DOCSLIB.ORG

The Secret History of Hermes Trismegistus: Hermeticism

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Secret History of Hermes Trismegistus: Hermeticism 614 Book Reviews / Numen 55 (2008) 608–624 Th e Secret History of Hermes Trismegistus: Hermeticism from Ancient to Modern Times. By Florian Ebeling, (transl. David Lorton; Foreword by Jan Ass- mann), Ithaca and London: Cornell University Press, 2007. xiii + 158 pp. ISBN 9780801445460. German original: Das Geheimnis des Hermes Trismegistos: Geschichte des Herme- tismus von der Antike bis zur Neuzeit, München: C.H. Beck, 2005. 214 pp. ISBN 3406528163. Th e various textual corpora referred to as “hermetic” have not only generated a vast scholarly literature but continue to evoke much interest among the general public as well. Nevertheless, a short yet comprehensive overview of “hermeticism” from antiquity to the present was still lacking, and this small book therefore fi lls an important niche in the market. Given the high quality of current academic research particularly with respect to the ancient, medieval and early modern period, and the considerable theoretical problems of defi n- ing what “hermeti(ci)sm” is all about (see below), any scholar who dares to cover the fi eld as a whole deserves credit and respect for his courage, but should also expect to be judged by strict criteria of excellence. Th e author of Th e Secret History of Hermes Trismegistus seems aware of this, and tries to temper too high expectations right at the outset: he admits that many aspects of the his- tory of hermetic literature have been merely intimated or omitted entirely, and that he has therefore written ‘not the history of Hermeticism but rather only one’ (2). Th is modest rejoinder is off set, however, by his ambitious claim of having been the fi rst to correct major weaknesses and hiatuses in existing research. Firstly, his book claims to refute the ‘common thesis’ (vii) that hermeticism practically vanished during the middle ages (chapters II and III both open with that statement: 37, 59); and secondly, the author takes and is given credit (by Jan Assmann in the Foreword) for having “discovered” a complete, inde- pendent northern Hermetic tradition and thereby having ‘fundamentally altered and expanded our understanding of Hermetic traditions’ (vii–viii). Unfortunately, both of these claims are without foundation. Far from having single-handedly put medieval hermeticism back on the map, the author has chosen to ignore almost all the research that has been done in this area during the last decades, including the “Hermes Latinus” series edited by Paolo Lucen- tini and Vittoria Perrone Compagni since 1994, but almost never quoted by him, and many other fundamental contributions by these two major special- ists (for a sample, see their almost 800-page volume Hermetism from Late Antiquity to Humanism, published by Brepols in 2003) and by others, such as © Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 2008 DOI: 10.1163/156852708X338112 Book Reviews / Numen 55 (2008) 608–624 615 Claudio Moreschini, whose Storia dell’Ermetismo Cristiano (published in 2000) covers the ancient, medieval and early modern period in much greater detail than the book under review here. Likewise, the German tradition of “alchemo- paracelsism” was in no need of being “discovered”, for its existence was quite well known (among the most important contemporary scholars, Joachim Telle and Carlos Gilly are mentioned occasionally). Th erefore all that the author can legitimately take credit for is his decision to restrict the survey not only to texts dependent on or referring to the Corpus Hermeticum and the Asclepius but to also include alchemical discussions and their references to the Tabula Smaragdina. Overblown pretensions apart, how good and reliable is this book as an introduction to the history of Hermeticism? First of all, we should look at what the author understands by that term. In the Introduction he makes clear that the overview is based on a ‘pragmatic decision’ of focusing only on works ascribed to Hermes Trismegistus or implicitly referring to his authority (1, 7). By doing so, he wisely avoids approaches based upon the idea that certain themes or worldviews are somehow intrinsically “hermetic” even if no refer- ence is made to Hermes at all. But of course the decision comes at a heavy price, for while it avoids any non-historical essentialism, it begs the question of whether “hermeticism” can ever be anything more than an artifi cial con- struct by means of which a heterogeneous collection of texts is arbitrarily pre- sented as a “tradition” for no other reason than that they happen to mention Hermes somewhere (while texts that do not do so are excluded, even if one cannot tell them apart on the basis of their contents). Th is dilemma has bedeviled research in this domain, and while some highly competent scholars have defended the notion of an actual unifi ed “Hermetic tradition”, others with no less expertise have rejected any such idea (see e.g. my review of Lucentini et al. in Aries 7:2 [2007], 227–229). Th erefore it would be quite unfair to blame the author for not having found a satisfactory solu- tion; but it is regrettable that he does not take the opportunity of at least entering into this debate, discussing the problem in some depth, and clearly taking position. After all, his “pragmatic choice”, while understandable enough, would seem to undermine the very possibility of presenting “Hermeticism” as a historical tradition at all. Since this same “pragmatic choice” would also seem to preclude any idea of Hermeticism as being based on a universal “essence”, it is all the more surpris- ing that the author nevertheless keeps repeating the question of whether some such essence might exist. Th us on page 10–11 he lists the main categories of “philosophical” and “technical” Hermetica, and asks himself ‘Can a common core be detected behind all these writings and doctrinal accounts?’ (11), or .
