Philosopher's stone in art and entertainment
Encyclopedia
The philosopher's stone
has been a subject, inspiration, or plot feature of innumerable artistic works: novel
s, comics
stories, movie
s, animation
s, video games, and music
al compositions.
Philosopher's stone
The philosopher's stone is a legendary alchemical substance said to be capable of turning base metals into gold or silver. It was also sometimes believed to be an elixir of life, useful for rejuvenation and possibly for achieving immortality. For many centuries, it was the most sought-after goal...
has been a subject, inspiration, or plot feature of innumerable artistic works: novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
s, comics
Comics
Comics denotes a hybrid medium having verbal side of its vocabulary tightly tied to its visual side in order to convey narrative or information only, the latter in case of non-fiction comics, seeking synergy by using both visual and verbal side in...
stories, movie
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
s, animation
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
s, video games, and music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
al compositions.
Literature
- The AlchemistThe Alchemist (play)The Alchemist is a comedy by English playwright Ben Jonson. First performed in 1610 by the King's Men, it is generally considered Jonson's best and most characteristic comedy; Samuel Taylor Coleridge claimed that it had one of the three most perfect plots in literature...
(1610), by Ben JonsonBen JonsonBenjamin Jonson was an English Renaissance dramatist, poet and actor. A contemporary of William Shakespeare, he is best known for his satirical plays, particularly Volpone, The Alchemist, and Bartholomew Fair, which are considered his best, and his lyric poems... - St. LeonSt. Leon (novel)St. Leon: A Tale of the Sixteenth Century is eighteenth-century British philosopher William Godwin's second novel.The novel takes place during the Protestant Reformation and tells the tale of a penurious noble who finds the philosopher's stone and an elixir of immortality. Unbounded wealth and...
(1799), by William GodwinWilliam GodwinWilliam Godwin was an English journalist, political philosopher and novelist. He is considered one of the first exponents of utilitarianism, and the first modern proponent of anarchism... - Frankenstein;or, the Modern PrometheusFrankensteinFrankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus is a novel about a failed experiment that produced a monster, written by Mary Shelley, with inserts of poems by Percy Bysshe Shelley. Shelley started writing the story when she was eighteen, and the novel was published when she was twenty-one. The first...
(1818 JAN), by Mary ShelleyMary ShelleyMary Shelley was a British novelist, short story writer, dramatist, essayist, biographer, and travel writer, best known for her Gothic novel Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus . She also edited and promoted the works of her husband, the Romantic poet and philosopher Percy Bysshe Shelley... - The Hunchback of Notre-Dame (1831), by Victor HugoVictor HugoVictor-Marie Hugo was a Frenchpoet, playwright, novelist, essayist, visual artist, statesman, human rights activist and exponent of the Romantic movement in France....
- The AlchemistThe Alchemist (short story)"The Alchemist" is a short story by H. P. Lovecraft, written in 1908, when Lovecraft was 17 or 18, and first published in the November 1916 issue of the United Amateur.-Plot summary:...
(1916), by H. P. LovecraftH. P. LovecraftHoward Phillips Lovecraft --often credited as H.P. Lovecraft — was an American author of horror, fantasy and science fiction, especially the subgenre known as weird fiction.... - The Case of Charles Dexter WardThe Case of Charles Dexter WardThe Case of Charles Dexter Ward is a short novel by H. P. Lovecraft, written in early 1927, but not published during the author's liftetime...
(1927), by H. P. LovecraftH. P. LovecraftHoward Phillips Lovecraft --often credited as H.P. Lovecraft — was an American author of horror, fantasy and science fiction, especially the subgenre known as weird fiction.... - The Trumpeter of KrakowThe Trumpeter of KrakowThe Trumpeter of Krakow, a young adult historical novel by Eric P. Kelly, won the Newbery Medal for excellence in American children's literature in 1929....
(1928), by Eric P. KellyEric P. KellyEric Philbrook Kelly was an American journalist, academic and author of books for young readers, whose book, The Trumpeter of Krakow, won the Newbery Medal for children's literature in 1929... - The Philosopher's Stone (1969), by Colin WilsonColin WilsonColin Henry Wilson is a prolific English writer who first came to prominence as a philosopher and novelist. Wilson has since written widely on true crime, mysticism and other topics. He prefers calling his philosophy new existentialism or phenomenological existentialism.- Early biography:Born and...
