Legends and realities of Ukrainian alchemy: the way of being and the typology of the phenomenon

Abstract

The article deals with the manifestations of the socio-cultural existence of alchemy. The philosophical analysis makes it possible to divide them typologically into two relational modi, "historical" and "legendary", defining the phenomenon frames. The "historical" modus includes documented historical evidences, considering that such ones a priori can be mythologized. In turn, the "legendary" modus of alchemy existence includes information for which a demand of accordance to reality is unnecessary. The most common manifestations of their numerous derivatives can be formalized as "adventurous" and "mythological & sorcerous". The proposed classification makes it possible to analyze alchemical sacral-cognitive complexes, to differentiate them into components, to define their mode of being and interaction. Presumably, basic positions of the alchemical paradigm were established in the psycho-physical sphere by the projection of representations of archaic mythology based on handicraft. So, typical manifestations of alchemy have an archetypal nature. Consequently, it seems that even now the reproduction of an alchemical matrix occurs in a medieval coordinate system. The analysis of information concerning alchemy in Ukraine within its "historical" and "legendary" modi that allows us to consider the existence of a continuous alchemical tradition in Ukraine for at least seven centuries.

Keywords

• алхімія
• українська алхімія
• історичний та легендарний модуси
• «авантюрні» та «міфологічно-чорнокнижні» прояви алхімії
• філософський аналіз
• типологія