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Druze: Culture, History and Mission
    The Druze A New Cultural and Historical Appreciation Abbas Halabi 2013 www.garnetpublishing.co.uk 1 The Druze Published by Garnet Publishing Limited 8 Southern Court South Street Reading RG1 4QS UK www.garnetpublishing.co.uk www.twitter.com/Garnetpub www.facebook.com/Garnetpub blog.garnetpublishing.co.uk Copyright © Abbas Halabi, 2013 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review. First Edition 2013 ISBN: 9781859643532 British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Jacket design by Garnet Publishing Typeset by Samantha Barden Printed and bound in Lebanon by International Press: [email protected] 2 To Karl-Abbas, my first grandson And the future generation of my family 3 Preface Foreword Introduction Chapter 1 Human geography Chapter 2 The history of the Druze, 1017–1943 Chapter 3 Communal and social organization Chapter 4 Traditional culture and the meaning of al-Adhā feast Chapter 5 Civil status law Chapter 6 The diaspora and cultural expansion Chapter 7 The political role of the Druze from independence to the present time Chapter 8 The Druze message: plurality and unity Summary and conclusion Appendix 1 The impact of European influences on the Druze community: “The new look” Appendix 2 Sheikh Halīm Taqī al-Dīn: a man of knowledge,
    [Show full text]
  • Hermes Trismegistus - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia
    הרמס טריסמגיסטוס http://freemasons-info.blogspot.com/ هيرمس تريسماجستوس http://www.ayamina.com/viewtopic.php?f=39&t=3454&start=220 هرمس تريسمگيستوس http://ketabeshear.com/Tazeh/winter2015/parsiTranslation.html Hermes Trismegistus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermes_Trismegistus Hermes Trismegistus From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Hermes Trismegistus (Ancient Greek: Ἑρμῆς ὁ Τρισμέγιστος , "thrice-greatest Hermes"; Latin: Mercurius ter Maximus ) is the purported author of the Hermetic Corpus , a series of sacred texts that are the basis of Hermeticism. Contents 1 Origin and identity 2 Thrice Great 3 Hermetic writings 4 Hermetic revival 5 In Islamic tradition 6 In the Bahá'í writings 7 New Age revival 8 In popular culture 9 See also 10 Notes 11 References 12 Further reading 13 External links Origin and identity Hermes Trismegistus may be a representation of the syncretic combination of the Greek god Hermes and the Egyptian god Thoth.[1] In Hellenistic Egypt, the Greeks recognised the congruence of their god Hermes with Thoth.[2] Subsequently the two gods were worshipped as one in what had been the Temple of Thoth in Khemnu, which the Greeks called Hermopolis.[3] Both Thoth and Hermes were gods of writing and of magic in their respective cultures. Thus, the Greek god of interpretive communication was combined with the Egyptian god of wisdom as a patron of astrology and alchemy. In addition, both gods were psychopomps, guiding souls to the afterlife. The Egyptian Priest and Polymath Imhotep had been deified long after his death and therefore assimilated to Thoth in the classical and Hellenistic period.
