Why Was The Magical Sword Azoth Of Paracelsus So Special?
Ellen Lloyd – AncientPages.com - Magical swords are frequently mentioned in myths and legends, but did you know Paracelsus had a very unusual sword that had a life of its own?
Azoth, the magical sword of Paracelsus, was special in many ways.
Left: Paracelsus. Credit: Public Domain - Right: A Magical sword. Credit: Stock Photo
Paracelsus was described as an arrogant fool due to his lack of social skills, but he was no such thing. He was a fascinating person with a complex personality and a scientist who was much ahead of his time. Most people, even today, would find the self-confident Paracelsus to be very eccentric, but his background, studies, work, and goal to the truth made him the man he was.
Paracelsus (1493 - 1541) was a Swiss-German botanist, philosopher, astrologer, alchemist, and one of the most influential medical scientists in early modern Europe. As a young boy, he became interested in alchemy, and in time it became a passion that stayed with him all his life.
Paracelsus became a very controversial figure who, like many other Renaissance scientists, became a bridge between the new and old world in his short lifetime.
The Renaissance period that spanned the 14th century to the 17th century changed Europe in many ways, and Paracelsus was one of many unusual and talented scientists who contributed to these changes.
Renaissance scientists like Paracelsus opened doors to a new world. Credit: Renaissance Portal, painting by Robert Breyer, (1866 - 1941)
It may sound like a contradiction, but Paracelsus, who was deeply fascinated with mysticism, alchemy, astrology, and magic, was also very religious. His interest in the occult led him to be accused of being a devil worshipper, but this was not true. Paracelsus simply believed the mystery of nature was the mystery of God.
During Medieval times, alchemists were often persecuted. Therefore, they had to invent their own complex vocabulary of alchemy signs and symbols to conceal their ingredients, memorize their knowledge, and keep it secret. Like most of all alchemists, Paracelsus had three goals, to find the Stone of Knowledge (The Philosophers' Stone), to discover the medium of Eternal Youth and Health, and to discover the transmutation of metals.
The four elements of Alchemy are salt, mercury, sulfur, and azoth.
Being a man who avoided social contact, it’s difficult to determine what is true and not about his many inventions. Paracelsus kept to himself and experimented much with chemicals. What he really accomplished, no one can tell with certainty. However, some people spread rumors Paracelsus owned a strange sword that he slept with by his side. The sword named Azoth was one of the reasons Paracelsus became suspected of sinister behavior and contact with dark and evil forces. Azoth was said to be three to four feet long with a cross guard and globular pommel.
The 1567 "Rosicrucian" portrait. The word Azoth is inscribed on the sword Paracelsus is holding. Credit: Public Domain
It could have been just an ordinary sword, but it was not. People said the sword was alive! It could dance and frequently made a continuous rattling sound waking up Paracelsus’s neighbors.
Why Paracelsus needed a sword such as Azoth has never been explained, but being a bad-tempered, controversial scientist made him many enemies. Some think he kept the sword close to protect himself from danger.
To laymen, Paracelsus’s sword Azoth may have been a curious and dangerous weapon capable of performing magic. One story tells that inside the sword handle, the great alchemist Paracelsus “kept his familiar, who would be released from Azoth to produce things for his master, such as gold coins, to pay for a night’s sleep at an inn.” 1
In alchemy, Azoth “is considered the Universal Medicine, to which all things are related, containing within itself all other medicines. It is also the term for the Mercury of any Metallic Body. Azoth is considered as a living spirit.” 2
Perhaps this was the reason people spread rumors his sword Azoth was alive.
No such sword has ever been found, and its existence remains in the realm of mythology, though there are portraits of Paracelsus holding a sword that bears the inscription Azoth.
Updated on November 28, 2022
Written by Ellen Lloyd - AncientPages.com
Copyright © AncientPages.com All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or part without the express written permission of AncientPages.com
Expand for references- All About History - History Of The Occult, 2018, Future Publishing Limited
- Israel Regardie, Chic Cicero, Sandra Tabatha Cicero - The Philosopher's Stone: Spiritual Alchemy, Psychology, and Ritual Magic
More From Ancient Pages
-
On This Day In History: The Battle Of Actium – Sep 2, 31 BC
News | Sep 2, 2016
-
What Was The Sphinx And What Is Wrong With Its Body And Head?
Civilizations | Apr 6, 2017
-
Evidence Humans Used Fire 1 Million Years Ago In Israel Discovered By Artificial Intelligence
Archaeology | Jun 15, 2022
-
Polycarp Of Smyrna: Burned At The Stake And Pierced With A Dagger
Featured Stories | Jun 25, 2020
-
Altai Mountains Were Home To Porcupines 30,000 Years Ago
Archaeology | Mar 14, 2017
-
Ancient Statue Of Makara, Legendary Sea-Creature Found In Cambodia
Archaeology | Jan 29, 2020
-
Sun: Highest Cosmic Power Worshiped By Ancient People And Represented By Deities
Featured Stories | Apr 1, 2019
-
Aboriginal Australians Were World’s First Astronomers Who Discovered Variable Stars – Astrophysicist Says
Archaeology | Jul 16, 2019
-
Ancient Egypt Life and Death in the Valley of the Kings Death
Civilizations | Sep 2, 2015
-
Mystery Of Lady Of Elche – Puzzling Artifact Of An Unknown Queen Or Priestess
Artifacts | May 22, 2014
-
World’s Oldest Marine Navigation Tool Was A Sophisticated Astrolabe
Archaeology | Oct 25, 2017
-
Traditional Viking-Age Crafts: Glass Beadmakers And Their Secrets
Archaeology | Oct 4, 2022
-
Strange Tooth Raises Unexpected Questions About Human Evolution
Archaeology | Mar 24, 2022
-
Strange Mythical Creature Resembling A Sphinx Discovered In A Medieval Bathroom
Archaeology | Mar 10, 2020
-
Enigmatic Ancient City Where People Experience Telepathy And Higher Level Of Consciousness
Featured Stories | Oct 10, 2018
-
Ancient Burial Of Woman Equipped With A Unique Gold Pectoral Ornament Discovered In Siberian ‘Valley Of The Kings’
Archaeology | Feb 15, 2022
-
Remarkable Neanderthal Flute Found In Divje Babe Cave Is The World’s Oldest Musical Instrument
Artifacts | Dec 11, 2023
-
Ancient DNA Reveals Irish Are Not Celts – Irish Ancestors Came From Biblical Lands – Scientists Say
Archaeology | Mar 30, 2020
-
Ancient Mysteries Of Arizona – Traces Of A Vanished Race And Secrets Of An Underground World
Civilizations | Mar 12, 2019
-
On This Day In History: Aviator Amelia Earhart Was The First Woman To Cross The Atlantic By Air – On June 18, 1928
News | Jun 18, 2016