Hermetic

• PostEagle
• September 2, 2019
• Word Etymology
• 0 Comments

Today’s word is – HERMETIC.

HERMETIC means – COMPLETELY SEALED, ESPECIALLY AGAINST THE ESCAPE OR ENTRY OF AIR; ALSO IN REFERENCE TO HERMETIC, WHICH HAVE TO DO WITH THE OCCULT SCIENCES, ESPECIALLY ALCHEMY.

HERMETIC comes from Hermes, the Greek god. At some point Hermes became connected with alchemy, and alchemists began to consider themselves as HERMETIC, followers of Hermes. Alchemists are known to have discovered the pressurized method of sealing things against the escape or entry of air, and called this method HERMETIC.

However, many alchemists who referred to themselves as HERMETIC were actually referring to Hermes Trismegistus, the Egyptian scientist often connected with alchemy and so many other ideas in the scientific world. Experts still are unsure whether Hermes Trismegistus was actually alive or whether he was a god. Many credit him as having actually lived and having written thousands of books relating to human knowledge. Trismegistus means “thrice-greatest” and some believe it is because Hermes Trismegistus was referred to as “greatest and greatest god, great Hermes.” So it is this Hermes that alchemists ascribe their name of HERMETIC to, and it is he who they say they follow in the study of science and knowledge.