Jocus Severus by Count Michael Maier

The Serious Joke

Author - Count Michael Maier

Translated by Darius Klein

Illustrated by Benjamin A. Vierling

Book design by William Kiesel

Sewn hard-cover in letterpress dust jacket

178 pages, folding plate, ( 8� ) 5 x 8

Folding Plate of the Alchemical Aviary

Lively Narrative with Folk Lore

Great Gift Book

Quality bookmaking for beauty and longevity

The Jocus Severus, or Serious Joke was penned by Count Michael Maier and originally published in 1617 shortly after the appearance of the Rosicrucian Manifestos and presents itself in a similar vein of criticism against ignorant minds with the added artifice of humor. A prominent voice in alchemical circles in the court of Rudolf II, Maier is best known for his emblematic text Atalanta Fugiens, which employed engraved illustrations to accompany musical notation and poetic epigrams.

The present edition presents a beautiful and lively translation from the original Latin edition and features a folding-plate depicting the avian cast of characters found in the unfolding of Maiers Serious Joke. This first English translation offers readers access to one of the authors lesser known texts and provides keen insight into social, philosophical and alchemical approaches found among proponents of rosicrucian and alchemical circles of the renaissance.