Elemental
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| - | An '''elemental''' is a mythological being first appearing in the [[alchemy|alchemical]] works of [[Paracelsus]]. Traditionally, there are four types:<ref>Carole B. Silver, ''Strange and Secret Peoples: Fairies and Victorian Consciousness'', p 38 ISBN 0-19-512199-6</ref> | + | An '''elemental''' is a mythological being first appearing in the [[alchemy|alchemical]] works of [[Paracelsus]]. Traditionally, there are four types: |
| - | *[[gnome]]s, earth elementals | + | |
| - | *[[Ondine (mythology)|undines]], water elementals | + | *[[gnome]]s, [[earth]] elementals |
| - | *[[sylph]]s, air elementals | + | *[[Ondine (mythology)|undines]], [[water]] elementals |
| - | *[[Salamander (legendary creature)|salamanders]], fire elementals. | + | *[[sylph]]s, [[air]] elementals |
| + | *[[Salamander (legendary creature)|salamanders]], [[fire]] elementals. | ||
| The exact term for each type varies somewhat from source to source, though these four are now the most usual. Most of these beings are found in folklore as well as alchemy; their names are often used interchangeably with similar beings from folklore. The sylph, however, is rarely encountered outside of alchemical contexts. | The exact term for each type varies somewhat from source to source, though these four are now the most usual. Most of these beings are found in folklore as well as alchemy; their names are often used interchangeably with similar beings from folklore. The sylph, however, is rarely encountered outside of alchemical contexts. | ||
| The basic concept of an elemental refers to the ancient idea of [[Classical elements|elements]] as fundamental building blocks of nature. In the system prevailing in the [[Classical antiquity|Classical]] world, there were four elements: fire, earth, air, and water. This paradigm was highly influential in Medieval natural philosophy, and Paracelsus evidently intended to draw a range of mythological beings into this paradigm by identifying them as belonging to one of these four elemental types. | The basic concept of an elemental refers to the ancient idea of [[Classical elements|elements]] as fundamental building blocks of nature. In the system prevailing in the [[Classical antiquity|Classical]] world, there were four elements: fire, earth, air, and water. This paradigm was highly influential in Medieval natural philosophy, and Paracelsus evidently intended to draw a range of mythological beings into this paradigm by identifying them as belonging to one of these four elemental types. | ||
| + | ==See also== | ||
| + | * [[Elementals in fiction]] | ||
| + | * [[Aether (classical element)|Aether]] | ||
| + | * [[Classical element]]s | ||
| + | * [[Sigil (magic)|Sigil]] | ||
| + | * [[Tattva]] | ||
| + | * [[Jainism]] | ||
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Revision as of 17:18, 19 September 2017
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An elemental is a mythological being first appearing in the alchemical works of Paracelsus. Traditionally, there are four types:
- gnomes, earth elementals
- undines, water elementals
- sylphs, air elementals
- salamanders, fire elementals.
The exact term for each type varies somewhat from source to source, though these four are now the most usual. Most of these beings are found in folklore as well as alchemy; their names are often used interchangeably with similar beings from folklore. The sylph, however, is rarely encountered outside of alchemical contexts.
The basic concept of an elemental refers to the ancient idea of elements as fundamental building blocks of nature. In the system prevailing in the Classical world, there were four elements: fire, earth, air, and water. This paradigm was highly influential in Medieval natural philosophy, and Paracelsus evidently intended to draw a range of mythological beings into this paradigm by identifying them as belonging to one of these four elemental types.
See also
