Engraved title page from michael maiers atalanta fugiens. A critical digital edition of michael maiers atalanta fugiens 1618. Michael maiers atalanta fugiens, sources of an alchemical book of emblems in 1969. Between 1611 and 1616, maier spent time in england at the court of james i.
Get a printable copy pdf file of the complete article 445k, or click on a page image below to browse page by page. Educated as a physician, michael maier was born at rendsburg, germany in 1568. It consists of 50 discourses with illustrations by matthias merian, each of which is accompanied by an epigrammatic verse, prose and a. Michael maier was a 17thcentury alchemist and physician to the court of emperor rudolf ii in prague. Alongside images, poems, and discussion, it included fifty pieces of music in the form of fugues, the form itself being a pun on atalanta fleeing.
Michael maier, atalanta fugiens 1618, alchemy music 50 pieces. A digital edition of michael maiers atalanta fugiens 1618 with scholarly commentary, funded by the andrew w. The atalanta fugiens reveals many of the basic cultivation teachings of. Atalanta fugiens emblems 1 5 michael maiers alchemical emblem book atalanta fugiens was first published in latin in 1617. Atalanta fugiens the music of michael maier amaranth publishing. In atalanta fugiens is not the virgin to give birth, but she opens the male and extracts his soul. Michael maiers 1618 publication atalanta fugiens, in english atalanta fleeing. He studied first in either rensburg or kiel, and in 1587 he was studying at the university of rostock.
The reconciliation of opposites through their mutual attraction brings man and woman together symbolizing the one thing, the dot or circle. It was a most amazing book as it incorporated 50 emblems with epigrams and a discourse, but extended the concept of an emblem book by incorporating 50 pieces of music the fugues or canons. Michael maier studied languages and rhetoric as well as medicine, namely from 1587 to 1591. Michael maiers alchemical emblem book atalanta fugiens was first published in latin in 1617. Atalanta fugiens is a remarkable 17thcentury multimedia book by michael maier that presents his paean to wisdom achieved through alchemical arts.
This site presents an overview of the remarkable alchemical emblem book by michael maier, the atalanta fugiens based on the 1618 copy at the chemical. It was a most amazing book as it incorporated 50 emblems with. A digital edition of michael maiers atalanta fugiens with scholarly commentary, a collaborative digital project on a musical alchemical emblem book, michael maiers atalanta fugiens 1618. On the eve of the thirty years war, the german alchemist and physician michael maier published atalanta fugiens 1618, a lavishly illustrated musical alchemical emblem book. Maier and atalanta atalanta 101 atalanta fugiens 1618. Atalanta fugiens is an emblem book which was published in the 1610s in oppenheim, hessegermany. It consists of 50 discourses with illustrations by matthias merian, each of which is accompanied by an epigrammatic verse, prose and a musical fugue. Atalanta fugiens is an emblem book which was published in the 1610s in oppenheim. Full text full text is available as a scanned copy of the original print version. The book incorporated 50 emblems with a motto, an epigram and a discourse, but extended the concept of an emblem book by incorporating 50. Mellon digital scholarship initiative at brown university.
Media in category atalanta fugiens the following 83 files are in this category, out of 83 total. Atalanta fugiens michael maiers alchemical emblem book atalanta fugiens was first published in latin in 1617. Conceived from the outset as a digital publication, furnace and fugue. Ludic humanism and michael maiers atalanta fugiens 1618. Michael maier project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks.
Michael maier atalanta fugiens prints on medieval alchemy now with one glance at first seeing alchemist michael maiers atalanta fugiens, i recognized quite a few of the genuine stages of spiritual transformation in this work, and knew that this was a real cultivation book unlike most of the other western alchemy works you usually find. Symbols fire dragon sulphur grave alchemical plate from michael maier, atalanta fugiens, 1618. Atalanta fugiens and a curious case of 17thcentury applied art. Geometry and optics in late renaissance alchemical illustration 2000. Atalanta fugiens since 2014, les canards chantants has been part of an international, interdisciplinary team of scholars to study the 1617 alchemical musical treatise by michael maier, atalanta fugiens. It may therefore be considered an early example of multimedia. Atalanta fugiens, the music of renaissance alchemist michael maier.
