Nicolas Flamel, born in 1330 and died in 1418was a French notary. In the seventeenth century the legend according to which it had been a alchemist and he had managed to make the philosopherthat is, the legendary substance that confers immortality and allows to transform vile metals into gold. The legend has no foundation, but has enjoyed a certain popularity among the supporters of the occult and was mentioned in different literary worksincluding the first novel of the saga of Harry Potter. Today in Paris, al number 51 by rue de montmorencythere is still a building that belonged to Flamel: it is probably the oldest house in the city.
The life of true Nicolas Flamel
Nicolas Flamel was a French scribe, born at Pontoise in 1330 and died in Paris in 1418.
Not much is known about his life. It is known that he married a wealthy widow, Perenelleand who had a discreet heritage, thanks to which he could make several donations to the Church. His wife died in 1397 The building, completed in 1407, still exists today, with hotel functions and private residence, and is considered The oldest house in Paris.
In 1410 Flamel designed the plaque for his tombwith images of Jesus, of the saints Peter and Paul and some alchemical symbols. The stone is kept at the Cluny Museum in Paris. Flamel drafted the will in 1416 and died two years later, in 1418.
Flamel’s legend and the philosopher’s stone
According to what the documents tell, Flamel was a scribe and did not have Nothing to do with alchemythat is, the set of esoteric knowledge that, according to the myth, allowed to transform vile metals into gold and perform other portentous companies. The most ambitious goal of alchemists was to achieve the philosopherthat is to say a substance, generally depicted as a red mineral, capable of arrest the corruption of the matter. The stone could transform vile metals into gold and make people omniscient and even immortalacting as a long life elixir. The myth of the philosopher’s stone, probably born in the Arab world in the eighth century, was a lot popular in medieval Europe.
In the 17th century the legend emerged according to which Flamel had obtained the philosopher’s stone. The story is reported in Livre des figures hiéroglyphiques (Book of the hieroglyphic figures), published in Paris in 1612 and attributed, without foundation, to Flamel himself. The book says that the man entered a mysterious manuscript and, deciphering the content, he learned of how to make the stone. The history was successful among the supporters of the theories of the occult, but already in the eighteenth century its authenticity was questioned. Actually, No historical source associates Flamel with Alchemianot to mention that the philosopher’s stone obviously does not exist.
Flamel’s popularity: not just Harry Potter
Flamel’s legend is today popular because it is mentioned in the novel Harry Potter and the philosopher’s stonefirst book of the successful series written by JK Rowling. The novel tells that Flamel and his wife, thanks to the philosopher’s stone, had become immortal but, to prevent the precious substance from ending up in the hands of Lord Voldermortthey had destroyed it, thus accepting to die.
Before appearing in the Harry Potter saga, Flamel’s legend had already been mentioned by several writers. Among them Victor Hugowho cited Flamel in his famous novel Notre Dame de Parispublished for the first time in 1831 (the same is the novel that introduced the popular figure of the hunchback of Notre Dame), and André Breton In the second surrealist manifesto, published in 1930. Flamel also appears in other books, in some manga and even in some video games.
