
Speaker 1: the vast puzzle of alchemical literature available to experimenters like
Speaker 1: Paracelsus or John d In short, Libre Secretary Alchemy didn't
Speaker 1: revolutionize alchemical theory, but it quietly disseminated practical techniques in
Speaker 1: secret formulas, extending the Kalydian legacy into the hands on
Speaker 1: workshops of medieval and Renaissance alchemists. Now we will move
Speaker 1: on to lib Trium Verborum. Liber Trium Verborum, attributed to
Speaker 1: Calid is an alchemical treatise that revolves around three enigmatic
Speaker 1: words or principles central to the art. The text is
Speaker 1: written in Latin, likely translated from an Arabic original now
Speaker 1: lost or unidentified. It is composed in a highly allegorical
Speaker 1: and didactic style, divided into multiple short chapters or sections
Speaker 1: that systematically unveil the meaning of the three words. The
Speaker 1: treaties essentially expounds the entire alchemical work, often personified as
Speaker 1: the Philosopher's Stone, through a triatic formula. These three words
Speaker 1: are not explicitly listed at the outset, but as the
Speaker 1: text unfolds, it becomes clear they refer to the three
Speaker 1: fundamental concepts or stages. Many scholars interpret them as symbolic code,
Speaker 1: perhaps for the body, soul, spirit, or for the three
Speaker 1: phases of the magnam opis. For example, the text explains
Speaker 1: from three two are understood, and from two five, but
Speaker 1: three are not understood, a riddle indicating numeric relationship in
Speaker 1: the process, which likely conceal the proportions or steps of
Speaker 1: the work. Liber Treum Verborum employs natural philosophical analogies. A
Speaker 1: notable part of the text compares the alchemical work to
Speaker 1: the development of a fetus in the womb, governed by
Speaker 1: the seven planets. It describes month by month how Saturn, Jupiter, Mars,
Speaker 1: and so on act on the embryo, an allegory mapping
Speaker 1: onto the stages of transmutation. For instance, in the fourth month,
Speaker 1: the Sun as lord, breathes in the spirit and life begins.
Speaker 1: In the seventh month, the moon labors to expel the fetus.
Speaker 1: This elaborate metaphor illustrates the gradual perfection of the philosophical child,
Speaker 1: equating the stone gestation with a human birth. The three
Speaker 1: words themselves are hinted to be hidden and revealed, not
Speaker 1: given to the impious, but to the faithful, indicating they
Speaker 1: encapsulate the secret of the stone's composition in a veiled way.
Speaker 1: The treaties emphasizes polarity and unity. It speaks of making
Speaker 1: the hidden manifest and the manifest hidden, of converting spirit
Speaker 1: into body and body into spirit classical alchemical tenets of
Speaker 1: solva a coagula. The final chapters discuss astronomical timing observing
Speaker 1: the planets in the work, and enumerate specific cycles like
Speaker 1: the circle of the Sun of twenty eight years, the
Speaker 1: leap of the moon, and so on, blending astrology with
Speaker 1: alchemical timing. The treatise ends on a triumphant note that
Speaker 1: once these degrees are fulfilled, alchemy is borne by art,
Speaker 1: but more truly born naturally according to the order of
Speaker 1: the planets, as God showed the first man in essence.
