Universität Leipzig – Institut für Anglistik
Hauptseminar “Machines in Art and Literature”
Sommersemester 2000

Being afraid of the Machine? Alchemy, the Golem and
Vampirism as Sources for Mary Shelley′s "Frankenstein"

von: Bettina Klohs

Contents

1. Introduction 4

2. Alchemy 4

2.1. Origin and contents  4
2.2. Fundamental Concepts of Alchemy 5
2.3. Frankenstein as an Alchemical Novel  6

2.3.1. Form 6
2.3.2. Content 8

3. The Golem  12

3.1. What is a Golem?  12
3.2 Features of the Golem in Frankenstein  13

4. Vampirism  14

4.1 Origin and Character 14
4.2. Vampirism in “Frankenstein”  15

5. Conclusion 17

1. Introduction

Life is a Dream. At least for the authors of the Romantic period including Mary Shelley. Inspired by a nightmare, she composed Frankenstein, representing the typical Gothic Novel of the Romantic Period, from a variety of sources ranging from the ancient Greeks to 19th century Europe. Three very important sources are Alchemy or Hermetic Philosophy, the Golem Legends and Vampirism. Since it is a product of Romanticism, the novel contains various topics of this period, i.e. the image of the Universal Man which is closely connected with the Greek legend of the god Prometheus who stole the fire from the Olympus to bring light to man and was therefore seriously punished. Other typical topics of Romanticism are Nature and the Exotic. A third feature is the supernatural or the “other side”1.Myths and Legends have always been the most important means to express and interpret human fears and longings, in the Romantic period often taken up in relation to Industrialization and social development and the fear of a mechanistic society. Myth and Legend are two of the oldest genres of literature (including non-written literature as well). Especially Alchemy resembles various kinds of Myth. One is the cosmogonic Myth that describes the genesis of the entire world. A second kind of Myth is the Myth of cultural heroes. Although in Frankenstein the end is tragic because the heroic act of creation turns into a catastrophe, it is indeed a story that tells of a person who makes an invention originally expected to be profitable. Other myths also show up in Alchemy as well as in the concepts of the Golem and the Vampire, for example the Myths of birth and rebirth or the foundation Myths 2.The supernatural, the universal together with a sceptic attitude towards mechanical inventions is what connects the three important sources of influence on Frankenstein: Alchemy, the Golem and the Vampire, unifying nature and the supernatural, the ordinary and the exotic, this side and the other side, represent the search for universal knowledge and its consequences.

2. Alchemy

2.1. Origin and contents

Alchemy or Hermetic Philosophy as an all-embracing field of scientific study has various origins: Greek natural philosophy, Greek mythology, the Bible and the old Arabic sciences.3 As a method of scientific study it was accepted up to the 18th century Alchemy was practised in two manners. The first is the true or hermetic mode, following the principles of imitating nature reasonably in the name of God and refraining from instrumentalizing magic arbitrarily for evil and selfish purposes as the second false or vulgar mode is described.4 Alchemy rather aimed at synthesis, not at destruction. Chemical processes were mostly the main subject of study, including the experimental work in the laboratory as well as recording the work and its results. This was often done by ciphered letters that could only be understood by other alchemists for alchemy was a secret science. To avoid misuse the secrets were not to be revealed to everybody but only to the pupil or other alchemists.

2.2. Fundamental Concepts of Alchemy

Proceeding from the Aristotelian Doctrine that all things tend to reach perfection, hermetic philosophy is based upon the theory of seven hermetic principles.5 The “Principle of Spirituality” contains the idea that there is an all-embracing spirit from which everything derived and which is to be found more or less easily in everything. Another idea is that everything is in motion, nothing stands still. This idea is anchored in the “Principle of Vibration”. Another principle is the “Principle of Polarity” which says, in the widest sense, that everything in the world has its counterpart. Vibration and polarity together bring forth another principle, the “Principle of Rhythm”. Every movement happens rhythmically in (at least) two directions. Therefore nothing can happen by accident. Everything happens within a chain of causations. This is called the “Principle of Cause and Effect”. The last principle is the “Principle of Gender”. It says that both male and female features can be found in everything. If these features are united universality is reached. It is the all-embracing spirit that represents the ultimate union. With these principles as a basis alchemical thought brings forth a certain imagery, that occurs again and again in Romanticism and especially in Frankenstein. This kind of philosophy, which stretches throughout the whole text, in mind and adding alchemical imagery one can conclude that Frankenstein is an “alchemical novel” in both, form and content.6

[...]

1 „“Romanticism“, Microsoft® Encarta

2 „Mythology“, Microsoft Encarta

3 Gebelein, s.99 ff

4 Gebelein, p.12ff

5 Gebelein, p.41ff

6 Gebelein, p.222