Basil Valentine

The Peterskirche, Erfurt, today.

gests that one author was Thlde, but that others were involved. Thlde published the rst ve books under Valentines name.[4]
Whoever he was, Basil Valentine had considerable
chemical knowledge. He showed that ammonia could
be obtained by the action of alkali on sal-ammoniac
(ammonium chloride), described the production of
hydrochloric acid by acidifying brine of common salt
(sodium chloride), and created oil of vitriol (sulfuric
acid), among other achievements.[5]

1 The twelve keys of Basil Valentine

extquotedblFrater Basilius Valentinus, monk of the Benedictine

order and Hermetic philosopher extquotedbl: imaginary portrait
in the frontispiece from Chymische Schriten, 1717[1]

The Basil Valentine writings provide twelve keys, a

widely reproduced sequence of alchemical operations encoded allegorically, in words to which images have been
added. The rst Basil Valentine book to discuss the keys
is Ein kurtz summarischer Tractat, von dem grossen Stein
der Uralten (A Short Summary Tract: Of the great stone
of the ancients), 1599. The rst part of the book is a discussion of general alchemical principles and advice about
the philosophers stone. The second half of Ein kurtz summarischer Tractat, under the subtitle The Twelve Keys,
contains twelve short chapters. Each chapter, or key,
is an allegorical description of one step in the process by
which the philosophers stone may be created. With each
step, the symbolic names (Deckname, or code name) used
to indicate the critical ingredients are changed, just as
the ingredients themselves are transformed. The keys are
written in such a fashion as to conceal as well as to illu-

Basil Valentine is the Anglicised version of the name

Basilius Valentinus. Basilius Valentinus was alleged
to be a 15th-century alchemist, possibly Canon of the
Benedictine Priory of Saint Peter in Erfurt, Germany.
According to John Maxson Stillman, who wrote on the
history of chemistry, there is no evidence of such a name
on the rolls in Germany or Rome and no mention of this
name before 1600.[2] His putative history, like his imaginary portrait, appears to be of later creation than the writings themselves.
During the 18th century it was suggested that the author of the works attributed to Basil Valentine was Johann Thlde, a salt manufacturer in Germany who lived
roughly 15651624,.[2][3] Modern scholarship now sug1

2 DESCRIBING THE KEYS

minate: only a knowledgeable reader or alchemical adept 2.2 Second key

was expected to correctly interpret the veiled language of
A winged Mercury stands holding a caduceus in each
the allegorical text and its related images.[4]
hand. To the left is a Sun and to the right a Moon. Under
The 1599 edition does not include illustrations. Woodhis feet are a set of wings. On his left is a man with a
cuts appear in the 1602 edition. Engravings for all
sword; a snake or serpent coils around the blade. On his
twelve steps rst appear in Tripus Aureus (Golden Trilright is a man with a sword, on which a bird perches.[7]
ogy) of 1618, a Latin translation by Michael Maier
which includes three works, the rst of which is Basil
Valentine.[4][6] Since the texts predate the images, the
2.3 Third key
texts should be considered primary.[4]
''The Twelve Keys of Basil Valentine'', as engraved
by Matthaeus Merian (15931650), and published
in the collection ''Musaeum hermeticum'', Francofurti : Apud Hermannum Sande, 1678
First key.
Second key

A winged dragon with coiled tail and pointed tongue

stands in the foreground. The background is a landscape
with high mountains and a city or castle. On the left behind the dragon is a running wolf or fox with a bird in its
mouth. The fox, in turn, is being attacked by a cockerel
on its back: the rooster is eating a fox eating a rooster.[7]

2.4 Fourth key

Third key
Fourth key
Fifth key
Sixth key
Seventh key
Eighth key
Ninth key
Tenth key
Eleventh key
Twelfth key

Describing the keys

A skeleton stands on a draped box or con. On the left

a candle is burning, while on the right is a tree stump.
Behind the tree stump is a church.[7]

2.5 Fifth key

On the right a woman stands beside a rectangular plinth
(possibly a furnace, though no ames are visible). A ask
on the plinth contains liquid from which fumes are rising. The women holds a heart from which grows a sevenblossomed rose. The top of the ask either goes behind
or connects to the womans head. Beside the woman
stands an alchemist with bellows. Flames emerge from
his mouth and the top of his head. In front of the plinth or
furnace a blindfolded cupid aims an arrow with his bow at
the woman. On the left stands a lion with a crown above
his head. His left paw, claws extended, reaches out towards the cupid. Above the lion shines a brilliant sun.[7]