Speaker 1: Liber Trium Verborum is a meticulous allegorical exposition of the
Speaker 1: magnum opus, structured around a triple formula that encapsulates the
Speaker 1: whole process from start to finish. The work was likely
Speaker 1: composed in Arabic originally, though no Arabic title by that
Speaker 1: name is known. Its content suggests an Islamic alchemical origin
Speaker 1: ninth to tenth century, with later Latin translation perhaps twelve
Speaker 1: to thirteenth century. Notably, the text cites the Persian philosophers
Speaker 1: and uses ideas of pergio Arabic alchemy. The reference to
Speaker 1: Persian philosophers aligns with the Islamic world contexts, pointing to
Speaker 1: an author drawing on Eastern sources. The presence of detailed
Speaker 1: planetary embryology found also in Islamic alchemical works further supports
Speaker 1: an Arabic origin. Scolars like Ruska observe that the liber
Speaker 1: Trium Verborum shares content with pseudo Ratzi alchemical texts. In fact,
Speaker 1: Rusca in nineteen twenty four described Libratrium Verborum in detail,
Speaker 1: indicating it might have been incorrectly attributed to al Razi
Speaker 1: in some manuscripts before being recognized as Colled's work. This
Speaker 1: suggests that in medieval Arabic tradition, the text's true authorship
Speaker 1: was murky, possibly attributed to various stages until the Latin
Speaker 1: translators fixed it under Khaled's name. The Latin translation is anonymous,
Speaker 1: it likely occurred alongside the wave of alchemical translations in
Speaker 1: Spain or Italy. Thorndyke and Kira's Catalog of Incipits, Item
Speaker 1: seventy six identifies Libratrium Verborum, confirming its circulation and medieval libraries.
Speaker 1: The Latin style is didactic, with frequent use of imperative
Speaker 1: and explanatory prose, indicating a competent translation retaining technical terms.
Speaker 1: Hallou classifies it as translation from Arabic, and its Latin
Speaker 1: incipit matches no known independent Latin treaties, enforcing that it
Speaker 1: was rendered from an earlier source. Libertrium for Borum enjoyed
Speaker 1: moderate popularity in Europe's alchemical circles. Manuscripts are found in
Speaker 1: several collections. For example, Yale's Binicky Library Melon MS twenty seven,
Speaker 1: early fifteenth century, contains Libertrium for Borum. The text was
Speaker 1: also incorporated into a famous compendia. It appears in Zetzner's
Speaker 1: Theotrum chemicalm sixteen thirteen edition. Under Kalid, An English translation
Speaker 1: existed by the sixteenth century. Elias Ashmol's Alchemy Manuscripts lists
Speaker 1: a book of the Three Words of King Khalid, which
Speaker 1: was translated into English. The Internet and modern esoteric publishers
Speaker 1: have circulated this translation. In nineteen forty one, Eugene Cancellate,
Speaker 1: a student of Faulcanelli, included Libertrium Verborum excerpts in French
Speaker 1: and Alchemy Explice, showing its appeal to twentieth century alchemists. However,
Speaker 1: unlike the Mariennis text, Libertreum for Borum was not one
Speaker 1: of the early twelve century translations highlighted by historians, so
Speaker 1: it remained somewhat in the shadows academically. Only in recent
Speaker 1: scholarship through cross analysis of Latin and Arabic works, has
Speaker 1: Libertreum Verborum been given attention. Notably, its description by Rusca
Speaker 1: in nineteen twenty four remains a standard reference. No standalone
Speaker 1: critical edition exists, yet researchers rely on comparing multiple manuscript witnesses. Fortunately,
Speaker 1: the text consistency across copies, as evidenced by identical incipits
Speaker 1: and chapter structures in different manuscripts, suggests a stable transmission.
Speaker 1: Scala's view Libra tree and Forborum as important to medieval
Speaker 1: l chemical teaching. Its use of a numerical riddle, the
Speaker 1: three words in the extended embryological metaphor signal and intent
Speaker 1: to encode how chemical operationations and learned allegory. This aligns
Speaker 1: with the layers of secrecy approach, delivering truth in obscure
Speaker 1: terms accessible only to the initiated. The planetary embryo allegory
Speaker 1: specifically has drawn commentary. It mirrors ideas in the writings
Speaker 1: of Pseudocalid and Rbia that the alchemist is imitating nature's
Speaker 1: generative processes. The three words themselves have been given the
Speaker 1: subject of debate. Some propose that they might be salt, sulfur, mercury,
Speaker 1: three principles, though the text doesn't name them explicitly. Others
Speaker 1: think they refer to three crucial instructions or phrases hidden
Speaker 1: within the work. For instance, the treatise stresses doing ABC
Speaker 1: in a particular order. Those might be the actual three words.
