List of alchemists

An alchemist is a person versed in the art of alchemy. Western alchemy flourished in Greco-Roman Egypt, the Islamic world during the Middle Ages, and then in Europe from the 13th to the 18th centuries. Indian alchemists and Chinese alchemists made contributions to Eastern varieties of the art. Alchemy is still practiced today by a few, and alchemist characters still appear in recent fictional works and video games.

A large number of alchemists are known from the thousands of surviving alchemical manuscripts and books. Some of their names are listed below. Due to the tradition of pseudepigraphy, the true author of some alchemical writings may differ from the name most often associated with that work. Some well-known historical figures such as Albertus Magnus and Aristotle are often incorrectly named amongst the alchemists as a result.

Legendary alchemists

• Enki (ca. 3000 BC)
• Hermes Trismegistus
• Ostanes, the Persian

Egyptian, Greek, and Roman Empire alchemists

• Mary the Jewess
• Zosimos of Panopolis (ca. 300 AD)
• Olympiodorus of Thebes (ca. 400)
• Cleopatra the Alchemist
• Pseudo-Aristotle
• Pseudo-Plato

Indian alchemists

• Nagarjuna, the 10th century South Indian king
• Yogi Vemana

Chinese alchemists

• Wei Boyang
• Zhang Guo the Elder (ca. 600)

Islamic alchemists

Further information: Alchemy (Islam)

• Khalid ibn Yazid, "Calid" (d. 704)
• Jābir ibn Hayyān, "Geber" (c. 721 – 815)
• Al-Farabi, "Alfarabi" (870 – 950/951)
• Al-Kindi, "Alkindus" (801 – 873), a critic of alchemy
• Ibn Umail, circa 900 AD
• Muhammad ibn Zakarīya Rāzi, "Rhazes" (864 – 930)
• Abu Ali al-Husain ibn Abdallah ibn Sina, "Avicenna" (980 – 1037), a critic of alchemy , Father of modern Medicine
• Al-Tughrai (1061–1121, Persia)
• Abu' l-Qasim al-Iraqi, circa 1300 AD