The illustrations for the twelve keys of Basil Valentine are

essentially tied to the communication: the illustration of a 2.6 Sixth key
key must depict the same scene and its essential elements,
regardless of the artistry. The keys shown above can be At the center of the picture is a bishop, right hand raised
to bless the wedding of a King (left) and Queen (right).
described as follows:
They stand under a dark cloud from which heavy rain is
falling. Above the cloud forms a rainbow. To the left of
the King is the Sun and on the right of the Queen is a
2.1 First key
crescent Moon. Below the sun is a swan or goose. On the
A nely dressed King stands on the left and Queen on left near the King is a cylindrical vessel which is being
the right, in a landscape with a city or castle in the back- heated on a re. The top of the vessel is a double-faced
ground left. The king holds a sceptre in his right hand, the head, from whose mouths come collecting asks. The top
Queen holds a three blossomed ower in her right and a of the head has ames for hair. To the right of the Queen
peacock feather fan in her left. In front of the King a stands an alchemist with a trident, pouring liquid from
wolf or dog jumps over a crucible placed on a basin of a ask into a water bath in which an alembic or retort is
re. In front of the Queen, an old man with a scythe and being heated atop a furnace. The fumes which are emitted
a crippled leg steps across a re on which a vessel is being condense and are collected in a ask below, which already
heated.[7]
contains a layer of liquid.[7]

2.11

Eleventh key

2.7

Seventh key

A woman holds scales in her right hand and a sword in

her left, and stands behind a large ask, the neck of which
reads Sigilum Hermelis (the Seal of Hermes). The vessel is labelled CHAOS. Within it is a circle labelled
with the four seasons (Hiems, Ver, stas, Autumno),
around a square marked Sal philosophorum (Salt of the
Philosophers), inside of which a triangle is inscribed with
AQVA (water).[7]

2.8

Eighth key

In a walled enclosure, two seated men with crossbows aim

at a square target with a circular bulls-eye, and a key atop
it. Seven arrows have hit the target. Between these two
men are four small roofed crosses and an open grave in
which a man or resurrected corpse is standing with his
hands uplifted. On the left of the grave, corn is sprouting.
In the foreground a corpse lies on a ploughed eld, grain
beneath its head. On the left, a man is scattering grain.
Behind the man four birds are eating the grain. Below
the corpse is a cross. To the right stands a winged angel
holding a scepter in its left hand, and blowing a trumpet
held in its right hand.[7]

2.9

Ninth key

In a circle at the bottom are three hearts out of which

three serpents or snakes emerge, each ones head curving
around towards the base of the next ones tail. On top of
the circle are a man and woman: their bodies are bent at
approximately ninety degrees so that together their heads
and feet point in the four directions. At each of the four
directions is a bird: at the womans feet (South) is a peacock, at her head (West) a swan, on the mans feet (North)
is a crow or black bird, and at his head (East) is an eagle
with wings outspread.[7]

2.11 Eleventh key

In a landscape, two lions approach and attack each other
from left and right. The head of the lion on the left is
within the muzzle of the lion on the right. The lion on
the right holds its left forepaw out, claws extended, to the
lion on the left, as if clawing it. On the back of each lion
rides a woman holding in her hand a heart from which
sprouts a plant with a Sun ower (left) and a Moon ower
(right). The woman on the left holds this heart in her right
hand, the woman on the right in her left hand. Behind the
woman on the left a knight stands with his sword raised.
The lion on the right is followed by four cubs. Gas appears
to be coming out of the right-hand lions anus.[7]

2.12 Twelfth key

Inside a laboratory an alchemist stands, holding tongs in
his left hand. With his right hand he points to a triangular crucible set on a bench, with the symbol of Mercury above it, from which grow two rose-like owers.
Through an open window behind the crucible, the Sun
and Moon can be seen. To the alchemists left is a large
barrel-shaped furnace from the top of which come ames
and smoke. To his right are shelves with instruments and
books. Below the shelves, a lion holds the head of a snake
in its jaws.[7]