Speaker 1: Bond Friends and Youngergan scholars found psychological symbolism in the
Speaker 1: trinity of words, linking it to trios in alchemical symbolism.
Speaker 1: And lastly, Libratree in Verborum reveals a blend of alchemy
Speaker 1: and astrology characteristic of fourteenth to fifteenth century alchemy, even
Speaker 1: though its roots are older. Its emphasis on time periods
Speaker 1: twenty eight years, cycles and so on, suggests it was
Speaker 1: used to integrate astrological timing. It's a practical lab work.
Speaker 1: And lastly we have Epistola medieval sources preserve and untitled
Speaker 1: Arabic letter treatise attributed to Khalid, whose Latin counterpart circulates
Speaker 1: simply as Epistola a letter with the translator unknown. The
Speaker 1: best modern study is Marian Dapson's in Sebastian Moreau The
Speaker 1: Four Signs of the Art, which edits to Arabic, gives
Speaker 1: an English translation and identifies the Latin version. They show
Speaker 1: the work is very well attested about twelve Arabic manuscripts
Speaker 1: and six Latin witnesses, and that the Latin closely tracks
Speaker 1: the Arabic, though both traditions have minor divergences. A distinct
Speaker 1: feature of these treaties is that it organizes practical doctrine
Speaker 1: around the four signs of the art, diagnostic markers by
Speaker 1: which the operator knows the matter has entered the right states.
Speaker 1: Dabsence and Moreau introduce and translate these passages. They are
Speaker 1: one of the core teaching blocks of the text. The
Speaker 1: Prome is classic alchemical ethics of secrecy. The author says
Speaker 1: that he has watched people seek the craft of wisdom
Speaker 1: in every age, while the ancient Sieges detested broadcasting it
Speaker 1: and preserved it from the ignorant. Two authentic Arabic lines
Speaker 1: from the QDL manuscript are and now I have seen
Speaker 1: that people have sought the craft of wisdom in every age,
Speaker 1: for if they did not keep it hidden, it would
Speaker 1: pass into base hands and vile conditions. The ethical frame
Speaker 1: immediately sets up the treaties as a didactic letter to
Speaker 1: a worthy reader. The art can be written down, but
Speaker 1: only veiled, and only for those with patience and discipline,
Speaker 1: while individual will manuscripts very slightly. The main blocks are
Speaker 1: stable as synthesized from dabsince of Moreause study and the
Speaker 1: Arabic witnesses, and they are one prome Why write and
Speaker 1: why veil? The author justifies committing secrets to writing to
Speaker 1: protect the worthy and spare them from waste, yet warns
Speaker 1: against publication to the unfit. Two the matter and first principles.
Speaker 1: The doctrine insists on unity, the one thing with many names,
Speaker 1: and on the rule like acts on like a signature
Speaker 1: Kalydian maxim that reoccurs across the corpus. The closing line
Speaker 1: in the same QTL sums it up for nature cleaves
Speaker 1: to nature, and nature prevails over nature. The number three
Speaker 1: operations in outline the epistle gives layers of operations solve
Speaker 1: and coagula cycles, repeated nourishings, gentle heating, and rest periods
Speaker 1: expressed less in recipes than in sign based in structions
Speaker 1: like when you see X, proceed to Y. Dapsons of
Speaker 1: Moreau emphasize how the text teaches through signs rather than measurements.
Speaker 1: And number four the four Signs of the art the
Speaker 1: heart of the treaties a set of four diagnostic signs
Speaker 1: the artists must watch for, described with sensory cues, appearance,
Speaker 1: behavior under heat, and so on. These benchmark states indicate
Speaker 1: when to raise, maintain, or slacken the fire, and when
Speaker 1: to move to their next operation. Number five Cautions and Tests.