- ÆgyptÆgyptÆgypt is a sequence of four novels by John Crowley. The work describes the work and life of Pierce Moffett, who prepares a manuscript for publication even as it prepares him for some as-yet unknown destiny, all set amidst strange and subtle Hermetic manipulations among the Faraway Hills at the...
(1987–2007), by J. Crowley - The AlchemistThe Alchemist (novel)The Alchemist is an allegorical novel by Paulo Coelho first published in 1988. The Alchemist was originally written in Portuguese. It has sold more than 65 million copies in more than 150 countries, becoming one of the best-selling books in history....
(1988), by Paulo CoelhoPaulo CoelhoPaulo Coelho is a Brazilian lyricist and novelist.-Biography:Paulo Coelho was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He attended a Jesuit school. As a teenager, Coelho wanted to become a writer. Upon telling his mother this, she responded with "My dear, your father is an engineer. He's a logical,... - The EightThe Eight (novel)The Eight, published December 27, 1988, is American author Katherine Neville's debut novel. Compared to the works of Umberto Eco when it first appeared, it is a postmodern thriller in which the heroine, accountant Catherine Velis, must enter into a cryptic world of danger and conspiracy in order to...
(1988) by Katherine Neville - Indiana Jones and the Philosopher's StoneIndiana Jones and the Philosopher's StoneIndiana Jones and the Philosopher's Stone is the ninth of 12 Indiana Jones novels published by Bantam Books. Max McCoy, the author of this book, also wrote three of the other Indiana Jones books for Bantam...
(1995), by Max McCoy - Harry Potter and the Philosopher's StoneHarry Potter and the Philosopher's StoneHarry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is the first novel in the Harry Potter series written by J. K. Rowling and featuring Harry Potter, a young wizard...
(1997), by J. K. RowlingJ. K. RowlingJoanne "Jo" Rowling, OBE , better known as J. K. Rowling, is the British author of the Harry Potter fantasy series... - Fullmetal AlchemistFullmetal Alchemist, is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hiromu Arakawa. The world of Fullmetal Alchemist is styled after the European Industrial Revolution...
(2001–2010), by Hiromu ArakawaHiromu Arakawais a Japanese manga artist from Hokkaidō. Her renowned manga, Fullmetal Alchemist, became a hit both domestically and internationally, and was later adapted into two television anime series. She often portrays herself as a bespectacled cow.-Biography:... - The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel (2007), by Michael ScottMichael Scott (Irish author)Michael Scott is an Irish author.Michael Scott is a seasoned and prolific writer of over 100 books during his 25 plus years of writing thus far...
- The Six Sacred StonesThe Six Sacred StonesThe Six Sacred Stones is a novel by Australian thriller author Matthew Reilly. It is a sequel to Seven Ancient Wonders and The Five Greatest Warriors is its sequel...
(2007 AUS or 2008 US and UK), by Matthew ReillyMatthew ReillyMatthew John Reilly is an Australian action thriller writer. His novels are noted for their fast pace, twisting plots and intense action.- Biography :... - The 39 CluesThe 39 CluesThe 39 Clues consists of two series of adventure books, The Clue Hunt and Cahills vs. Vespers, combining reading, online gaming, and card collecting...
(2008- ), by Rick RiordanRick RiordanRichard Russell "Rick" Riordan, Jr. is an American author best known for writing the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series. He also wrote the Tres Navarre mystery series for adults and helped to edit Demigods and Monsters, a collection of essays on the topic of his Percy Jackson series...
Animations, comics, movies, and TV
- The Fabulous Philosopher's StoneThe Fabulous Philosopher's StoneThe Fabulous Philosopher's Stone is an Uncle Scrooge comics story written and drawn by Carl Barks in October 1954. The story was first published in 1955.-Plot:...
(1955), an Uncle ScroogeUncle ScroogeUncle Scrooge is a comic book with the stingy Scrooge McDuck "the richest duck in the world" as the main character. The series also featured Donald Duck and his nephews as supporting characters. The first 70 issues mostly consisted of stories written and drawn by Carl Barks, the creator of Scrooge...
story by Carl BarksCarl BarksCarl Barks was an American Disney Studio illustrator and comic book creator, who invented Duckburg and many of its inhabitants, such as Scrooge McDuck , Gladstone Gander , the Beagle Boys , The Junior Woodchucks , Gyro Gearloose , Cornelius Coot , Flintheart Glomgold , John D...
