Johannes Valentinus Andreae (1586–1654)

Alchemical parables and allegories are horror stories with happy endings. They detail the terror and disgust of death … decay, dissolution, suffering … and linger over descriptions of living tissue reduced to foul waste. Then the alchemist distills any remaining liquid, burns the solid material to ash, recombines this into a paste, stuffs it into a human mold, cooks it some more, and - voila! - resurrection.
The Chemical Wedding is a chemical allegory first published in 1616 as the third show more Rosicrucian manifesto. Supposedly it was a lost manuscript "unearthed" from the tomb of its author, Christian Rosenkreutz, 120 years after his death. Fake manuscripts were all the rage in occult literature. This edition has a marvelous commentary by Adam McLean.

For a taste of its horror, here is the creepiest of 7 creepy conundrums shared during an after-dinner game of riddles:
“‘In my youth I loved a beautiful, virtuous girl from the bottom of my heart, and she loved me, but her kinsman would not give permission for us to marry. So she was married to another man, honest and upright, who kept her with modesty and affection until she came to childbed, and was so ill that everyone thought she had died. With great sorrow, they gave her a magnificent burial. Then I thought to myself: if this person could not be yours in life, at least you can embrace her in death and kiss her to your heart’s content. So I took my servant with me, and dug her up again by night. When I opened the coffin and took her in my arms, I felt her heart and discovered that it was still beating a little. As I warmed her it became stronger and stronger, until I could see that she was indeed still alive. Then I silently took her home with me and, after warming her frozen body with a bath of precious herbs, committed her to the care of my mother until she gave birth to a fine son, whom I cared for as lovingly as I had the mother. After two days, since she was greatly confused, I revealed to her all that had occurred, and asked her to live as my wife from now on. But she was greatly worried that it might give grief to her husband, who had treated her well and honorably. However, as such things will turn out, she now felt no less obligated to one as to the other.
“‘After two months, being then obliged to travel elsewhere, I invited her husband as a guest and asked him among other things whether he would take back his dead wife, if she were to come home again. He affirmed it with tears and lamentations. Finally I brought his wife to him, together with her son, told him all that had happened, and asked him to give consent for my intended marriage. After a long argument he could not shake my claim, and so had to leave the wife with me. Then came the battle over the son…’
“The Virgin [hostess of the dinner party] here interrupted him and said: ‘I am surprised that you could thus increase the poor man’s misery.’
“‘What?’ he answered, ‘Was I not concerned about it?’
“Thereupon an argument arose among us, in which most of us were of the opinion that he had done right. But he said: ‘Not at all: I gave him back both wife and son! Now tell me, gentlemen, which was the greater: my integrity or this man’s happiness?’” pp. 54-55 show less

Not very readable according to modern standards, but infinitely more so than many alchemical texts. If you're interested in the spiritual side of alchemy, this is one of the seminal texts.

A blend of Stunning alchemical symbolism, unpredictable twists and turns in the story-line, built in puzzles, and spiritual catharsis. An allegorical tale that takes pondering to unpack the lessons inside. I really enjoyed it. The translation by Joscelyn Godwin is great. I will definitely revisit this one again.

A blend of Stunning alchemical symbolism, unpredictable twists and turns in the story-line, built in puzzles, and spiritual catharsis. An allegorical tale that takes pondering to unpack the lessons inside. I really enjoyed it. The translation by Joscelyn Godwin is great. I will definitely revisit this one again.