Speaker 1: The letter warns about false colors and premature fixation, and
Speaker 1: closes with practical tests that confirm completion. Again phrased as
Speaker 1: signs if it behaves, thus proceed if not, continue cooking,
Speaker 1: mirroring how sign based instructions replaces explicit weights in times
Speaker 1: and finally, number six closing exhortation return to secrecy, humility,
Speaker 1: and gratitude to God for the gift, a hallmark of
Speaker 1: early Arabic alchemical prose. Now we will get into these
Speaker 1: in a little more detail. It opens in a quiet,
Speaker 1: cautionary key. The writer, speaking in the royal persona of Khalid,
Speaker 1: looks out at generation of seekers who chase the craft
Speaker 1: of wisdom and reminds you why the sages veiled their art.
Speaker 1: People have always looked for this craft, he says. The
Speaker 1: ancients hit it not out of miserliness, but to keep
Speaker 1: it from the unfit. The Epistola is not a recipe book.
Speaker 1: It reads like a master's long letter to a single student.
Speaker 1: Ethics first, then doctrine, then the bench. Its doctrine is
Speaker 1: the oldest alchemical confidence, one thing many names learned not
Speaker 1: by memorizing weights, but by recognizing signs. Throughout. The author's
Speaker 1: method is diagnostic. Watch how the matter behaves, change heat
Speaker 1: by degrees, Do not hurry, prove what you think you've made.
Speaker 1: The body of the letter moves through three art. First,
Speaker 1: it establishes the one root, a single substance that hides
Speaker 1: contrary qualities heat, dryness inside, cold, and moisture outside. It
Speaker 1: must be educated by fire until the hidden appears and
Speaker 1: the manifest is cured. Second, it teaches the work as
Speaker 1: mutual conversion spirit into body, body into spirit until stability
Speaker 1: is reached. Third, it ends with the proofs of a
Speaker 1: true tincture, right adhesion, no smoke, no flight from fire.
Speaker 1: The final page stitches the doctrine into a maximum you
Speaker 1: hear again across the Klydian dossier. For nature cleaves to nature,
Speaker 1: and nature prevails over nature. The letter's first doctrine looks simple,
Speaker 1: but governs everything that follows. The subject is one the
Speaker 1: signs of plural alchemical vocabulary. Proliferates, water, vinegar, spirit, oil, sulfur.
Speaker 1: But these are masks for behaviors. Don't be trapped by names.
Speaker 1: The writer says, Watch how your matter answers heat, how
Speaker 1: it takes color, how it returns from vapor to body.
Speaker 1: If you know the Marianna's dialogue, you'll hear the same music,
Speaker 1: one root, one substance, even under many appellations. Midway, the
Speaker 1: letter states its center plainly. The work succeeds when the
Speaker 1: spirit becomes body and body becomes spirit, repeated until the
Speaker 1: union no longer breaks under trial heat. This is the
Speaker 1: moral of all the parables, from womb and birth in
Speaker 1: the Latin Libra tree in Verborum to Sun and Moon
Speaker 1: and Mariannas. But here it's taught as lab behavior. No fleeing,
Speaker 1: no smoke, oily flow, quiet fixation. Then we have the
Speaker 1: four signs of the art, condensed from daspins and a
Speaker 1: rose edition. Sign one rite disillusion. The matter softens and
Speaker 1: wets under gentle heat. Aqueous smoke that burns or blackens
Speaker 1: is a false path. Even compliance pllution is the real entrance.
Speaker 1: Keep the fire small. Watch the answer. Sign two the
Speaker 1: subtle breath and the gross part a thin, penetrative spirit rises,
Speaker 1: while the heavy, feculent part settles. Nurse the fire until
Speaker 1: the light returns and joins the heavy without stench a soot.
Speaker 1: Sign three fixation, no flight from fire. You have begun
Speaker 1: to fix the volatile. When the mass does not flee,
Speaker 1: the fire gives no watery fume and flows obediently. This
Speaker 1: letter hinges of spirit and body conversions until consistency appears.
