elemental
Sign in to saveright|thumb|Undine Rising From the Waters, by Chauncey Bradley Ives thumb|Rococo set of [[personification figurines of the Four Elements, 1760s, Chelsea porcelain]] An elemental is a mythic supernatural being that is described in occult and alchemical works from around the time of the European Renaissance, and particularly elaborated in the 16th century works of Paracelsus. According to Paracelsus and his subsequent followers, there are four categories of elementals, which are gnomes, undines, sylphs, and salamanders. These correspond to the four Empedoclean elements of antiquity: earth, wate
Article
12 sectionsContents
- History
- Paracelsus
- Other authors and beliefs
- Comparison with Buddhism
- Comparison with Jainism
- Twentieth century
- Art and entertainment
- See also
- Sources
- References
- See also
- External links
right|thumb|Undine Rising From the Waters, by Chauncey Bradley Ives thumb|Rococo set of [[personification figurines of the Four Elements, 1760s, Chelsea porcelain]] An elemental is a mythic supernatural being that is described in occult and alchemical works from around the time of the European Renaissance, and particularly elaborated in the 16th century works of Paracelsus. According to Paracelsus and his subsequent followers, there are four categories of elementals, which are gnomes, undines, sylphs, and salamanders. These correspond to the four Empedoclean elements of antiquity: earth, water, air, and fire, respectively. Terms employed for beings associated with alchemical elements vary by source and gloss.
==History== The Paracelsian concept of elementals draws from several much older traditions in mythology and religion. Common threads can be found in folklore, animism, and anthropomorphism. Examples of creatures such as the Pygmy were taken from Greek mythology.