Michael Maier’s Atalanta Fugiens (1618)
The Philosophical Egg in Atalanta Fugiens
Emblem VIII of Atalanta Fugiens places an egg before an armed figure, with a fire burning beside the scene. The motto speaks of striking the egg with a fiery sword. In the next discourse Maier distinguishes the philosophers’ egg from a search for the eggs of unusual birds and explains the application of fire as directed toward life and growth. He then uses the hatching of a chick to discuss generation and the change of form. The picture is presented as a historical alchemical allegory; this entry offers no practical recipe or identification of a particular laboratory substance.
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In the sources
The emblem combines egg, sword and fire
DocumentedThe motto and engraving place all three together in a deliberately striking scene.
The explanation turns toward generation
DocumentedThe following discourse describes the philosophers’ egg receiving life and growth, comparing the change with a chick emerging from an egg.
Context & interpretation
This entry follows Michael Maier’s Latin and German Atalanta Fugiens in the scanned edition dated 1618. Statements are attributed to that historical emblem book. The source links identify the actual image, music or prose page; the interpretation is editorial.
Original passages
Source 1
Atalanta Fugiens
Accipe ovum & igneo percute gladioOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: Emblema VIII, printed p. 41, motto
Actual checksum-verified public Reader scan inspected. Short quotation transcribed from the page, with long s, line breaks and spacing normalised.
- Edition
- IMJ-0287-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0287-E001-P0042
- Original scan leaf
- 49
- Recorded leaf number
- 49
- Current Reader position
- 42
- Reader verification
- Source-preserving update confirmed
Source 2
Atalanta Fugiens
sed vitam accipiat & crescatOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: Discursus VIII, printed p. 42, first paragraph
Actual checksum-verified public Reader scan inspected. Short quotation transcribed from the page, with long s, line breaks and spacing normalised.
- Edition
- IMJ-0287-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0287-E001-P0043
- Original scan leaf
- 50
- Recorded leaf number
- 50
- Current Reader position
- 43
- Reader verification
- Source-preserving update confirmed
Illustrations
Continue exploring
Atalanta Fugiens
Maier’s alchemical emblem book brings engraved images, epigrams, prose and three-voice music into a single sequence.
Same subject and traditionThe Two Eagles in Atalanta Fugiens
The feathered and unfeathered birds through which Maier pictures the relation between lightness, weight and restrained flight.