Speaker 1: Sign four tinkting power the proof. The work grips clean
Speaker 1: metal at heat, like wax, does not smoke, does not blanch,
Speaker 1: and repeats its tincture on trial only, then increase by
Speaker 1: roll and finish. Finally, the last pages are all discernment.
Speaker 1: False red will smoke, leap away or blanche. A true
Speaker 1: tincture adheres to glowing metal like wax, remains in the
Speaker 1: fire without flight, and tinks again on repetition. Only then,
Speaker 1: and only by rule not in patience, do you raise
Speaker 1: the heat to finish those same trial proofs or what
Speaker 1: the Latin three words will later ritualize as degrees and tests.
Speaker 1: The family resemblance is no accident. Before we wrap this
Speaker 1: letter up, think of the epistola as the hands on
Speaker 1: conscience of the collid corpus. The Morihiannist dialogue gives the
Speaker 1: romance and the one root philosophy that Latin alchemy fell
Speaker 1: in love with. The liber trium vaborium compresses the regiment
Speaker 1: into degrees and tests. The epistola is the quiet hinge
Speaker 1: signs you can actually watch, told in the spare moral
Speaker 1: voice of an early Arabic master. Its manuscript footprint shows
Speaker 1: it was popular in Arabic and also circulated in Latin.
Speaker 1: Dapson's in a Row identify by a matching Latin epistola.
Speaker 1: That tracks the Arabic closely a century ago, this writing
Speaker 1: Satin catalogs without much common Today, we can place it precisely.
Speaker 1: Marian Dapson's and Sebastian Moreau edited the Arabic texts and
Speaker 1: translated it in a major twenty twenty one study, showing
Speaker 1: that this letter is one of the most copied Kalyidian
Speaker 1: items in that it focused pivots on the four signs
Speaker 1: of the art. Now, it's also important to note that
Speaker 1: none of these texts are definitely by Kalid's own hand.
Speaker 1: They were probably composed by early alchemists who use Kalid
Speaker 1: as a pseudonym, a practice not uncommon, and as the
Speaker 1: Alchemy Web Museum equips, this use of pseunonymous authorship is
Speaker 1: a common feature of medieval alchemical literature. Nonetheless, to medieval readers,
Speaker 1: these were Khalid's teachings, and that is how he influenced posterity.
Speaker 1: In summary, the writings attributed to Khalid portray a complete
Speaker 1: alchemical curriculum, theoretical foundations, practical instructions, spiritual guidance, dialogues or initiation,
Speaker 1: and even poetic allegories. Whether or not Khalid truly authored
Speaker 1: any of these, their existence solidified his name as the
Speaker 1: fountain head of exlomic alchemy. As one modern scholar put it,
Speaker 1: Khalid occupies a high standing among Arabic alchemists, and most
Speaker 1: Arabic works on alchemy give citations from his writings and
Speaker 1: poems on the art. His legendary status was such that
Speaker 1: doubting it came to be seen as almost heretical among
Speaker 1: later occultists. Only in modern times have researchers untangled the myth,
Speaker 1: understanding Khalid's role in alchemy's history as likely symbolic but
Speaker 1: nonetheless profoundly influential. The liquid makes a globe and receives flesh, blood,
Speaker 1: and members. Kalid's story is as much about the realm
Speaker 1: of ideas in the seven to eighth centuries as it
Speaker 1: is about one man. To truly grasp why he is
Speaker 1: revered in occult lore, we must appreciate the mystical and
Speaker 1: scientific worldview of his time, especially as it relates to alchemy, astronomy,
Speaker 1: and cosmology. In kalid Zerra, the boundaries between science, magic,
Speaker 1: and spirituality were thin. Alchemy was not mere silliness. It
Speaker 1: was a philosophically rich discipline that encompassed chemistry, metallurgy, medicine, astrology,
Speaker 1: and spiritual transformation. The prevailing cosmology was inherited from late Antiquity,
Speaker 1: a blend of hermetic, Neoplatonic, and Aristolian ideas. The universe
Speaker 1: was seen as a grand chain of correspondences. The seven
Speaker 1: planets influenced the seven metals, The four elements combined in
Speaker 1: various proportions to create all matter. Everything had an outer
Speaker 1: exoteric form and an inner esoteric spirit. This way of
Speaker 1: thinking naturally lent itself to mystical interpretation. Within this framework,
Speaker 1: alchemy was often called the divine art or the sacred art.
