5. Humanoids

5. Humanoids

　　　　European alchemy is aimed chiefly at creating the elixir of life and at turning alloy into gold through the chemical operation with fire. Because comprehending such godlike technology means that human approach God. In a similar way, the motive that alchemists tried to create humanoids like Homunculus was also intended to approach God.

19th-century engraving of Goethe's Faust and Homunculus

By the way, if we think alchemy as an art to exercise the Creator’s power, it follows that the chemical operation melting various things in a melting pot on a kiln like European alchemists did is not essential. Golem, a humanoid that appear in Jewish legends, has something to do with another kind of alchemy. The alchemy to create golem is sometimes called “verbal alchemy”. In Jewish mysticism Cabala, also it is said that a saint who is familiar with the secret principles about the world can use godlike creative power. The difference from the common European alchemy is that words play an important role. Jewish mystics believed alphabet letters or words and numbers have mysterious and occult power. Moreover they believed they can create human and creature by using the supernatural power like God did. 

Prague reproduction of Golem

Statue of the Prague Golem

     
          There are some ways to create golem. The most common method is to form a doll out of clay or glue and stick a paper charm written “emeth”, means truth in Hebrew, on the forehead or the chest. Then the doll begins to move as a golem. If you want to return it to the clay, you erase the letter “e” from “emeth” written on the paper charm. It is because “meth” means death. Apart from this method, it is said that how to create golem is to put a paper charm in the mouth of a clay doll and you can return it to clay by taking out the charm from the mouth.

Rabbi Loew and Golem by Mikoláš Aleš, 1899.

In any case, we must pay attention to use golem. Tradition says that some rabbis, a teacher of Torah, create golem and use as a servant. In spite of an arrangement not to make golems work in the Sabbath, a rabbi forgot taking out the charm in Sabbath. The golem got mad and destroyed everything. In Polish legend, because golem glow larger after it birth, the creator must erase “e” before the golem get out of hand. But a golem created by a rabbi had got too big to erase the letter “e” on the forehead before the creator knew it. Then the rabbi ordered the golem to remove his shoes and while the moment the golem downed on its knee he erase the letter “e”. But the clay fall, the rabbi was crushed and he died. These two stories say that human cannot be too careful in treating life.

 
 reference: http://flamboyant.jp/alchemy/alch19/alchemy019.html

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

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