Sarah Diemer

Mr. Bearup

English 9

Track A

March 23, 2017

Word Count: 1470

Nicholas Flamel

The Philosopher’s Stone is the most sought after object in the world of alchemy. As

legend has it, the Philosopher’s Stone is a substance that can turn metals such as iron or tin into

precious metals like gold and silver. It was also known as the “elixir of life.” The Stone has the

ability to cure illness, restore youth, and grant immortality to those in possession of it. It is not

known if the Stone is actually a stone at all, it may be a powder. There is a rumor that the

philosopher’s stone is a common substance, found everywhere, just undiscovered and

unappreciated. Alchemists dedicate their life in hopes of discovering the recipe for creating the

Stone, but none have been successful. Nicholas Flamel is accredited with being the creator of

the Philosopher’s Stone. The name Flamel is famous in the world of alchemy, popular in novels,

movies and legends. Although almost everyone associates him with alchemy, many do not

realize he was married, had a carrier as a successful French scribe, and appears in the popular

book series, Harry Potter.

Nicholas Flamel was born in Pointoise, ca in 1330. He was a successful French scribe

and manuscript seller. He married a woman named Perenelle in 1368. They were devout Roman
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Catholics. Nicholas and Perenelle Flamel are featured on the portal of the chapel of the St. James

of the Boucherie praying at the feet of St. John, which is a sculpture they financed in 1389. The

couple owned several properties together, including two stores. Nicholas and Perenelle were

known for their wealth and philanthropy (Nicholas Flamel and the Philosopher’s Stone). Records

show Nicholas Flamel died in 1418, he spent the last years of his life writing books about

alchemy. After he died, people continuously searched for the Philosopher’s Stone, but it was

never found. Some say Flamel and his wife faked their death, that the Stone gave them immortal

life and they had moved to India where they continued practicing alchemy until the 1990’s when

they actually died (Merton, The Book of Abraham the Jew). Although that is impossible, the

thought of him living for 700 years is an intriguing one.

One night, Nicholas Flamel had a dream where an angel appeared to him, bringing him a

book. The angel spoke to him and said, “Look well at this book, Nicholas. At first you will

understand nothing in it, neither you nor any other man. But one day you will see in it that which

no other man will be able to see.” Right as the angel handed him the book, he woke up, dazed

and confused. Sometime after, Flamel was working in his shop when a man in need of money

came up to him with a book to sell. He was shocked as he realized the book was the same one

that appeared in his dream. The book was filled with strange diagrams, drawings, and characters.

The pages were made of bark from trees. The whole book was unintelligible to Flamel. After a

bit of research, he realized the author was Abraham the Jew. He spent two decades figuring out

the hidden meaning of the book (Merton).

It took Nicholas Flamel twenty-one years to decipher the meaning of the symbols in the

book. He traveled to Spain in hopes of finding someone who could help. In order to keep the

entire manuscript a secret, he only took a few pages of the book with him on his journey. At an
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inn in Leon, Flamel met someone who introduced him to Maestro Canches. Canches was an old

Jew who was reluctant to help (Nicholas Flamel and the Philosopher’s Stone). Much to Nicholas

Flamel’s content, Maestro Canches had heard of Abraham the Jew. A tradition says Abraham’s

book existed and disappeared centuries ago, but it has never been destroyed, it is passed from

hand to hand. The receiver of the book has been given it by “destiny.” Canches had dreamed all

his life of finding the book. The two worked diligently to translate the pages they had, but there

were too few pages to reveal the meaning. The men hoped to go back to Paris together and

translate the whole book together, but Maestro was too old and too close to death to travel. “Oh

God!”, he prayed, “Grant me the days I need and that I may cross the threshold of death only

when I possess the liberating secret by which darkness becomes light and flesh spirit!” Sadly, he

fell ill and passed away seven days later. Flamel traveled alone back home to Paris, back to

Perenelle, his shop, and the rest of his manuscripts (Merton). Flamel used the knowledge

Canches taught him to decipher the entire book, it took three years. By doing this, he was able to

do and create things that made other alchemists envy him and his powers (Nicholas Flamel and

the Philosopher’s Stone).