. - The Flash (1958), a rogue known as Doctor Alchemy used a philosopher's stone as his main weapon in crime.
- The Philosopher's StoneParash PatharParash Pathar was Satyajit Ray's first film apart from the Apu Trilogy. It was also his first comedy and first magical realist film...
(1958), a Bengali filmBengali cinemaBengali cinema refers to the Bengali language filmmaking industries in the Bengal region of South Asia. There are two major film-making hubs in the region: one in Kolkata, West Bengal, India and the other in Dhaka, Bangladesh .The history of cinema in Bengal dates back to the 1890s, when the first...
directed by Satyajit RaySatyajit RaySatyajit Ray was an Indian Bengali filmmaker. He is regarded as one of the greatest auteurs of 20th century cinema. Ray was born in the city of Kolkata into a Bengali family prominent in the world of arts and literature...
. - Lupin the Third: Secret of Mamo (1978) the first animated Lupin the Third film, had the Philosopher's Stone a coveted object by the world's richest man, who hired Fujiko to compel Lupin's retrieval of same.
- Nadia: The Secret of Blue WaterNadia: The Secret of Blue Wateris a Japanese animated television series inspired by the works of Jules Verne, particularly Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and the exploits of Captain Nemo...
(1992), anime by Hideki Anno. - Indiana Jones and the Iron PhoenixIndiana Jones and the Iron PhoenixIndiana Jones and the Iron Phoenix is a Dark Horse Comics limited series starring the fictional archaeologist Indiana Jones. It was the seventh Indiana Jones limited series by Dark Horse, and the sixth about the adult Indiana...
(1994), graphic novelGraphic novelA graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...
by Lee MarrsLee MarrsLee Marrs is an American comic book writer, animator, and one of the first women underground comix creators. She is best known for her comic book series, The Further Fattening Adventures of Pudge, Girl Blimp, which lasted from 1973 to 1978.-Underground comics:Marrs was a frequent contributor to...
. - The Slayers (1995). The version of the stone that was depicted in this series varied quite substantially from traditional depictions of it. The stone was of a dark color and appeared to have a metamorphic-rock-like consistency. It was said to be part of the "Staff of the Gods" that supported the Slayers' world and increased a magic user's powers exponentially, to the point of being almost god-like.
- Rock of Ages (1997–98), a six-part story-arc in DC ComicsDC ComicsDC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
' JLAJLA (comic book)JLA was a monthly comic book published by DC Comics from January 1997 to April 2006 featuring the Justice League.-Publication history:The low sales of the various Justice League spinoff books by the mid-1990s prompted DC to revamp the League as a single team on a single title...
comic series. - Fullmetal AlchemistFullmetal Alchemist, is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hiromu Arakawa. The world of Fullmetal Alchemist is styled after the European Industrial Revolution...
(2001) and "Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood", a legendary stone is said to allow the holder to completely bypass the law of Equivalent Exchange and letting him or her construct matter without any particular source. - Harry Potter and the Philosopher's StoneHarry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, released in the United States and India as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, is a 2001 fantasy film directed by Chris Columbus and based on the novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling. The film is the first instalment in the Harry Potter film series,...
(2001); retitled Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in the USUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. - Justice LeagueJustice League (TV series)Justice League is an American animated television series about a team of superheroes which ran from 2001 to 2004 on Cartoon Network. The show was produced by Warner Bros. Animation. It is based on the Justice League of America and associated comic book characters published by DC Comics...
(2002). Jason Blood and his alter-ego Etrigan the Demon seek the assistance of the Justice League in preventing the philosopher's stone from falling into the hands of his ancient enemy, the sorceress Morgaine Le FeyMorgaine le Fey (DC Comics)Morgaine le Fey is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain published by DC Comics. She debuted in The Demon vol. 1 #1, , and was created by Jack Kirby...
.
Video games
- World of WarcraftWorld of WarcraftWorld of Warcraft is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game by Blizzard Entertainment. It is the fourth released game set in the fantasy Warcraft universe, which was first introduced by Warcraft: Orcs & Humans in 1994...
