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Dem zugehörigen Text zufolge gebären vereinte Gegensatzpaare, die der Maler im Hermaphroditen ins Bild setzt, vier Kinder: die vier Elemente der Natur - Erde, Wasser, Luft und Feuer -, aus deren Gesamtheit das fünfte Wesen entsteht, die Quintessenz. Dies erläutert der Text anhand eines Eis, eines weiteren zentralen Symbols der Alchemie, das die vier Elemente repräsentiert und aus dem das fünfte als junges Küken entschlüpft.
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Signifying the union of opposites, the hermaphrodite is one of alchemy's principal symbols. Indeed, there is scarcely an illuminated manuscript without one. In the three colours black, white and red, the Rebis (from Lat. res bina meaning "twofold matter") also stands for the essence of alchemical endeavour which aspires to overcome particular states of matter through the union of opposites. According to the related passage of text, united pairs of opposites, as envisioned by the painter in the figure of the hermaphrodite, bring forth four children: the four elements of nature - earth, water, air and fire. And it is from their entirety that the fifth "creature" emerges, this being the quintessence. In the text this notion is conveyed in terms of an egg, another of alchemy's foremost symbols. Embodying the four elements, the egg will hatch at some point, bringing forth the fifth element like a young chick. The four elements are also invoked by the image of a disc world with earth at the interior and three rings of water, air and fire revolving around it.
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