    [Show full text]
  • Hermeticism Pt 1\374
    "I wish to learn about the things that are, to understand their nature and to know God. How much I want to hear!" from [Discourse] of Hermes Trismegistus : Poimandres Hermeticism "The fifteen tractates of the Corpus Hermeticum, along with the Perfect Sermon or Asclepius, are the foundation documents of the Hermetic tradition. Written by unknown authors in Egypt sometime before the end of the third century C.E., they were part of a once substantial literature attributed to the mythic figure of Hermes Trismegistus, a Hellenistic fusion of the Greek god Hermes and the Egyptian god Thoth. This literature came out of the same religious and philosophical ferment that produced Neoplatonism, Christianity, and the diverse collection of teachings usually lumped together under the label "Gnosticism": a ferment which had its roots in the impact of Platonic thought on the older traditions of the Hellenized East. There are obvious connections and common themes linking each of these traditions, although each had its own answer to the major questions of the time." John Michael Greer : An Introduction to the Corpus Hermeticum "The Corpus Hermeticum landed like a well-aimed bomb amid the philosophical systems of late medieval Europe. Quotations from the Hermetic literature in the Church Fathers (who were never shy of leaning on pagan sources to prove a point) accepted a traditional chronology which dated "Hermes Trismegistus," as a historical figure, to the time of Moses. As a result, the Hermetic tractates' borrowings from Jewish scripture and Platonic philosophy were seen, in the Renaissance, as evidence that the Corpus Hermeticum had anticipated and influenced both.
    [Show full text]
  • THE ETERNAL HERMES from Greek God to Alchemical Magus
    THE ETERNAL HERMES From Greek God to Alchemical Magus With thirty-nine plates Antoine Faivre Translated by Joscelyn Godwin PHANES PRESS 1995 © 1995 by Antoine Faivre. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, with the exception of short excerpts used in reviews, without permission in writing from the publisher. Book and cover design by David Fideler. Phanes Press publishes many fine books on the philosophical, spiritual, and cosmological traditions of the Western world. To receive a complete catalogue, please write: Phanes Press, PO Box 6114, Grand Rapids, MI 49516, USA. Library 01 Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Faivre, Antoine, 1934- The eternal Hermes: from Greek god to alchemical magus / Antoine Faivre; translated by Joscelyn Godwin p. cm. Articles originally in French, published separately. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-933999-53-4 (alk. paper)- ISBN 0-933999-52-6 (pbk. : alk. paper) I. Hennes (Greek deity) 2. Hermes, Trismegistus. 3. Hermetism­ History. 4. Alchemy-History. I. Title BL920.M5F35 1995 135'.4-<lc20 95-3854 elP Printed on permanent, acid-free paper. Printed in the United States of America. 9998979695 5432 1 Contents Preface ................................................................................. 11 Chapter One Hermes in the Western Imagination ................................. 13 Introduction: The Greek Hermes ....................................................... 13 The Thrice-Greatest .......................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Hermeticism in Sweden 189
    Hermeticism in Sweden 189 Chapter 24 Hermeticism in Sweden Hermeticism in Sweden Susanna Åkerman The fragmentary sources for tracing Hermeticism in Sweden stem from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, when these texts still formed a basis for cosmological thinking. The Corpus Hermeticum was often associated with another Hermetic text, the Tabula smaragdina or Emerald Tablet. Translated into Latin from the Arabic in the twelfth century, the text was particularly pop- ular among German alchemists, who rarely read the Corpus Hermeticum but instead based their understanding of Hermeticism on the short sentences from the Emerald Tablet. The Emerald Tablet was furthermore used to present alchemy in a simple but enigmatic form. The Tablet formulated the kernel of Hermeticism in a widely spread maxim on the parallels between the cosmo- logical macrocosm and the human microcosm: “As above, so below”. This figure of thought had a great influence on Hermeticism in Sweden. Swedenborg, for example, reformulated it to treat of correspondences between the natural, the spiritual, and the heavenly realms. Hermetic philosophy likewise influenced three other currents: mysticism, alchemy, and Rosicrucianism. Seventeenth-Century Metaphysics Hermeticism began to be an important current in Sweden with Johan Skytte (1577–1645), who was the Chancellor of Uppsala University. In the 1640s Skytte delivered an oration in which he praised King Gustavus II Adolphus for having opened the doors for “Theophrastus [Paracelsus] and [Hermes] Trismegistos” to the Swedish universities. This was a clear signal that the older pagan phi- losophy was compatible with Christian beliefs. In the same spirit, the Finnish natural philosopher Sigfrid Aron Forsius (1560–1624) edited several almanacs to be used for astrological purposes.