- The Philosopher's Stone is a trinket crafted and used by Alchemists to transmute different materials into others. It also acts as an equippable item. - Valkyrie ProfileValkyrie ProfileValkyrie Profile is a video game series developed by tri-Ace and published by Enix . It comprises three titles:* Valkyrie Profile, a 1999 PlayStation game**Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth, the 2006 PlayStation Portable port...
- The Philosopher's Stone is held by Lezard Valeth and is described to be more like a million-page codex that must be deciphered. Lezard ultimately uses it to survive Ragnarok. - Devil May CryDevil May Cryis an action game developed and published by Capcom, released in 2001 for the PlayStation 2. Although it is the first game in the series of the same name, the events in Devil May Cry are second in the series storyline's chronological order, taking place after Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening and...
- The Philosopher's Stone is used as one of the keys to enter the Underworld. - Shadow of MemoriesShadow of Memories, also known as Shadow of Destiny in North America, is an adventure video game developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo for the PlayStation 2. Originally released for the PlayStation 2, it was later ported to the PC and Xbox in 2002 by the now-defunct Runecraft company...
- The Philosopher's Stone was given to Dr. Wagner by Eike as the final ingredient in making Homonculus. - Tomb Raider ChroniclesTomb Raider ChroniclesTomb Raider Chronicles is the fifth game in the Tomb Raider series and the sequel to Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation. It was developed by Core Design and published by Eidos Interactive. The game was originally released in 2000 for PC, Sega Dreamcast and PlayStation...
- the goal of the first episode of the game, which takes place in Rome, is to find The Philosopher's Stone. - Alone In The DarkAlone in the DarkAlone in the Dark is the title of several works of fiction:*Alone in the Dark, a series of video games*Alone in the Dark , a 1992 video game and the first in the series...
- The Philosopher's Stone was given to Edward Carnby by Theo Paddington while New York City was being destroyed by earthquakes which were caused by an evil spirit that was released by the power inside the stone. Edward Carnby must find the Path Of Light and make a critical choice that will either save the world or destroy it forever. During his mission, he is being pursued through Central Park by Zombies who were once human but they were transformed by the power of the stone. A madman named Crowley is also pursuing Carnby because he wants him dead so that he can get his hands on the stone so that he can further his evil plans. - League of LegendsLeague of LegendsThe BetFred League of Legends was a darts tournament featuring some of the legends of the game of darts which commenced in May 2008. The tournament is broadcast on Setanta Sports in the United Kingdom....
- The Philosopher's Stone is an advanced item improving the wearer's mana and health regeneration. It also passively increases gold income. - Shadow of memoriesShadow of Memories, also known as Shadow of Destiny in North America, is an adventure video game developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo for the PlayStation 2. Originally released for the PlayStation 2, it was later ported to the PC and Xbox in 2002 by the now-defunct Runecraft company...
- Also called "Shadow of Destiny". The protagonist, Eike, is being manipulated by a being called HomunculusHomunculusHomunculus is a term used, generally, in various fields of study to refer to any representation of a human being. Historically, it referred specifically to the concept of a miniature though fully formed human body, for example, in the studies of alchemy and preformationism...
to help obtain The Philosopher's Stone, which is the key to Homunculus' life. - Ragnarok OnlineRagnarok OnlineRagnarok Online , often referred to as RO, is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game or MMORPG created by GRAVITY Co., Ltd. based on the manhwa Ragnarok by Lee Myung-jin. It was first released in South Korea on 31 August 2002 for Microsoft Windows and has since been released in many other...
- The Philosopher's Stone is an advanced item used for evolving alchemist's and biochemist's homunculus into its second form, stronger than the previous one and with a hidden skill enabled. - Doodle God - You can make "The Philosopher's Stone" by combining Demigod and Quicksilver.
- Star Ocean: Till the End of TimeStar Ocean: Till the End of Timeis the third main game in the Star Ocean series. The game was developed by tri-Ace and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 2 console. It was released in Japan, North America, and the PAL territories. The original Japanese release date was in February of 2003 by Enix, its penultimate...
- Peppita and Eliza can make The Philosopher's Stone Through the inventing process. it is used to recruit Ansala as an inventor. - Touhou ProjectTouhou ProjectThe , also known as Toho Project or Project Shrine Maiden, is a Japanese dōjin game series focused on bullet hell shooters made by the one-man developer Team Shanghai Alice, whose sole member, known as ZUN, is responsible for all the graphics, music, and programming for the most part...
