Umkhuba we-alchemy uhlehlela emuva ezikhathini zasendulo, kodwa igama ngokwalo lisukela ekuqaleni kwekhulu le-17. Ivela ku-kimya yesi-Arabhu kanye nenkulumo yasePheresiya yangaphambili ethi al-kimia, okusho "ubuciko bokudlulisa izinsimbi"-ngamanye amazwi, ukushintsha insimbi ibe enye.
Ekucabangeni kwe-alchemical, izinsimbi zaziyi-archetypes ephelele eyayimelela izakhiwo eziyisisekelo zazo zonke izinto. Zaziwusizo futhi—izazi ze-alchemist zazikwazi ukushintsha izinsimbi eziyisisekelo njengensimbi noma umthofu zibe igolide, isiliva noma ithusi ngokuzihlanganisa nezinye izinto futhi zizishise ngomlilo.
Izazi ze-alchemists zazikholelwa ukuthi lezi zinqubo zembula okuthile mayelana nemvelo yento: Umthofu wawucatshangwa ukuthi uyinguqulo efiphele yeSaturn; Insimbi, iMars; Ithusi, iVenus; njalo njalo. Ukufuna “i-elixir yokuphila” kuyaqhubeka namuhla phakathi kwezazi zezinto eziphilayo nezazi ze-biotechnologists ezizama ukuqonda ukuthi amangqamuzana nezinto eziphilayo ziguga kanjani.
Kwake kwaba khona isazi samakhemikhali enkathi ephakathi okuthiwa uParacelsus owayekholelwa ukuthi kwakungenzeka ukudala “isilwane esinengqondo” esidalwe ngokwenziwa, noma umuntu, asibiza ngokuthi i-Homunculus. NgokukaParacelsus, “I-Homunculus inazo zonke izitho nezici zengane ezalwa owesifazane, ngaphandle kwezincane kakhulu.”
I-Alchemy yayiqhutshwa yizimpucuko ezimbalwa zeNkathi Yasendulo, kusukela eShayina kuya eGreece Yasendulo, ukuthuthela eGibhithe phakathi nenkathi yobuGreki. Kamuva, phakathi nekhulu le-12, yabuyiselwa eYurophu ngezinguqulo zesiLatini zemibhalo yesi-Arabhu.
Kunemigomo emine eyinhloko ku-alchemy. Esinye sazo kungaba “ukuguqulwa” kwezinsimbi ezisezingeni eliphansi zibe igolide; omunye ukuthola i-“Elixir of Long Life”, umuthi ongalapha zonke izifo, ngisho nezimbi kakhulu (ukufa), futhi unikeze ukuphila isikhathi eside kulabo abawudlayo.
Yomibili imigomo ingafinyelelwa ngokuthola Itshe Lefilosofi, into eyimfihlakalo. Inhloso yesithathu kwakuwukudala impilo yomuntu yokwenziwa, i-homunculus.
Kukhona abacwaningi abahlonza i-Elixir of Long Life njengento ekhiqizwa umzimba womuntu ngokwawo. Umthombo walokhu okungaziwa okubizwa ngokuthi "i-Adrenochrome" yizindlala ze-adrenalin ezivela emzimbeni womuntu ophilayo. Kukhona izinkomba zale nto engaqondakali nangokwesiko le-Tai Chi Chuan.
U-Elizabeth Báthory, i-Blood Countess edume kabi, kwakungowesifazane ohlonishwayo waseHungary wekhulu le-17 owabulala ngokuhlelekile izintombi ezingenakubalwa (ezingama-600 ngokwezibalo), hhayi nje ngokuzihlukumeza, kodwa ngokuthatha igazi lazo ukuze zilidle futhi zigezwe ukuze zigcine ubusha bazo.
Igama elithi homunculus livela okokuqala emibhalweni ye-alchemical okuthiwa i-Paracelsus (1493 - 1541), udokotela waseSwitzerland-German kanye nesazi sefilosofi, umguquli wesikhathi sakhe. Emsebenzini wakhe "De natura rerum" (1537), uhlaka lwendlela yakhe yokudala i-homunculus, wabhala:
“Isidoda somuntu masizibole sodwa okhumbeni oluvalwe uphawu ngokubola okuphakeme kakhulu kwe-venter equinus [umquba wehhashi] izinsuku ezingamashumi amane, noma kuze kube yilapho siqala ukuphila, ukunyakaza, nokuyaluza, okungase kubonakale kalula. ...Uma manje, ngemva kwalokhu, kondliwa nsuku zonke futhi kondliwa ngokucophelela nangokucophelela [ngenqwaba] yegazi lomuntu...kuba, kusukela lapho, usana lweqiniso nophilayo, oluba nawo wonke amalungu omntwana ozelwe owesifazane, kodwa kuncane kakhulu.”