With help from the translated manuscripts, Nicholas Flamel was able to do something

alchemists had been trying to do for centuries, transmutation (Nicholas Flamel and the

Philosopher’s Stone). Transmutation is the conversion of one chemical element into another (The

Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica, Transmutation). Following the method in the book left by

Abraham, he successfully transformed mercury into silver, then turned the silver into pure gold.

He succeeded in doing this with the Philosopher’s Stone. Flamel only made gold three times in

his entire life (Nicholas Flamel and the Philosopher’s Stone). At the same time he was also

focusing on achieving immortality. Flamel knew that man attains immortality through “the
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victory of spirit over matter, by essential purification, by the transmutation of the human into the

divine.” He devoted the final parts of his life to achieving personal salvation (Merton). He and

Perenelle lived out the rest of their lives practicing alchemy, running the bookstore, and staying

dedicated in their faith.

Nicholas Flamel makes quite a few appearances in science fiction, fiction, and non-

fiction books and movies. The most well-known novel he is featured in Harry Potter and the

Philosopher’s Stone. Chapter Thirteen in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is titled

“Nicholas Flamel” (Rowling, 215). In the novel, Voldemort is trying to steal the Stone so he can

be immortal. Flamel is important in the book because he is the one who has the Philosopher’s

Stone. He agrees with Dumbledore that the stone needs to be destroyed, its powers are too

dangerous (Rowling, 224). Nicholas Flamel is mentioned in Dan Brown's book, The Da Vinci

Code, as one of the Grand Masters of the Prieure De Sign (343). In the American horror film, As

Above, So Below, Scarlett Marlowe and her ex-boyfriend go on a journey to retrieve the

Philosopher’s Stone from Paris. They use a Rose Key they found in a cave to translate Nicholas

Flamel’s headstone. His headstone is a riddle that leads them to believe the Stone is hidden 370

feet underneath the grounds of Paris (Dowdle, As Above, So Below). He is also briefly mentioned

in Indiana Jones and the Philosopher’s Stone and is portrayed as the owner of the Stone (Max

McCoy, n.p.). Nicholas and Perenelle Flamel are main characters in Michael Scott’s book series,

The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel. They are referred to as Nick and Perry who are

being kept alive by the elixir of life. Two fifteen-year-old twins witness Nick and Perry using

magic and discover that they are the legendary alchemists, Nicholas and Perenelle Flamel (Scott,

n.p.). Whether it be a main character or a minor role, the Flamels continuously pop up in science

fiction books time and time again.

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Alchemist continue to study Flamel’s works to this day. His dedication has been an

inspiration to many, even authors and film directors. Nicholas Flamel has left an imprint on the

world of alchemy that will last forever.

Works Cited

Merton. "Nicholas Flamel: The Immortal French Alchemist." Nicholas Flamel:

The Immortal French Alchemist. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Feb. 2017.

"Nicholas Flamel and the Philosopher's Stone." Nicholas Flamel and the Philosopher's
Stone. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Feb. 2017.

Rowling, J. K. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Vancouver, BC: Raincoast, 2000.
Print.

McCoy, Max. Indiana Jones and the Philosopher's Stone. New York: Bantam, 2008. Print.

Brown, Dan. The Da Vinci Code. New York: Doubleday, 2003. Print.

The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. "Transmutation." Encyclopedia Britannica.

Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 20 July 1998. Web. 23 Feb. 2017.

Scott, Michael. The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel. New York:
Delacorte, 2014. Print.

As Above, So Below. Dir. John Erick Dowdle and Drew Dowdle. Prod. Thomas Tull, Jon
Jashni, Drew Dowdle, and Patrick Aiello. Perf. Perdita Weeks, Ben Feldman, and
Edwin Hodge. Universal Pictures, 2014. Film.
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