mandragora
plant_spirit earth European single tradition · 1
A powerful plant spirit known in German as Alreona, Alraun or Alraune, directly compared to the homunculus in alchemical texts. The mandragora is created through elaborate ritual involving bryony root, requiring specific timing, burial in a churchyard grave, and ritual feeding. When properly prepared and carried, it serves as a powerful magical object.
When
- Historical notes
- Earlier folk tradition that may have influenced sixteenth-century alchemical writings about the homunculus.
Relationships
- co occurs with
- golem, homunculus
Mentioned by
Sources
wikipedia (1)
Source passages
“The mandragora, known in German as Alreona, Alraun or Alraune is one example; Jean-Baptiste Pitois's The History and Practice of Magic makes a direct comparison to the homunculus”
#4016 · extracted by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.5