    [Show full text]
  • A Dire Prophecy About Egypt.Pdf
    A dire prophecy about Egypt A passage from the Asclepian Dialogue ascribed to Hermes Trismegistus A dire prophecy about Egypt v. 16.11, www.philaletheians.co.uk, 17 December 2017 Page 1 of 9 DOWN TO EARTH SERIES A DIRE PROPHECY ABOUT EGYPT Contents Thoth-Hermes is the Voice of Egypt’s Great Hierophants Wisdom is inseparable from Divinity. The Babylonian Nebo, the Thoth of Memphis, the Greek Hermes, were all gods of Esoteric Wisdom. 3 Ammonius Saccas declared that all moral and practical wisdom was contained in the Books of Thoth-Hermes Trismegistus. 3 Thoth means a college, school, or assembly, and the works of that name were identical with the doctrines of the sages of the far East. 3 Thoth-Hermes never was the name of a man, but a generic title. It is the Voice of Egypt’s Great Hierophants that speaks. 4 Even in the time of Plato, Hermes was already identified with the Thoth of the Egyptians. But in reality Thoth-Hermes is simply the personification of the sacred teachings of Egypt’s sacerdotal caste. 4 The first hour for the disappearance of the Mysteries struck on the clock of the Races with the Macedonian Conqueror. The Adepts of Egypt were then compelled to recede further and further from the laurels of conquest into the most hidden spots of the globe. 4 And her sacred Scribes and Hierophants became wanderers upon the face of the earth. 4 His Prophecy about Egypt Egypt shall be forsaken when divinity returns back from earth to heaven. 6 A dire prophecy about Egypt v.
    [Show full text]
  • Hermeticism and Alchemy
    Hermeticism and Alchemy Terence McKenna New York 1992 Today's thing is sort of a return to a more orthodox educational kind of mode, hopefully not to such a degree that it's boring. The agenda is to talk about Hermeticism and alchemy; the way in which this tradition | which is counter- intuitive and heterodox, if not heretical from the point of view of Christianity | what it can mean for the present, what it means for the psychedelic experience, what it means for the notion of the end of history and how the loss of this point of view has probably done us a certain amount of damage. The great tension in the late Middle Ages was between the magical schema, the magical view of human beings, and the Christian view. The Christian view is very strongly marked by the idea of man's fall, that we screwed up early on and somehow then, by virtue of that, were forced into a secondary position in the cosmic drama. We are doing penance as we speak, the world is a vale of tears, the lot of human beings is to till hard land and we are cursed unto the nineteenth generation by the fall of our first parents. We can be redeemed through Christ, but we don't deserve it; if you are saved it is because there is a kind of hand extended to you from a merciful God who is willing to overlook your wormy nature and draw you up in spite of yourself. This is deep in us; you may not think you've bought in because you're black or Chinese, but it's just in the air we breath.
