Alchemical discourse in the ;;Canterbury Tales;;: Signs of gnosis and transmutation

[摘要] Although most critics of the ;;Canon;;s Yeoman;;s Tale;; agree that the tale;;s striking realism and wealth of detail suggest that Chaucer had an extensive knowledge of alchemical lore, they disagree about whether Chaucer condemned alchemy as a heresy or esteemed it as a divine science compatible with Christianity. For, the Canon;;s Yeoman begins his tale by asserting the impossibility of achieving the Philosopher;;s Stone, only to end his tale by affirming the Stone;;s existence, and describing it as a gift from Christ. In the past, most critics have investigated Chaucer;;s use of alchemical signs in the ;;Canon;;s Yeoman;;s Tale;; by discussing medieval alchemy as an obscure laboratory procedure in which Chaucer did or did not have any faith. This study, however, proposes not only to reexamine the significance of Chaucer;;s references to alchemical apparati, procedures, and philosophy in the ;;Canon;;s Yeoman;;s Tale;; but also to show that Chaucer was primarily interested in alchemy as a symbolic language, and that he utilized alchemical signs in both the ;;Canon;;s Yeoman;;s Tale;; and the ;;Second Nun;;s Tale,;; which are linked by the prologue of the ;;Canon;;s Yeoman;;s Tale,;; to explore how discourse itself is a kind of alchemy which mediates between man and God, or physical reality and spiritual reality, to communicate truth and enable the individual to convert from the ;;old man of Adam;; to the ;;new man in Christ.;; Both tales begin with references to the baseness of matter, and end with alchemical allusions to the perfection of matter. Since Chaucer presented the alchemical allusions in the ;;Second Nun;;s Tale;; and the ;;Canon;;s Yeoman;;s Tale;; within a penitential framework, he also implied that both alchemy and Christianity seek salvation, which may be understood as the reconciliation of spiritual and physical nature. Chaucer;;s Parson defines salvation in these terms when he explains, ;;Than shal men understonde what is the fruyt of penaunce, dots ther as the body of man that whilom was foul and derk is moore cleer than the sonne;; (ParsT 1. 1078).

[发布机构] Rice University