Christian Rosenkreuz
Legendary founder of the Rosicrucian Order.
Last updated
Christian Rosenkreuz is the legendary, possibly allegorical, founder of the Rosicrucian Order, presented in three manifestos published early in the 17th century.[1]
Quick Facts
- Birth year
- 1378
- Death year
- 1484
- Age at death
- 106 years
- Founding of the brotherhood
- c. 1400–1403
- Manifestos
- Fama Fraternitatis (1614)
- Confessio Fraternitatis (1615)
- The Chymical Wedding of Christian Rosenkreutz (1616)
- Temple name
- Sanctus Spiritus (House of the Holy Spirit)
Facts from the source article.
Life and work
According to the Fama Fraternitatis, Rosenkreuz was a medieval German aristocrat orphaned at age four and raised in a monastery for twelve years.[1] The second Manifesto gives 1378 as the birth year of "our Christian Father."[2] He is said to have journeyed to the Holy Land, northern Africa, and Spain, discovering esoteric wisdom.[1] The Fama states he was 16 when in Damcar, staying there for three years.[3]
He then moved to Egypt briefly, then to Fez for two years, and later to Spain for an undetermined time.[3] He is said to have lived 106 years, implying a death date of 1484.[4] Some occultists have stated Rosenkreuz later reappeared as the Count of St. Germain.[5] The narrative places Rosenkreuz's travels in the early 15th century, during which he supposedly encountered sages from Turkish, Arab, Jewish, and Persian backgrounds.[1]
After his time in Spain, Rosenkreuz went back to Germany, and it is stated that he established his Brotherhood five years following his return.[3]
What the cited sources add
The "Templars and the Grail" (Quest Books, 2003) notes similar legends in Wolfram von Eschenbach's description of the Holy Grail.[6][7]
References
- Wikipedia, "Christian Rosenkreuz" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "East Meets West in the Middle Ages and Early Modern Times: Transcultural Experiences in the Premodern World", De Gruyter, 2013, p. 667–698 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Christian Rosenkreuz" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "from the year of Our Lord 1378 (in which year our Christian Father was born)", in Confessio Fraternitatis (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Christian Rosenkreuz" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Godwin J., McIntosh C., Pahnke D., ""Rosicrucian Trilogy"", Weiser Books, 2016 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Christian Rosenkreuz" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "in these one hundred and six years [1484?] of his life", Idem (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Christian Rosenkreuz" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Heindel, "Christian Rosenkreuz and the Order of Rosicrucians", 1909 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Open Library record, ISBN 0835608077 ("The Templars and the Grail"). CC0 (metadata); book content not read. openlibrary.org
- Wikipedia, "Christian Rosenkreuz" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Ralls, Karen, "The Templars and the Grail: knights of the quest", Quest Books/Theosophical Pub. House, 2003, p. 135 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Christian Rosenkreuz (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
More in Supernatural beings identified with Christian saints
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Christian Rosenkreuz (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced
