Introducing Nicolas Flamel and the Philosopher's Stone

History remembers Nicolas Flamel (ca 1330 - March 22, 1418) as the French alchemist that "discovered" the Philosopher's Stone, a material capable of turning common metals into gold and granting immortality. The ability to create vast riches and extend the limited lives of men were greedy goals, but they were the ultimate goals for all alchemist and the many egotistical men that helped facilitate the study and discovery of the Philosopher's Stone. Here is an illustration of Flamel as history remembers him:

Nowadays, alchemy and magic are portrayed as nonsense (or better yet, "misunderstandings") and that several "strange" phenomenons can be explained by modern science.  Nonetheless, the idea of a world explained by magic and alchemy has continued to spark the imaginations of many people. The idea of a fictional universe of magic has even graced modern media such as in the form of motion pictures.

This is Nicholas Flamel (not Nicolas) from J.K Rowling's fictional Harry Potter universe. We all know of Harry Potter and the shenanigans he pull in Hogwarts (or at least I hope we do). As was stated in the first book (and eventually first movie) of the Harry Potter franchise, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Nicholas Flamel was the legendary discoverer of the Philosopher's Stone, much like his historical counterpart. As a side note, he was friends with the powerful Albus Dumbeldore despite not physically appearing in either the book or the movie because his character died before the start of the series.

However, the goal of this blog is not to dwell on characters of the modern obsession that is (or was) the Harry Potter universe; the real goal is to uncover who the real Nicolas Flamel was. Flamel was born in Paris, France, likely in the small community called Pontoise. He was a French scribe and was married to Perenelle in 1368.  Furthermore, he was Catholic, and during his lifetime, he contributed financially to churches and even designed his own tombstone with images of Jesus and two of his apostles.  

On November 22, 1416, two years before his death, he wrote his will. The will suggested that he was not as wealthy as people centuries later believed him to be. This turns us to the biggest misconception about Nicolas Flamel's life, profession, and "accomplishment." The legend of Flamel's most famed accomplishment, the discovery of the Philosopher's Stone, was derived not during Flamel's lifetime but at about the 17th century two centuries after his death. The publishing of books attributed to Flamel such as Livre des figures hieroglyphiques in 1612 would help cement this legend.  Many would discredit Flamel's involvement with the discovery of the Philosopher's Stone because of the lack of credible evidence, the intent of the publishers, and inconsistency with facts. It would be understandable that people would have believed Flamel to have been vastly wealthy because if he had the Philosopher's Stone, he could indefinitely transform lesser metals into gold. With the blossoming of modern science, we deny any concept of magic, alchemy, or a Philosopher's Stone. However, it does not mean that the concept of a magical universe will not continue to entertain the imaginary minds of people.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicolas_Flamel

http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Nicolas_Flamel

http://alchemylab.com/flamel.htm

http://historyofalchemy.com/list-of-alchemists/nicolas-flamel/