Feudalism is a structured system of land ownership and governance in which the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. It includes a...

Sublimation is a process of refinement, purification or extraction of specific elements. The aludel, a unique alchemical apparatus, is...

The German Peasants' War (1524-5) is short, bloody and violent, and changes the course of history in Europe. Up to 400,000 peasants rise...

From vibrant reds extracted from roots to the deep blues synthesized from leaves, plants have abundant natural dyes and also health...

Arcanum Joviale is an alchemy medicine made of metal salts, taken to induce sweating. While the term sudorific is introduced in 1626,...

Nicolas Flamel (1330 - 1418) is a prosperous scribe shop owner in Paris, France. He marries well and lives an illustrious life. At his...

Arnaldus de Villanova (1240 - 1311) is a prominent figure of medieval alchemy, literature and medicine. He comes from Spain, studies at...

Basil Valentine or Basilius Valentinus is an enigmatic medieval Benedictine monk of Germany. It's thought to be a pseudonym, although the...

Aisha bint Abi Bakr (c. 613 – 678 AD) is a medieval Islamic woman, a royal daughter, and the wife of the Prophet Muhammed. One of the...

After the 642 AD Islamic conquest of Egypt, the center of alchemy moves to Muslim lands. Medieval Arab alchemists study and expand upon...

Herbal remedies are ubiquitous in medieval alchemy, a practice combining elements of science, spirituality, and mysticism. Recipes are...

The Knights Templar, or the Poor Knights of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon, are a religious military order formed in 1099 during the...

The 16th and 17th centuries mark a tumultuous period in European history, defined by a series of religious wars with cataclysmic effects...

Bernard Trevisan is a prototypical figure in alchemy, constructed by various alchemical writers of the medieval and Renaissance eras in...

Jean de Roquetaillade (1310 - 1370 AD) or John of Rupescissa is a prominent figure in medieval France. A fiery Franciscan friar,...

Medieval France sees many changes in the turmoil of war, plague, mad royals and the birth of the Inquisition. A precisely defined social...

Christine de Pizan or Pisan (Cristina da Pizzano) c.1364 - 1430 is an Italian-born French court writer during the reign of King Charles...

In the medieval world, urine is a surprisingly versatile body fluid with a wide range of applications beyond the obvious disposal...

The Guelphs and Ghibellines are feuding factions during the Italian Renaissance. Warfare and bloodshed between the two throw regions of...

George Ripley (c. 1415 -1490) is an English Augustinian Canon, author and alchemist. One of England's most famous alchemy practitioners,...