- As the midboss of Embodiment of Scarlet Devil, Patchouli Knowledge has an attack named "Philosopher's Stone". This attack reappears in Immaterial and Missing Power, Scarlet Weather Rhapsody, and Unthinkable Natural Law. - SwordquestSwordquestSwordquest is an unfinished series of video games produced by Atari in the 1980s as part of a contest. Each of the games came with a comic book that explained the plot, as well as containing part of the puzzle that had to be solved to win the contest...
- The prize for the unreleased 4th game in the series, Airworld, was to be a "Philosopher's Stone"; a piece of white jade in a gold gem-encrusted box, valued at $25,000. It is unknown what happened to the stone once the contest was shut down, but there are rumors of Jack TramielJack TramielJack Tramiel is an American businessman, best known for founding Commodore International - manufacturer of the Commodore PET, Commodore 64, Commodore 128, Commodore Amiga, and other Commodore models of home computers.-Biography:...
, the buyer of Atari during the video game crash of 1983Video game crash of 1983The North American video game crash was a serious event that brought an abrupt end to what is considered the second generation of console video gaming in North America. Beginning in 1983, the crash almost destroyed the then-fledgling industry and led to the bankruptcy of several companies producing...
, owning it and the other unclaimed prizes of the contest. - Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game)Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game)Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, also known as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in North America, is an Electronic Arts multi-platform action-adventure video game developed by KnowWonder, Warthog, Griptonite, Argonaut, Eurocom and Westlake Interactive...
- (2001); retitled Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Video Game) in the US. - Animamundi: Dark Alchemist - The protagonist, Georik Zaberisk, attempts and manages to create The Philosopher's Stone to grant his beheaded sister eternal life.
- Fullmetal Alchemist 2: Curse of the Crimson ElixirFullmetal Alchemist 2: Curse of the Crimson Elixiris the second console role-playing game for the PlayStation 2 based on the series of the same name. It is the prequel of sorts to Fullmetal Alchemist and the Broken Angel. The game has much improved visuals than the previous title, as well as all dialog being voiced over...
- The protagonists, Ed and Al search for the philosopher stone, but become involved in an investigation over disappearances.
Music
- The album Back on Top (1999) by Van MorrisonVan MorrisonVan Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...
includes a track "Philosopher's Stone", which contains the phrase: "Even my best friends they don't know that my job is turning lead into gold." Van MorrisonVan MorrisonVan Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...
had also released a collection of previously unreleased tracks and alternate takes under the album name Philosopher's Stone in 1998. - The concept album Grand MateriaGrand MateriaGrand Materia is the eighth album for Swedish heavy metal band Morgana Lefay.-Track listing:All songs composed by: Morgana LefayLyrical concept by: Charles Rytkönen#Grand Materia - 5:47#My Funeral Is Calling - 6:25...
(2005) by the SwedishSwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
metal band Morgana LefayMorgana LefayMorgana Lefay is a power/thrash metal band from the town Bollnäs in Sweden. It is named after Morgan Le Fay of the Arthurian cycle....
is about Nicolas Flamel and his life and how he made the philosopher's stone. - "The Love SongThe Love Song (k-os song)"The Love Song" is the fourth single by k-os from the album Joyful Rebellion. The string arrangements were done by Laura May Elston. The song gained some popularity in New Zealand after being featured on a Vodafone television advertisement.-Music video:...
" (2007) by K-osK-osKevin Brereton , better known by his stage name k-os , is a Canadian rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer...
contains the phrase: "Towards a dome of computer digital clones that mimic philosopher stones." - The album Radio RetaliationRadio RetaliationRadio Retaliation is the fifth studio album of electronica band Thievery Corporation. Planned to be a very political album, it was recorded in the band's hometown of Washington, D.C. A pre-release of the album was available on iTunes on September 9, featuring an exclusive track entitled...
(2008) by Thievery CorporationThievery CorporationThievery Corporation is a Washington, D.C. based recording artist and DJ duo consisting of Rob Garza, Eric Hilton, and their supporting artists, including current drummer Jeff Franca...
includes a track title "Philosopher's Stone" on the deluxe version.