Western alchemists

• Artephius (12th century)
• Alain de Lille (Born from 1115 to 1128 – died in 1202(1203?))
• Albertus Magnus (1193–1280)
• Roger Bacon (1214–1294)
• Ramon Llull (Raymond Lulli) (1235–1315)
• Pope John XXII (1249–1334)
• Arnold of Villanova (1245 – ?(before 1311))
• Jean de Meung (c.1250 – c.1305)
• Pseudo-Geber (Spain, 14th century)
• Gilles de Rais (1401–1440)
• Bernard Trevisan (Bernard of Treves) (1406–1490)
• George Ripley (England, 15th century)
• Thomas Norton (16th century)
• Johannes Trithemius (1462–1516)
• Johann Georg Faust (ca. 1480–1540)
• Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa (1486–1535)
• Paracelsus (1493–1541)
• Basilius Valentinus (Basil Valentine) (15th century)
• Nicolas Flamel (15th century)
• François Hotman (1524–1590)
• John Dee (1527–1609)
• Gerhard Dorn (c. 1530 – 1584)
• Marco Bragadino (ca 1545-1591), Used Alchemy as a confidence scheme.
• Richard Stanihurst (Irish poet and historian, 1547–1618. In his treatise on alchemy dedicated to King Phillip II of Spain he claims to have witnessed 15 transmutations: of copper into silver fourteen times, and of mercury into gold one time)
• Tycho Brahe (1546–1601)
• Edward Kelley (1555–1597)
• Andreas Libavius (1555–1616)
• François Béroalde de Verville (1556–1626)
• Heinrich Khunrath (circa 1560–1605)
• Oswald Croll (circa 1563-1609)
• Melchior Cibinensis (16th century)
• Michael Maier (1568–1622)
• Michał Sędziwój (1566–1636)
• Jacob Boehme (1575–1624)
• Jan Baptist van Helmont (1577–1644) (Flemish alchemist, physiologist and physician; invented the word "gas" and is considered the founder of pneumatic chemistry)
• Arthur Dee (1579–1651)
• Johann Daniel Mylius (c. 1583-1642)
• Baro Urbigerus
• Daniel Stolz von Stolzenberg (Daniel Stolcius) (1600–1660)
• Edward Dyer (d. 1607)
• Elias Ashmole (1617–1692)
• Johann Friedrich Schweitzer (1625–1709)
• Giuseppe Francesco Borri (1627–1695)
• George Starkey (alchemist) (1628–1665)
  • Eirenaeus Philalethes
• Claude Duval (1643–1670)
• Hening Brand (c.1630–1710)
• Robert Boyle (1627–1691)
• Johann Joachim Becher (1635–1682)
• Isaac Newton (1642–1727)
• Edmund Dickinson (1624–1707)
• Theodorus Mundanus (pseudonym; fl. late 17th century)
• Johann Kunckel (chemist interested in alchemical issues, 1630–1703; claimed to have achieved several transmutations)
• Johann Seger von Weidenfeld (fl. late 17th century and early 18th century)
• Anton Josef Kirchweger ((d.1746))
• Johann Heinrich Pott (18th century chemist interested in alchemical claims, 1692–1777)
• Francisco Antonio de Texeda (sometimes wrote under the pseudonym "Theophilo", fl. early 18th century)
• Alessandro Cagliostro (1743–1795)
• James Price (1752–1783)
• Count of St Germain (d. 1784)
• Dr. Gaspar Pons (anatomist and medical adviser, interested in alchemical issues, fl. second half of the 18th century)
• Christoph Bergner (18th century chemist and assayer interested in alchemical issues, d. 1793; claimed to have achieved some transmutations)
• Johann Christoph von Wöllner (1732–1800)
• August Strindberg (1849–1912)
• Franz Tausend (1884–1942)
• Delmar D. Bryant (Adiramled; fl. late 19th century – early 20th.)
• Fulcanelli (pseudonym; dates unknown: Late 19th century – early 20th.)

Revival and modern alchemists

• Frater Albertus (Dr. Albert Reidel) (1911–1984) Frater Albertus Spagyricus was the nom de plume of laboratory alchemist, spagyrist and teacher Dr. Albert Reidel who published several books and rare manuscripts, at least one of which purported to produce the true Stone, the results of which were photographed and displayed only temporarily on a website (The manuscript was The Hermetic Art by Volpierre (Nikolaus Burtschell 1892–1952) in the Golden Manuscript Series).
• Eugène Canseliet (1899–1982) was a hermetic alchemist and a member of the Frères d'Heliopolis. He claimed to be a former student of the famous alchemist Fulcanelli.
• Jean Dubuis (1919–2010) French alchemist and founder of the esoteric group Les Philosophes de la Nature (LPN), which, while teaching Qabalah and general esotericism as well, primarily focused on the study and practice of laboratory alchemy.
• Marie-Louise von Franz (1915–1998) studied the psychological aspects of alchemy.
• Terrence McKenna (1946–2000) a more modern version of Timothy Leary, he believed the Stone to be a mental state of mind.
• Diane Di Prima (1932 – ) a poet.

Fictional alchemists

• Edward Elric, Fullmetal Alchemist (As well as other State Alchemists on the show)
• Riccardo Belli
• Ivy Valentine, Soul Calibur
• Magnus, The Vampire Chronicles (Vampire)
• The Alchemist, The Venture Bros.
• Daitokuji, Yu-Gi-Oh! GX
• Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter
• Sydney Sage, Vampire Academy
• Alphonse Elric, Fullmetal Alchemist
• Roy Mustang, Fullmetal Alchemist

See also

• Adam McLean
• Arthur Edward Waite
• Carl Jung
• Herbert Silberer
• Rudolf Steiner
• Titus Burckhardt