3 Physicochemical interpretation
The allegorical text and fantastic visual imagery of alchemical writings make them dicult to interpret. A
physicochemical reading was proposed in the twenty-rst
century. Chemist and historian Lawrence M. Principe
has drawn on knowledge of chrysopoetic symbolism and
experimentally tested possible chemical processes and
practices which may correspond to several of Basil Valentines twelve steps. The following summary describes his
recreation of the rst three keys. Visually he refers to the
1602 woodcuts.[4]

2.10 Tenth key

3.1 First key

Around a downward pointing radiant triangle are the

words NATVS SVM EX HERMOGENE. (top: I am
born from Hermogenes), HYPERION ELEGIT ME.
(right side descending: Hyperion elected me.), and
ABSQ IAMSVPH COGOR INTERIRE. (left side, ascending: Without Iamsoph I am destined to perish.) Inside the vertices of the triangle are the symbols of the
Sun on the left, the Moon on the right and Mercury at the
bottom, with Hebrew lettering. Within the triangle is a
double radiant circle inside of which are written Hebrew
letters. (The Hebrew lettering does not appear to correspond to identiable Hebrew words.)[7]

In the rst key, the kings crown should be pure gold,

and a chaste bride should be married to him. Take the
ravenous grey wolf that on account of his name is subjected to bellicose Mars, but by birth is a child of old
Saturn, and that lives in the valleys and mountains of the
world and is possessed of great hunger. Throw the kings
body before him... And when he has devoured the king,
then make a great re and throw the wolf into it ... thus
will the king be redeemed. This is to be done three times,
after which our body [is] completed at the start of our
work. The woodcut shows the king, his bride, and the
wolf jumping over a re, with Saturn standing nearby.[4]

4 SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Translated into chemical terms, gold (the king of metals) is dissolved in melted antimony ore or stibnite (the
ravenous wolf, child of Saturn and subject to Mars). An
alloy of antimony and gold (the wolf that has devoured
the king) sinks to the bottom of the crucible, and can be
roasted to evaporate the antimony. This transformation
leaves the puried gold behind (renewing the king).[4]

rooster eating eating the fox, then drowning, living, and

being eaten in turn). When this seemingly pointless process of cohobation occurs, chlorine gas is released, lling
the distillation apparatus. The presence of the gas prevents the otherwise unstable gold chloride from decomposing, allowing it to sublime as beautiful ruby-red crystals (the red dragons blood), a complex and dicult
process known as the volatilization of gold chloride.[4]

There is evidence that the father of chemistry, Robert

Boyle, also volatilized gold by following the steps in Basil
Valentines keys.[8][9] Sir Isaac Newton also seriously
In the second key, the bridegroom Apollo must be pustudied the writings attributed to 'Basil Valentine'.[10]
ried before his marriage to the bride Diana. The precious water in which the bridegroom needs to have his Principe speculates that the twelve keys may involve debath must be made cleverly and carefully from two ght- scriptions of varying types. Some of the early keys may
ers... when you introduce to the eagle the old dragon who encode descriptions of actual laboratory techniques and
has dwelt long among the rocks... and set the two upon observed results. Other keys may be theoretical extrapothe hellish seat, then Pluto will blow strongly and drive lations of what could be accomplished: ideas for experiout from the cold dragon a ying, ery spirit whose great ments that had not yet been successfully carried out. The
heat will burn up the feathers of the eagle and prepare nal keys may be descriptions of methods based on other
a steam-bath so that the snow on the highest mountains writers textual precedents.[4]
must melt entirely and turn into water... [4]

3.2

Second key

Salmiac, Sal ammoniac, or ammonium chloride (the eagle) sublimes easily under mild heating, vaporizing and
ying to the top of the vessel, where it recondenses in
cooler air into a white salt. Saltpeter or potassium nitrate (the dragon) is found as a crystalline deposit in caves,
and is cold, but when heated creates nitric acid (the ying ery spirit). Mixing ammonium chloride and potassium nitrate and heating them in a retort in a furnace (the
hellish seat) causes a vigorous reaction (a ght) and
creates a highly corrosive acid, aqua regia, which is capable of dissolving gold (the god Mercury, standing between
the two ghters).[4]

