Athanor
Encyclopedia
In alchemy
, an athanor is a furnace
used to provide heat for alchemical digestion. An athanor is a self-feeding furnace, designed to maintain a uniform temperature
.
The athanor was also called Piger Henricus ("Slow Harry"), because it was chiefly used in slower operations, and because when once filled with coals, it keeps burning a long time. For this reason the Greeks
referred to it as "giving no trouble", as it did not need to be continually attended. It was also called the Philosophical furnace, Furnace of Arcana, or popularly, the Tower furnace.
by Philostratus
the Athenian, an allegorical description is given of an occult hill. The author gives this hill the name "Athanor".
Athanor is also the name of a work by Anselm Kiefer
, which is currently displayed in the Toledo Museum of Art
.
Athanor is also the title of a 1968 book of poetry by the Romanian author Gellu Naum
Athanor is also the name of a musical work for orchestra by French composer Joël-François Durand
, written in 2001 and premiered by the BBC Symphony Orchestra
(cond. Pierre-André Valade), in 2003.
Athanor is also the name a series by American author Jane Lindskold
. The titles in this series are Changer, published in 1996, and Legends Walking, published in 1999.
Alchemy
Alchemy is an influential philosophical tradition whose early practitioners’ claims to profound powers were known from antiquity. The defining objectives of alchemy are varied; these include the creation of the fabled philosopher's stone possessing powers including the capability of turning base...
, an athanor is a furnace
Furnace
A furnace is a device used for heating. The name derives from Latin fornax, oven.In American English and Canadian English, the term furnace on its own is generally used to describe household heating systems based on a central furnace , and sometimes as a synonym for kiln, a device used in the...
used to provide heat for alchemical digestion. An athanor is a self-feeding furnace, designed to maintain a uniform temperature
Temperature
Temperature is a physical property of matter that quantitatively expresses the common notions of hot and cold. Objects of low temperature are cold, while various degrees of higher temperatures are referred to as warm or hot...
.
The athanor was also called Piger Henricus ("Slow Harry"), because it was chiefly used in slower operations, and because when once filled with coals, it keeps burning a long time. For this reason the Greeks
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
referred to it as "giving no trouble", as it did not need to be continually attended. It was also called the Philosophical furnace, Furnace of Arcana, or popularly, the Tower furnace.
Other references
In the work Life of ApolloniusApollonius of Tyana
Apollonius of Tyana was a Greek Neopythagorean philosopher from the town of Tyana in the Roman province of Cappadocia in Asia Minor. Little is certainly known about him...
by Philostratus
Philostratus
Philostratus or Lucius Flavius Philostratus , , called "the Athenian", was a Greek sophist of the Roman imperial period. His father was a minor sophist of the same name. He was born probably around 172, and is said by the Suda to have been living in the reign of emperor Philip the Arab . His death...
the Athenian, an allegorical description is given of an occult hill. The author gives this hill the name "Athanor".
Athanor is also the name of a work by Anselm Kiefer
Anselm Kiefer
Anselm Kiefer is a German painter and sculptor. He studied with Joseph Beuys and Peter Dreher during the 1970s. His works incorporate materials such as straw, ash, clay, lead, and shellac...
, which is currently displayed in the Toledo Museum of Art
Toledo Museum of Art
The Toledo Museum of Art is an internationally known art museum located in the Old West End neighborhood of Toledo, Ohio, United States. The museum was founded by Toledo glassmaker Edward Drummond Libbey in 1901, and moved to its present location, a Greek revival building designed by Edward B....
.
Athanor is also the title of a 1968 book of poetry by the Romanian author Gellu Naum
Gellu Naum
Gellu Naum was a prominent Romanian poet, dramatist, novelist, children's writer, and translator. He is remembered as the founder of the Romanian Surrealist group...
Athanor is also the name of a musical work for orchestra by French composer Joël-François Durand
Joël-François Durand
Joël-François Durand is a French composer.-Biography:Born in Orléans, Durand studied mathematics, music education and piano in Paris, then composition with Brian Ferneyhough in Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany , and at Stony Brook University, New York, with Arel and Semegen...
, written in 2001 and premiered by the BBC Symphony Orchestra
BBC Symphony Orchestra
The BBC Symphony Orchestra is the principal broadcast orchestra of the British Broadcasting Corporation and one of the leading orchestras in Britain.-History:...
(cond. Pierre-André Valade), in 2003.
Athanor is also the name a series by American author Jane Lindskold
Jane Lindskold
Jane M. Lindskold is an American writer of fantasy and science fiction short stories and novels.Jane M. Lindskold was born in 1962, at the Columbia Hospital for Women. She is the first of four siblings: Ann M. Lindskold Nalley, Graydon M. Lindskold, and Susan M. Lindskold Speer. Lindskold's...
. The titles in this series are Changer, published in 1996, and Legends Walking, published in 1999.
The review
Athanor is now a review of language philosophy, history, and international politics. It is published once or twice a year. Its latest issue has been No. 13 (new series), November, 2009.External links
- Athanor as an occult hill
- The Life of Apollonius of Tyana - by Philostratus; selection of extracts from the translation of F. C. Conybeare, including translator's introduction (1912)