Hans Egede (1686–1758) and the alchemical tradition in Denmark-Norway
Argument Hans Egede (1686–1758), the famous missionary and natural historian in Greenland, was one of very few known Norwegian alchemists. This article seeks to place Egede’s alchemy in the context of the European alchemical tradition by identifying his sources in alchemical literature. Through an a...
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0269889719000267 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0269889719000267 |
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crcambridgeupr:10.1017/s0269889719000267 2024-09-15T18:09:44+00:00 Hans Egede (1686–1758) and the alchemical tradition in Denmark-Norway Norrgrén, Hilde 2019 http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0269889719000267 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0269889719000267 en eng Cambridge University Press (CUP) https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms Science in Context volume 32, issue 3, page 285-307 ISSN 0269-8897 1474-0664 journal-article 2019 crcambridgeupr https://doi.org/10.1017/s0269889719000267 2024-07-31T04:03:31Z Argument Hans Egede (1686–1758), the famous missionary and natural historian in Greenland, was one of very few known Norwegian alchemists. This article seeks to place Egede’s alchemy in the context of the European alchemical tradition by identifying his sources in alchemical literature. Through an analysis of Egede’s account of an alchemical experiment performed by him in 1727, Ole Borch, Johann Joachim Becher, and Michael Sendivogius are identified as his main sources. Egede’s procedure and choice of materials are shown to be based on texts by these authors. The article argues that Egede’s alchemical interest was more pervasive than hitherto understood, through the demonstration of connections between his alchemical studies and his work as a natural historian. Further it is argued that Egede’s alchemy was not unique or anachronistic but exemplifies the continued belief in and practice of transmutational alchemy in Denmark-Norway in the early decades of the eighteenth century. Article in Journal/Newspaper Greenland Hans Egede Cambridge University Press Science in Context 32 3 285 307 |
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Cambridge University Press |
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English |
description |
Argument Hans Egede (1686–1758), the famous missionary and natural historian in Greenland, was one of very few known Norwegian alchemists. This article seeks to place Egede’s alchemy in the context of the European alchemical tradition by identifying his sources in alchemical literature. Through an analysis of Egede’s account of an alchemical experiment performed by him in 1727, Ole Borch, Johann Joachim Becher, and Michael Sendivogius are identified as his main sources. Egede’s procedure and choice of materials are shown to be based on texts by these authors. The article argues that Egede’s alchemical interest was more pervasive than hitherto understood, through the demonstration of connections between his alchemical studies and his work as a natural historian. Further it is argued that Egede’s alchemy was not unique or anachronistic but exemplifies the continued belief in and practice of transmutational alchemy in Denmark-Norway in the early decades of the eighteenth century. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Norrgrén, Hilde |
spellingShingle |
Norrgrén, Hilde Hans Egede (1686–1758) and the alchemical tradition in Denmark-Norway |
author_facet |
Norrgrén, Hilde |
author_sort |
Norrgrén, Hilde |
title |
Hans Egede (1686–1758) and the alchemical tradition in Denmark-Norway |
title_short |
Hans Egede (1686–1758) and the alchemical tradition in Denmark-Norway |
title_full |
Hans Egede (1686–1758) and the alchemical tradition in Denmark-Norway |
title_fullStr |
Hans Egede (1686–1758) and the alchemical tradition in Denmark-Norway |
title_full_unstemmed |
Hans Egede (1686–1758) and the alchemical tradition in Denmark-Norway |
title_sort |
hans egede (1686–1758) and the alchemical tradition in denmark-norway |
publisher |
Cambridge University Press (CUP) |
publishDate |
2019 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0269889719000267 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0269889719000267 |
genre |
Greenland Hans Egede |
genre_facet |
Greenland Hans Egede |
op_source |
Science in Context volume 32, issue 3, page 285-307 ISSN 0269-8897 1474-0664 |
op_rights |
https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1017/s0269889719000267 |
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Science in Context |
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32 |
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3 |
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285 |
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307 |
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1810447315453870080 |