The Forge and the Crucible explained

The Forge and the Crucible is a 1956 book by the Romanian historian of religion Mircea Eliade. It traces historical rites and symbols associated with mines, smiths and other metal workers. An English translation by Stephen Corrin was published in 1962.^[1] A second edition, with an updated appendix and the subtitle "The Origins and Structure of Alchemy," was published in 1979.^[2]

Contents

The book contains the following chapters:

1. Meteorites and Metallurgy
2. Mythology of the Iron Age
3. The World Sexualized
4. Terra Mater. Petra Genitrix
5. Rites and Mysteries in Metallurgy
6. Human Sacrifices to the Furnace
7. Babylonian Symbolisms and Metallurgical Rituals
8. 'Masters of Fire'
9. Divine Smiths and Civilizing Heroes
10. Smiths, Warriors, Masters of Initiation
11. Chinese Alchemy
12. Indian Alchemy
13. Alchemy and Initiation
14. Arcana Artis
15. Alchemy and Temporality

Reception

Kirkus Reviews wrote in 1962: "This book, translated from the French, is well documented. Any serious student of man will be well rewarded for the effort expended, and demanded, by this solid exposition of an unusual subject."^[3]

External links

• French publicity page
• American publicity page

Notes and References

1. Book: The Forge and the Crucible. WorldCat. 752675854 . 2016-05-28.
2. Book: Eliade, Mircea . The Forge and the Crucible: The Origins and Structure of Alchemy . University of Chicago Press . Chicago, IL . en.
3. Web site: The Forge and the Crucible. Kirkus Reviews. 2016-05-28.