Prophecy, Alchemy, and the End of Time: John of Rupescissa in the Late Middle Ages

272 Pages·2009·4.46 MB·English

by  Leah DeVun

D
e
V
Praise for
u In the mIddle of the fourteenth century,
n
the Franciscan friar John of Rupecissa sent
PRoPHECY, ALCHEMY, AnD THE EnD oF TiME
a dramatic warning to his followers: the last
days were coming; the apocalypse was near.
“Leah DeVun’s study is original in conception, thoroughly researched, P Deemed insane by the Christian church, Ru-
and written with distinction. Most important, it is fully persuasive pecissa had spent more than a decade con-
concerning the ideological link between prophecy and alchemy in the r fined to prisons—in one case wrapped in
o
chains and locked under a staircase—yet ill
agenda of its fascinating protagonist, John of Rupecissa. Prophecy, Al- p
h treatment could not silence the friar’s apoca-
chemy, and the End of Time will be of interest to students of both apocalyp-
e lyptic message.
c
ticism and medieval scientific thought.”
y
,
A RelIgIous fIguRes who preached the end
leah deVun is an assistant professor of —RobeRt leRneR, noRthwesteRn unIVeRsIty times were hardly rare in the late Middle
history at Texas A&M University. Her re- l Ages, but Rupscissa’s teachings were unique.
c
search focuses on the history of the human “Prophecy, Alchemy, and the End of Time is a splendid book. in vivid, acces- h He claimed that knowledge of the natural
body in premodern Europe and the legacy of sible prose, Leah DeVun brings to life the mental and spiritual worlds e world, and alchemy in particular, could act as
m
that history in the modern world. Her pub- a defense against the plagues and wars of the
of a fourteenth-century seer and alchemist. DeVun is the first to ex-
y
lished work centers on issues of gender and , last days. His melding of apocalyptic prophecy
amine John of Rupecissa as a whole person, placing his alchemical a
technology. n and quasi-scientific inquiry gave rise to a new
writings squarely in an apocalyptic context. Deftly crossing a num-
d genre of alchemical writing and a novel cos-
ber of disciplinary boundaries, she masterfully demonstrates that our t mology of heaven and earth. Most important,
h
modern distinction between ‘science’ and ‘religion’ is meaningless the friar’s research represented a remarkable
e
when applied to Rupecissa’s fourteenth-century context. A genu- E convergence between science and religion.
ine pleasure to read, this book will appeal to scholars in a number of
n In oRdeR to undeRstand scientific knowl-
fields and will provide the general reader with a compelling introduc-
d edge today, Leah DeVun asks that we revisit
tion to the effort made by medieval authors to use human reason in o Rupecissa’s life and the critical events of his
approaching the secrets of God.” f age—the Black Death, the Hundred Years’ War,

T
the Avignon Papacy—and see them through
P A
—lauRa ackeRman smolleR, unIVeRsIty of aRkansas at lIttle Rock his eyes. Rupecissa treated alchemy as medi-
i
m cine (his work was the conceptual forerun-
rophecy, lchemy,
e ner of pharmacology) and represented the
Columbia University Press / new York
emerging technologies and views that sought
www.cup.columbia.edu to combat famine, plague, religious persecu-
tion, and war. The advances he pioneered,
C and the End of Time
along with the exciting strides made by his
o
isbn 978-0-231-14538-1 l contemporaries, shed critical light on later
u
m developments in medicine, pharmacology, and
b John of Rupecissa in the Late Middle Ages chemistry.
i
Jacket image: a
Time Life Pictures/Getty images
Leah DeVun
Printed in the U.S.A.
Jacket design: Milenda nan ok Lee
Prophecy, Alchemy, and the End of Time
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Prophecy, Alchemy,
and the
End of Time
John of Rupescissa
in the Late Middle Ages
Leah DeVun
columbia university press
new york
DeVun_FM.indd 3 12/9/08 1:05:41 PM
Columbia University Press
Publishers Since 1893
New York Chichester, West Sussex
Copyright © 2009 Columbia University Press
All rights reserved
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
DeVun, Leah.
Prophecy, alchemy, and the end of time : John of Rupescissa in the
late Middle Ages / Leah DeVun.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
isbn 978-0-231-14538-1 (cloth : alk. paper) —
isbn 978-0-231-51934-2 (e-book) —
1. Johannes, de Rupescissa, ca. 1300–ca. 1365. 2. Alchemy—Religious aspects—
Christianity—History—To 1500. 3. Religion and science—Europe—History—
To 1500. 4. Pharmacology—Europe—History—To 1500. 5. Apocalyptic literature—
History and criticism. I. Title.
[DNLM: 1. Johannes, de Rupescissa, ca. 1300–ca. 1365. 2. Religion and Science.
3. Alchemy. 4. History, Medieval. BL 245 D514p 2009]
BR115.A57D48 2009
274'.05—dc22 2008030108
Columbia University Press books are printed on permanent and durable
acid-free paper.
This book is printed on paper with recycled content.
Printed in the United States of America
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For my parents, and for Mom
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Contents
List of Illustrations
ix
Acknowledgments
xi
1. Introduction
1
2. The Proving of Christendom
11
3. John of Rupescissa’s Vision of the End
32
4. Alchemy in Theory and Practice
52
5. Artists and the Art
80
6. Metaphor and Alchemy
102
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contents
7. The End of Nature
129
8. Conclusion
150
Notes
165
Bibliography
223
Index
245
{ viii }
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IllustratIons
Figure 1. Portrait of an Angelic Pope from the Ascende calve prophecy
25
Figure 2. Tree of life watered by Christ’s blood
121
Figure 3. Christ’s blood fertilizes poppies beneath the crucifix
122
Figure 4. The Zodiac Man
131
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