Kukhona ngisho nezinsalela zokubhalwa kwenkathi ephakathi eziye zasinda kuze kube namuhla eziqukethe izithako zokwenza i-homunculus, futhi kuyinqaba kakhulu.
Kukhona ezinye izindlela zokwenza i-homunculus, kodwa azikho ezididayo noma ezingcolile njengalezi. Njengoba singena sijula ekukholelweni okungaqondakali, ukwakheka kwalezi zilo kuba okungaqondakali futhi okungaqondakali, kuze kube yilapho kuphela abaqalisiwe abakuqonda ngempela okushiwoyo.
Ngemuva kwesikhathi seParacelsus, i-homunculus yaqhubeka nokuvela emibhalweni ye-alchemical. UChristian Rosenkreutz "Umshado Wamakhemikhali" (1616), isibonelo, iphetha ngokudalwa kwefomu lowesilisa nowesifazane owaziwa ngokuthi i-Homunculi.
Umbhalo ongokomfanekiso uphakamisa kumfundi ukuthi umgomo oyinhloko we-alchemy akuyona i-chrysope, kodwa kunalokho isizukulwane sokwenziwa samafomu omuntu.
Ngo-1775, u-Count Johann Ferdinand von Kufstein, kanye no-Abbé Geloni, umfundisi wase-Italy, kuthiwa badale i-homunculi eyishumi enekhono lokubona kusengaphambili ikusasa, u-von Kufstein agcinwe ezitsheni zengilazi endaweni yakhe yokulala yaseMasonic eVienna.
I-Homunculi yizinceku eziwusizo kakhulu, ezikwazi ubudlova obungokomzimba kuphela, kodwa futhi namakhono amaningi omlingo.
Ezimweni eziningi, i-homunculi yizinceku ezithembeke kakhulu, ngisho nokubulala ngomyalo uma i-alchemist eyala kanjalo. Kodwa, kunezinganekwane eziningi zama-alchemists abaphatha indalo yabo ngokunganaki, kuze kube yilapho i-homunculus iphendukela inkosi yayo ngesikhathi esifanele kakhulu, ibabulale noma ilethe inhlekelele enkulu ekuphileni kwabo.
Namuhla, akekho owaziyo ukuthi i-Homunculus yake yaba khona yini. Abanye bakholelwa ukuthi zadalwa isangoma noma isangoma, kanti abanye bathi zavela ocwaningweni lukasosayensi ohlanyayo aluhambanga kahle.
Kube nokubonwa okuningi kwe-Homunculus phakathi neminyaka, ngisho nanamuhla. Abanye bathi bafana nabantu abancane, kanti abanye bathi babukeka njengezilwane noma izilo. Kuthiwa ziyashesha futhi ziyashesha, futhi ziyakwazi ukukhuphuka izindonga nosilingi kalula.
I-Homunculus kuthiwa ihlakaniphe kakhulu, futhi iyakwazi ukuxhumana nabantu. Kuthiwa futhi bakhohlakele kakhulu, futhi bayakujabulela ukudlala abantu.
Ekugcineni kwendaba, ayikho indlela yokwazi ngokuqinisekile ukuthi i-Homunculus ikhona. Ubukhona bayo kuseyimpicabadala. Nokho, umqondo wokudala umuntu ngokuzenzakalelayo uye wathakazelisa abantu amakhulu eminyaka, futhi uze waphefumulela ososayensi abathile ukuba bazame ukudala isidalwa esinjalo.
Ngakho-ke, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi i-Homunculus ikhona noma cha, umbono uyinto ethakazelisayo, futhi ngokuqinisekile kungenzeka ukuthi isidalwa esinjalo singaba khona endaweni ethile emhlabeni; futhi izindaba nokubonwa kwazo phakathi neminyaka kungase kube okwangempela ngempela.
