Almanac – Gunpowder
December 21st, 2012This week’s Almanac is gunpowder. Alchemical gunpowder, that is. Salt (charcoal), sulfur (sulfur), and mercury (saltpeter) in unison to create a highly flammable compound. Interesting factoid. Europe (like Japethe) had a shortage of naturally occurring saltpeter so chemists developed the “French Method” of making it. What is the French Method? It’s a polite way of saying that they use dung and urine to make saltpeter. Oh euphemisms.
Snow by Night’s holiday break begins next week. We’ll be posting holiday sketches for the next two weeks. Stop by and get some holiday cheer. Pages resume on January 7!
Learning how people made gunpowder sure adds some perspective to the phrase “blow shit up”
bwah ha ha. I hadn’t thought of that angle before. Nice.
Fly, you fool!
I believe a fact check may be necessary. I am quite certain that saltpetre=x=mercury.
Thanks for the new almanac!
Yes, you’re right. Scientifically, saltpeter is potassium nitrate, which does not contain the element mercury. But Corthis operates according to Newton’s vision of alchemy, and saltpeter is acting as alchemical Mercury which is one of the three Essences (the others are salt and sulfur). This is different than the element. As with most things alchemical, the Essences are philosophical and not scientific.