    [Show full text]
  • Hermeticism and the Metaphysics of Goodness in the Novels of Charles Williams
    Volume 24 Number 3 Article 2 4-15-2006 Hermeticism and the Metaphysics of Goodness in the Novels of Charles Williams Scott McLaren York University, Ontario Follow this and additional works at: https://dc.swosu.edu/mythlore Part of the Children's and Young Adult Literature Commons Recommended Citation McLaren, Scott (2006) "Hermeticism and the Metaphysics of Goodness in the Novels of Charles Williams," Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature: Vol. 24 : No. 3 , Article 2. Available at: https://dc.swosu.edu/mythlore/vol24/iss3/2 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Mythopoeic Society at SWOSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature by an authorized editor of SWOSU Digital Commons. An ADA compliant document is available upon request. For more information, please contact [email protected]. To join the Mythopoeic Society go to: http://www.mythsoc.org/join.htm Mythcon 51: A VIRTUAL “HALFLING” MYTHCON July 31 - August 1, 2021 (Saturday and Sunday) http://www.mythsoc.org/mythcon/mythcon-51.htm Mythcon 52: The Mythic, the Fantastic, and the Alien Albuquerque, New Mexico; July 29 - August 1, 2022 http://www.mythsoc.org/mythcon/mythcon-52.htm Abstract Examines metaphysical symbols in three novels by Charles Williams: the Holy Grail in War in Heaven, the Stone of King Solomon in Many Dimensions, and the Tarot deck in The Greater Trumps. Additional Keywords Grail as symbol in literature; Stone of King Solomon; Tarot in literature; Williams, Charles—Symbolism; Williams, Charles.
    [Show full text]
  • Downloaded 4.0 License
    Numen 68 (2021) 180–203 brill.com/nu Prophesying the Demise of Egyptian Religion in Late Antiquity: The Perfect Discourse and Antoninus in Canopus Christian H. Bull MF Norwegian School of Theology, Religion and Society, Oslo, Norway [email protected] Abstract When the demise of traditional Egyptian religion took place is much debated. Some scholars have portrayed vibrant cults continuing well beyond the 4th century, embat- tled by Christianity, whereas others see a marked decline in the late 2nd and early 3rd century, leaving a blank slate for Christianity in the fourth century. The present con- tribution interprets the apocalyptic prophecy of Hermes Trismegistus in the Perfect Discourse to reflect a priestly insider’s perspective of the decline in temple-cult in the early 3rd century, and its projected catastrophic consequences for Egypt and indeed the cosmic order. Yet, despite the general neglect of temple-cult and literacy in the Egyptian priestly scripts, certain temples remained in use. The second part of the arti- cle is devoted to the survival and apparent rejuvenation of the temple of Osiris/Serapis in Canopus, in the second half of the 4th century. This case shows that at this late date there were still self-consciously traditionalist devotees of Egyptian gods, though our sources do not permit us to see to what degree their temple-cult corresponded to the old “standard model.” The temple’s alliance with the non-Egyptian Neoplatonist Antoninus suggests that the image of Egypt as the temple of the world is now cham- pioned in the language of Hellenism, and Antoninus updates the now nearly two- centuries-old prophecy of Hermes Trismegistus to predict the fall of the Serapis temples in Alexandria and Canopus after his death.
    [Show full text]
  • The Divine Pymander of Hermes Mercurius Trismegistus the Divine Pymander of Hermes Mercurius Trismegistus an Egyptian Philosopher
    The Divine Pymander of Hermes Mercurius Trismegistus The Divine Pymander of Hermes Mercurius Trismegistus an Egyptian Philosopher In 17 Books translated formerly out of the Arabic into Greek, and thence into Latin, and Dutch, and now out of the Original into English by that Learned Divine Doctor Everard. Printed by Robert White in London in 1650 Judicious Reader, This Book may justly challenge the first place for antiquity, from all of the Books in the World, being written some hundred of years before Moses time, as I shall endeavour to make good. The Original (as far as it is know to us) is Arabic, and several Translations thereof have been published, as Greek, Latin, French, Dutch, etc., but never English before. It is a pity that the Learned Translator [Doctor Everard] is not alive, and received himself, the honour, and thanks due to him from Englishmen; for his good will to, and pains for them, in translating a Book of such infinite worth, out of the Original, into their Mother- tongue. Concerning the Author of the Book itself, Four things are considered, viz His Name, Learning, Country and Time. 1) The name by which he was commonly titled is, Hermes Trismegistus, i.e., Mercurious Ter Maximus, or, The thrice greatest Intelligencer. And well might he be called Hermes, for he was the first Intelligencer in the World (as we read of) that communicated Knowledge to the sons of Men, by Writing, or Engraving. He was called Ter Maximus, for some Reasons, which I shall afterwards mention. 2) His Learning will appear, as by his Works; so by the right understanding the Reason of his Name.