He was also a guest of christoph reinhard, doctor of laws and town syndic of muhlhausen, to whom he later dedicated his book atalanta fugiens. Books by michael maier author of michael maiers atalanta. Atalanta fugiens science history institute digital. His atalanta fugiens, an alchemical emblem book, was published in 1617. Brought in his belly, the child will then give birth to the stone. In this sense it was an early example of multimedia. Bilak is coeditor with tara nummedal of furnace and fugue. Between 1614 and his death in 1622, maier published a number of alchemical works, of which atalanta fugiens was undoubtedly the richest and most important. Atalanta fugiens science history institute digital collections. Symbola aurea mensae duodecim nationum 1617, themis aurea 1618, tripus.
A digital edition of michael maiers atalanta fugiens 1618 with scholarly commentary is a borndigital publication based on my 2014 postdoctoral research project about atalanta fugiens at the science history institute. The parts of each emblem and the 214page quarto book as a whole are. This title refers to the wellknown greek myth, but the myth is poorly integrated with the alchemical iconography so we will ignore the myth itself and concentrate on the illustration and accompanying text that. The book is a fascinating seventeenthcentury example of a multimedia work. First published in 1617, michael maiers alchemical emblem book contains a preface on ancient music and the greek myth of atalanta and hippomenes and consists of 50 engraved emblems, each accompanied by a discourse and an epigram in verse set to music in the form of a fugue for three voicesatalanta, or the vox fugiens. The efms collection contains various printed works by or derived from maier, including a pristine copy of his musical alchemical emblem book, atalanta fugiens 1618, and two later works based on atalanta though published without the music, the secretioris naturae secretorum scrutinium chymicum 1687, and formerly owned by the berlin masonic. Emblems in print and paint embassy of the free mind. A digital edition of michael maiers atalanta fugiens 1618 with scholarly commentary italian shadows. Maiers virtuoso program blends music, images, poetry, cabala, and science into a paean to wisdom achieved through alchemical arts, and bilaks analysis of this enigmatic work forms the premise of her book project, undertaken this year as an italian academy fellow, catch me if you can.
Although they are one, they are also two, equaling by addition three they become the. Michael maier author of michael maiers atalanta fugiens. A digital edition of michael maiers atalanta fugiens 1618 with scholarly commentary brings to life in digital form a multimedia seventeenthcentury text, michael maiers lavishly illustrated musical emblem book. Michael maiers most popular book is michael maiers atalanta fugiens. World heritage encyclopedia, the aggregation of the largest online encyclopedias available, and.
Michael maiers alchemical emblem book atalanta fugiens was first published in latin in. Sources of an alchemical book of emblems, york beach. Michael maiers work atalanta fugiens 1617 is a definite exception to this trend, as it contains proven cultivation meditation or spiritual training teachings that match perfectly with those commonly found in eastern cultivation schools. Help with reading books report a bad link suggest a new listing. The latin text deepens what at first appears to be a simple enough image, and translates, make from the male and female a circle, then a square, then a triangle, and then a circle, and you will have the stone of the philosophers. Michael maiers alchemical emblem book atalanta fugiens was first published in latin in michael maiers atalanta fugiens. In 1619, maier became the physician of landgrave moritz of hessekassel or hessecassel. With coeditor donna bilak and staff in the brown university library, she is currently completing furnace and fugue. He was educated at the university of rostock in 1587, and later received his doctorate of medicine at basel. His first wellknown book, arcana arcanissima, was published in london in 16 or 1614, and he dedicated copies to a number of notables, including the bishop of ely and sir thomas smith of the east india company. Atalanta fugiens heres what we know about the author of the alchemical work we will discuss, michael maier.
Medieval rosicrucian alchemist michael maiers atalanta. Michael maier has 45 books on goodreads with 376 ratings. A digital edition of michael maiers atalanta fugiens with scholarly. Maier retools ovids legend of the fleetfooted virgin huntress atalanta, whom hippomenes hopes to best in a race by dropping three distracting golden apples in her path. A digital edition of michael maiers atalanta fugiens with scholarly commentary will bring together new interdisciplinary scholarship on the german physician and alchemist michael maiers atalanta fugiens 1617 1618 with a dynamic, enhanced digital edition of the text itself. Author of michael maiers atalanta fugiens, the ancient texts of the golden rosicrucians.
247 940 1204 308 337 1242 1519 918 259 619 199 1386 1187 763 1159 429 302 251 225 667 1326 373 1062 765 1410 989 1359 1009 982 806 1125 526 5 1093 1382 1308 1138 926