Speaker 1: As we see in Kaled's attributed titles, it wasn't just
Speaker 1: about making gold, it was about perfecting nature, imitating the
Speaker 1: creator's work on a small scale. Many alchemists were devout,
Speaker 1: seeing their work as uncovering the laws set by God
Speaker 1: and later Islamic thought, Alchemy sometimes took on allegorical meaning
Speaker 1: for spiritual purification, the idea that one can transmutate the
Speaker 1: lead of the soul into the gold of enlightenment. While
Speaker 1: Kalid himself predates formal Sufi mysticism, it's telling that Shabir,
Speaker 1: one of his intellectual descendants, was called al Sufi, and
Speaker 1: that some Sufi alchemists emerged not long after, blending esoteric
Speaker 1: Islam with alchemical symbolism. Khalid's legendary pursuits fit pertly into
Speaker 1: the occult spiritual paradigm. He was credited with translating books
Speaker 1: on astronomy and medicine, as well as alchemy. Astronomy at
Speaker 1: that time was deeply entangled with astrology, understanding the stars, men,
Speaker 1: understanding fate, and cosmic influences. If indeed, colled Sponsored was
Speaker 1: believed to sponsor the translation of the Book of the Stars,
Speaker 1: he would have been bringing in text like Ptolemy's works
Speaker 1: or Herme's astrological law. The title the Wan of the
Speaker 1: Stars attributed to him resonates with astrology, implying a record
Speaker 1: or compilation of star knowledge. Alchemy itself was often considered
Speaker 1: astrology of the earth, with metals growing in the womb
Speaker 1: of the earth under stellar guidance. One old belief held
Speaker 1: that each metal matures underground over long errors, influenced by
Speaker 1: the motions of the heavens, gold being the perfectly matured metal.
Speaker 1: The Paradise of Wisdom in College's Dewan might have included
Speaker 1: cosmological sections describing the structure of the heavens and the climates,
Speaker 1: as suggested by how later alchemist al Iraqi included Ptolemaic
Speaker 1: seven climes in his own work. We should also consider
Speaker 1: mysticism and occultism more broadly in the Umayad context. Islam
Speaker 1: in College's day was still developing its intellectual contours. It
Speaker 1: wasn't an established a cult tradition in Islam yet, but
Speaker 1: there were certainly exoteric versus esoteric tensions. Some strict religious
Speaker 1: scholars frowned on alchemy and astrology as dubious or impious.
Speaker 1: It was a sense that alchemy was a respository for
Speaker 1: those seeking deeper truths beyond the literal religious law, a
Speaker 1: form of occult knowledge pursued by an intellectual elite. College's
Speaker 1: legend slots neatly into this narrative, a prince of the
Speaker 1: ruling Sunni dynasty who steps into the shadows to seek
Speaker 1: hidden wisdom. It gives a romantic rebel quality to his character,
Speaker 1: the one who wasn't content with orthodox knowledge alone. Finally,
Speaker 1: when we speak of contemporary beliefs in mathematics, it's worth
Speaker 1: noting Khalid was also linked to early alchemy inventions Some
Speaker 1: later sources mused that Kalid's pursuit of alchemy led to
Speaker 1: actual technical discoveries. For example, Jabir credits his monk teacher
Speaker 1: Mariannas with teaching him how to create certain acid and
Speaker 1: chemical compounds. It's not impossible that the real Kalid, if
Speaker 1: he dabbled in chemistry, experimented with dyes of metal urgy.