    [Show full text]
  • Death and the Afterlife
    Death and the Afterlife By Richard Smoley The Theosophical Society in America P.O. Box 270 Wheaton, Illinois 60187-0270 www.theosophical.org Copyright © by the Theosophical Society in America, 2018 Contents 1. Being towards Death . 1 2. Ancient Mesopotamia and the Hebrew Bible . 8 3. Ancient Egypt . 18 4. The Greeks . 28 5. The Apocalypse . 37 6. The Evolution of the Christian Afterlife . 49 7. Gnosticism and Hermeticism . 58 8. The Hindu Perspective . 66 9. Buddhism . 75 10. The Theosophical View of Death . 83 11. Shamanism . 91 12. The Near-Death Experience . 98 DEATH AND THE AFTERLIFE By Richard Smoley Lesson 1: Being towards Death When dealing with a gargantuan subject, it is generally best to start with obvious things. We can begin by looking at death in this manner: Take a given individual. You know him in one way and one way only: by certain actions and movements of his physical body. Even if he tells you about his deepest dreams and most forbidden thoughts, he is doing so by using the movements of his mouth and throat. On the surface, you have every reason to believe that this individual is his physical body. You can see nothing else and have evidence of nothing else. But one day this man’s body stops moving and does not start again. Left long enough, its sight and smell will become offensive. So who or what was this man? What seemed to be the totality of his self was nothing of the kind. What really was most central to his being—his feelings, his personality, his mind—turns out to be something that could not be seen or felt or weighed.
    [Show full text]
  • Formation and Development of Ideas of Hermeticism
    European Journal of Research www.journalofresearch.de ¹ 5-6 2018 [email protected] SOCIAL SCIENCE AND HUMANITIES Manuscript info: Received May 16, 2018., Accepted June 21, 2018., Published June 30, 2018. FORMATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF IDEAS OF HERMETICISM, WHICH INFLUENCED PHILOSOPHICAL THOUGHT FROM ANTIQUITY TO THE PRESENT Toshov Khurshid Ilkhomovich, Doctoral candidate of the National University Of Uzbekistan named after MirzoUlugbek [email protected] http://dx.doi.org/10.26739/2521-3253-2018-6-8 Abstract: This article analyzes the problem of the formation and development of ideas of hermeticism from the time of antiquity, including the Renaissance, New Age and Enlightenment. It will be considered that Hermeticism is a unique teaching that influenced many philosophical and natural scientific teachings of the designated periods. Key words: Hermeticism, the Renaissance, the paradigm, paganism, Christianity, creationism, pantheism, deism, occultism, science, man-god. Recommended citation: Toshov Khurshid Ilkhomovich, Formation and development of ideas of HERMETICISM, which influenced philosophical thought from antiquity to the present. 5-6 European Journal of Research P. 63-70 (2018). As is known, the processes of formation and development of ideas of hermeticism in different periods of the development of philosophical thinking have been studied for various purposes and from different perspectives. Studies aimed at studying the history of the ideas of hermeticism, in particular their genesis, depending on the goals outlined in them, can be divided into three areas: - Reconstructive; - Argumentative; - Scientific research. In the studies of the reconstructive trend, the main goal is to search for texts and fragments that perform the functions of primary sources for the philosophy of Hermeticism, their reconstruction, formulating their comments to them, and publishing them as a single work.
    [Show full text]