3.3

Third key

The third key directs that our ery Sulphur must be prepared for this art and conquered with water... so that the
king ... is utterly shattered and made invisible. But his
visible form must this time appear again... He who would
prepare our unburnable Sulfur of all the Sages must take
care to seek out our Sulfur in something where it is unburnable, which cannot be done unless the salty sea has
swallowed the corpse, and then entirely spit it out again...
Then raise him up... this is the rose of our masters, scarlet in color, and the red dragons blood... Endow him with
the ying power of a bird as much as he needs, thus the
rooster will eat the fox, be drowned in water, be made
living by re, and be eaten in return by the fox... [4]
The puried gold created in the rst key (the corpse of
the king) must be dissolved in acid (the water bath
created in the second key, now the salty sea) to dissolve the gold. This forms gold chloride. After distilling o the acid, the gold chloride is decomposed by heat
into gold and chlorine gas. The resultant gold is redissolved in acid, and the process repeated (the cycle of the

4 Selected publications
Numerous publications on alchemy in Latin and German
were published under the name Basil Valentine. They
have been translated into many European languages, including English, French, Russian and others. The following list is roughly organized in order of translation or publication date.
Ein kurtz summarischer Tractat, von dem grossen
Stein der Uralten..., (Of the great stone of the ancients), by Basilius Valentinus. Eisleben: 1599
(without illustrations) (German)
Ein kurtz summarischer Tractat, von dem grossen
Stein der Uralten..., Leipzig: 1602 (with woodcuts)
(German)
Triumph Wagen Antimonii, (The Triumphant Chariot of Antimony) by Basil Valentine; Johannes Isaaci
Hollandus; Joachim Tank; Georg Phaedro; Roger
Bacon. Leipzig : In Verlegung Jacob Apels, 1604.
(German)
De microcosmo deque magno mundi mysterio, et
medicina hominis, (Of the microcosm, of the great
secrecy of the world, and the human medicine), by
Basilius Valentinus; Wolfgang Ketzel; Raphael Eglinus. Marpurgi : typis Guolgangi Kezelii, 1609.
(Latin)
A Latin translation of the text of Ein kurtz summarischer Tractat as Tripus Aureus, hoc est, Tres
Tractatus Chymici Selectissimi, nempe I. Basilii

5
Valentini...Practica una cum 12 clavibus & appendice, ex Germanico, Michael Maier (editor), Frankfurt: Paul Jacob for Lucas Jennis, 1618. (with engravings of the 12 keys) (Latin)

Of natural and supernatural things : also, of the rst

tincture, root, and spirit of metals and minerals by
Basilius Valentinus. London : Printed, and are to be
sold by Moses Pitt, 1670.[12] (English)

Azoth, ou le moyen de faire l'or cach des

philosophes, de frre Basile Valentin by Basilius Valentinus; Christoe Perier; Jeremie Perier.
(French) Paris: Chez Ieremie & Christoe Perier,
au Palais, MDCXXIV 1624. (French)

The last vvill and testament of Basil Valentine, monke

of the Order of St. Bennet, by Basilius Valentinus.
London : Printed by S. G. and B. G. for Edward
Brewster ..., 1671.[13] (English)