Speaker 1: Syria had industries of glass making and metalwork which required
Speaker 1: chemical nohow. One modern article claims without solid proof, that Kalid,
Speaker 1: who died at a very young age at seven o
Speaker 1: four a d Was the first Islamic scientist who opened
Speaker 1: doors to the knowledge of wisdom, discovery, and invention. This
Speaker 1: may be hyperbole, but a reflexive view that Kalid started
Speaker 1: a scientific impulse in Islam. His curiosity, as imagined, spam
Speaker 1: from mathematics to astronomy, to medicine, and legend he even
Speaker 1: authored a medical text or two, but those are lost.
Speaker 1: What did the world look like through Khaled's eyes? Perhaps
Speaker 1: a world alive with occult forces, metals growing like plants
Speaker 1: in the dark, earth, stars singing in the sky, imparting
Speaker 1: secrets below, numbers and proportions governing the harmony of creation.
Speaker 1: Some of Colleed's work that cite him use Egyptian hiro
Speaker 1: glyph inspired symbols like eagles, serpents, black sons to encode
Speaker 1: alchemical operations. This shows that by the thirteenth century, Kaled's
Speaker 1: legacy was woven into a rich tapestry of occult symbolism.
Speaker 1: In one illustration in the Book of Seven Climes, we
Speaker 1: see figures like a raven symbolizing the black phase, negrito,
Speaker 1: an eagle, the volatile spirit, and a distillation furnace drawn
Speaker 1: with mystical emblems. Khaled's name in such manuscripts is evoked
Speaker 1: as an authority who understood these symbols. In summary, Klled's
Speaker 1: association with mysticism, occultism, cosmology, and mathematics is mostly through
Speaker 1: the lens of alchemy. As the universal science. He symbolizes
Speaker 1: the moment when the Islamic world took up the mantle
Speaker 1: of ancient occult knowledge, whether in factual deeds or mythical attributions.
Speaker 1: College stands at the crossroads of religion and science, a
Speaker 1: devout Muslim prince intrigued by the workings of God's universe
Speaker 1: at its most arcane levels. This dual identity both pious
Speaker 1: and occult made him a uniquely inspiring figure for generations
Speaker 1: to come, from medieval scholars writing our chemical allegories to
Speaker 1: modern authors and even podcasters fascinated by the hidden side
Speaker 1: of history the secret of the secrets of God. Though
Speaker 1: Khalid's historical footprint was relatively modest, he never ruled as
Speaker 1: caliph and he died young, his legendary legacy has proven enduring.
Speaker 1: Let's examine how he influenced the world, especially in the
Speaker 1: realms of science, spirituality, and culture, and why his story
Speaker 1: still captivates us today. His direct influence can be traced
Speaker 1: in the chain of alchemists after him. Jabir Iban Hayen Gerber,
Speaker 1: the most famous Islamic alchemist, consistently linked his knowledge back
Speaker 1: to Khalid through Mariennas. Jabir's writing the Jiberian Corpus often
Speaker 1: mentioned the books of Prince Khalid as sources. For example,
Speaker 1: Jabir's Book of seventy lists Khalid among authorities and quotes
Speaker 1: him on chemical operations. This means that the technical content
Speaker 1: of those psunonymous colleague texts did feed into subsequent research
Speaker 1: concepts like using mercuric and sulfirous compounds. Apparatuses like the
Speaker 1: bain Marie name the after Marry the Jewess, but presumably
Speaker 1: passed down via Morienis to Colin and various recipes all
Speaker 1: traveled through the literature with Colled's name attached. In a way,
Speaker 1: Khaled became a symbolic author whose name guaranteed a text value,
Speaker 1: in the same way Hermetic texts were ascribed to Hermes
Speaker 1: and Neoplatonic ones to Plato al Chemical texts ad Khalid.
Speaker 1: One specific legacy is the Liber Decomposition Alchemy in Latin Europe.
