Share

cover art for 51: Alchemy and the Scottish Wizard

The Creepy Wee Podcast

51: Alchemy and the Scottish Wizard

Ep. 51
•

Alchemy is a historical practice that attempts to transmute base metals into gold. Through the influence of the Muslim world, the knowledge of alchemy spread through Europe with the help of travelling scholars like Michael Scot.


Scot was a polyglot mathematician, alchemist, apothecary and academic born in Scotland. He worked with like-minded intellectuals like Leonardo Fibonacci to translate many influential texts that spurred the Renaissance. Despite his many accolades, his legacy as a magician and wizard was cemented in popular culture with his appearance in Dante Alighieri's epic poem, Inferno.


Merch

Twitter

Instagram

More episodes

View all episodes

  • 52. 52: Alexander Selkirk / The Real Robinson Crusoe

    32:27||Ep. 52
    Born in Fife in 1676, the story of Alexander Selkirk inspired Daniel Dafoe’s novel ‘Robinson Crusoe.’ After choosing to be marooned on a desert island, Selkirk endured solitude, enemy privateers and a round the world trip before landing back on home soil.

  • 50. 50: The Edinburgh Vaults

    43:13||Ep. 50
    The Edinburgh Vaults are a series of underground chambers located inside the South Bridge's enclosed arches. Originally used as storerooms, the poor conditions led to them becoming a place of squalor, crime, and possibly body snatching. MerchTwitterInstagram

  • 49. 49: Samhain

    32:42||Ep. 49

  • 48. 48: The Milk White Doo

    33:33||Ep. 48
    The Milk White Doo is a well known Scottish tale from times when stories were passed down from generations through word of mouth. Like most fairy tales, this story is meant to teach children about the realities of death and losing a close family member. MerchTwitterInstagram

  • 47. 47: The Mackenzie Poltergeist

    42:40||Ep. 47
    Greyfriars Kirkyard in Edinburgh is home to one of the world's most prolific and violent poltergeists in the world. It has been the subject of numerous investigations and paranormal sightings, with reports of objects being thrown and even people being levitated. The graveyard is believed to be haunted by the spirits of Covenanters who died under Bluidy George Mackenzie's prosecution.MerchTwitterInstagram

  • 46. 46: Wulver

    37:25||Ep. 46
    In Shetland folklore, the wulver, or wullver, is a wolf-like humanoid creature. Unlike traditional werewolf legends, the wulver is gentle, rarely harming humans. Some believe that it is a guardian of the sick and the poor. In modern times, the origins of this legend have been disputed.MerchTwitterInstagram

  • 45. 45: Drunk History

    01:03:26||Ep. 45
    Two drunk idiots share some weird Scottish history.

  • 44. 44: William Wallace II

    35:47||Ep. 44
    The conclusion of our series on the legendary William Wallace. Having led the Scots to a strategic victory over English forces at Stirling Bridge, he suffered a humiliating loss at Falkirk. After time on the run, Wallace returned only to be betrayed to the English. Regardless of defeat, his legacy has endured for centuries, inspiring and motivating generations of Scots and others to fight for freedom. MerchTwitterInstagram