Les dovze clefs de philosophie de Frere Basile

Valentin ...
Traictant de la vraye medecine
matalique. Plus l'Azoth, ou Le moyen de faire
l'or chach des philosophes. Tradvction francoise.
by Basilius Valentinus. Paris, Chez Ieremie et
Christophle Perier, 1624. (French)
Fratris Basilii Valentini,... letztes Testament und
Oenbahrung der himmlischen und virdischen
Geheimnss, so in einem Altar gefunden, in fn
Bcher abgetheilet... zuvor nie in Druck aussgangen,
jetzt aber... publiciret durch Georgium Claromontanum,... by Basile Valentin; Georg Hellberger dit
Georgius Claromontanus. Iena : H. Eyrings und J.
Perferts Erben, 1626. (German)
Revelation des mysteres des teintures essentieles des
sept metaux et de leurs vertus mdicinales... by Basile
Valentin; translated by Jean Isral. Paris : J. De Senlecque et J. Hnault, 1645. (French)
Currus triumphalis antimonii : opus antiquioris
medicinae et philosophiae hermeticae studiosis dicat, by Basilius Valentinus. Tolosae : Apud Petrum
Bosc, 1646. (The triumphal chariot of antimony)
[11]
(Latin)
Le char triomphal de l'antimoine, translation by
Sauvin, Franois, 17th century (1646), introduction
by Sylvain Matton ; prface by Joachim Tancky.
Editions Retz, 1977, 254 p. (French)
Les livres secrets et le dernier testament de frere Basile
Valentin Benedictin, de la grande pierre des anciens
philosophes et autres mysteres cachs de la nature. Le
tout tir et transcrit de l'original trouv dans le haut
autel sous une petite table de marbre a Erfurt et mis
en lumiere ou imprim a lnstante priere des enfans
de la science ... by Basilius Valentinus. (French)
Strasbourg: 1651. (French)
Les douze clefs de philosophie de frere Basile
Valentin ... : traictant de la vraye medecine metalique
: plus l'Azoth, ou, Le moyen de faire l'or cach des
philosophes : traduction francoise. Basilius Valentinus.; Jean Gobille; Clovis Hesteau Nuisement, sieur
de. Paris : Chez Pierre Mot ..., 1660. (French)

Chymische Schriten by Basilius Valentinus. Hamburg: 1677. (German)

Compendium veritatis philosophicum fratis Basilii
Valentini Manuscript (Ms.180), 1780. (German)
Les douze clefs de la philosophie. Eugne Canseliet,
translator. Paris, ditions de Minuit, 1956, 264 p.
(French)
Rvlations des mystres des teintures des sept mtaux, Pierre Savoret, editor. Omnium littraire,
1976. (French)
Le dernier testament de Basile Valentin : livres I,
II, III, IV et V, dans lequel sont montres les mines,
l'origine d'icelles, leurs natures et proprits... by
Basile Valentin; edited by Joseph Castelli. Montlimar : Castelli, 2008. (French)
Las doce llaves de la losofa by Basilius Valentinus. Barcelona: Muoz Moya y Montraveta, 1986.
(Spanish)

5 See also
List of Roman Catholic scientist-clerics
Three hares

6 References
[1] Valentinus, Basilius (1717). Chymische Schriten. Hamburg: Samuel Heyle.
[2] Stillman, John Maxson (December 1912). Basil Valentine, a Seventeenth Century Hoax. Popular Science
Monthly. Retrieved 19 February 2011.
[3] Mellor, Joseph William (1922). A Comprehensive Treatise on Inorganic and Theoretical Chemistry. London, New
York: Longmans, Green and Co. p. 53.
[4] Principe, Lawrence M. (2013). The Secrets of Alchemy.
Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press.

[5] Datta, N. C. (2005). The Story of Chemistry. Hyderabad:

Universities Press. p. 56.
[6] McLean, Adam. 12 Keys of Basil Valentine. Retrieved
25 November 2013.
[7] Musaeum hermeticum, reformatum et amplicatum. Francofurti: Apud Hermannum a Sande. 1678.
[8] Keiger, Dale (February 1999). All that glitters. John
Hopkins Magazine. Retrieved 26 November 2013.
[9] Principe, Lawrence M. (1998). The aspiring adept :
Robert Boyle and his alchemical quest : including Boyle'
s lost Dialogue on the Transmutation of Metals. Princeton: Princeton university press. ISBN 0691050821.
[10] Brewster, David (1855). Memoirs of the life, writings, and
discoveries of Sir Isaac Newton. Edinburgh: T. Constable
and Co.
[11] Othmer Library Catalog.
[12] Othmer Library Catalog.
[13] Othmer Library Catalog.

External links
Works attributed to 'Basilius Valentinus at Project
Gutenberg
Transcription of Triumphal Chariot of Antimony
Transcription of Azoth, ou le moyen de faire l'or
cach des philosophes, de frre Basile Valentin
Library Catalog entry for Last will and testament

EXTERNAL LINKS

Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

8.1

Text

Basil Valentine Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basil_Valentine?oldid=607155051 Contributors: Karen Johnson, Nixdorf, Delirium, Angela, Wetman, Seano1, Pmanderson, Paul J, Jumbuck, Wimvandorst, Scriberius, Rjwilmsi, Koavf, ABot, Gaius Cornelius, Pt
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