Speaker 1: Translated in the twelfth century. It spread Khalid's fame to
Speaker 1: Western alchemists. Its translator, Robert of Chester, was in awe
Speaker 1: that the book joins the most precious substances, naturally transforming
Speaker 1: them into better substances. That book was read by figures
Speaker 1: like Albertus Magnus, Roger Bacon, and countless anonymous adepts. In fact,
Speaker 1: it was printed multiple times during the Renaissance and translated
Speaker 1: further into French, German and English. This means entered the
Speaker 1: canon of Western alchemy under the latinized name Khalid Clid.
Speaker 1: For instance, the sixteen seventeen Alchemical Compendium by Michael Meyer
Speaker 1: includes Khalid clid in the imaged gathering of stages at
Speaker 1: the table of Hermes. Hence, Khalid indirectly influenced European science
Speaker 1: by inspiring Latin alchemist. He played a part through texts
Speaker 1: in the long development that would one day lead to chemistry.
Speaker 1: Khalid's story also carries a spiritual moral that resonated with mystics.
Speaker 1: He exemplified renunciation of power for the sake of knowledge.
Speaker 1: In Islamic culture, renouncing the worldly life for knowledge is respected,
Speaker 1: and here he was a prince who did exactly that.
Speaker 1: Some Sufi writers later cited Kalid as an example of
Speaker 1: one who turned inward. The notion that he studied with
Speaker 1: a Christian hermit also served as an in faith spiritual theme.
Speaker 1: Wisdom is universal, and a Muslim prince can learn from
Speaker 1: a Christian monk in harmony. This is somewhat echoed in
Speaker 1: later Islamic esoteric movements that integrated ideas from various sources Neoplatonism, hermeticism,
Speaker 1: and so on. It's clear that Khaled's real legacy is
Speaker 1: less about what he tangibly achieved and more about what
Speaker 1: he came to represent. He symbolizes the thirst for knowledge
Speaker 1: that transcends borders and creeds, a true seeker that, perhaps
Speaker 1: more than any gold made in a crucible, is his
Speaker 1: richest contribution to history. Khalid deserves a spotlight on the
Speaker 1: occult rejects because history encapsulate what it means to seek
Speaker 1: truth on the margins of the Orthodox. He was, in
Speaker 1: essence and occultist in the court his peers, chase power
Speaker 1: and conquest. College sought the philosopher's stone, both literally in
Speaker 1: laboratories and metaphorically in enlightenment. In a world that might
Speaker 1: have dismissed alchemy as fool's gold, Callid embraced it, thereby
Speaker 1: legitimizing an entire tradition. He represents those historical figures whose
Speaker 1: contributions were undervalued by mainstream chronicles but kept alive in
Speaker 1: esoteric circles. Just as they called reject's aims to shine
Speaker 1: a light on hidden truths and forgotten pioneers. Khaled's tale
Speaker 1: brings forth the message that wisdom can flourish even when
Speaker 1: rejected by the wholes of power. In closing this episode
Speaker 1: on Kala would not only recount facts and legends, but
Speaker 1: also evoke a heartfelt reflection on the pursuit of wisdom
Speaker 1: against the odds, even though the story may not be
Speaker 1: completely true. Khaled's life teaches us about resilience, how a
Speaker 1: young man turned personal defeat into a victory for human knowledge.
Speaker 1: It teaches us about open mindedness, how Muslim prints learned
Speaker 1: from a Christian monk in a time of religious conflict,
Speaker 1: a beautiful reminder of unity beyond dogma. And it teaches
Speaker 1: there's the value of curiosity and courage. Khaled had the
Speaker 1: courage to pursue the impossible, and in doing so, he
Speaker 1: expanded the realm of the possible for generations to come.
Speaker 1: His story resonates today as we continue to explore the
Speaker 1: boundaries of science and spirituality, often facing skepticism. Colled's spirit
Speaker 1: encouraged us to remain seekers, to look up at the
Speaker 1: stars with wonder and down into the crucible with hope,
Speaker 1: knowing that the quest itself can transmute our lives into
Speaker 1: something golden.