The Fountain of Youth by Lucas Cranach the Elder

The Fountain of Youth is a legendary spring that reputedly restores the youth of anyone who drinks of its waters. Florida is often said to be its location, and stories of the fountain are some of the most persistent stories associated with the state. The Fountain of Youth is a legendary spring said to restore youth. ... Water of Life is another name for the Fountain of Youth. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (3200x2210, 969 KB) Description: Title: de: Der Jungbrunnen Technique: de: Öl auf Holz Dimensions: de: 122 × 186,5 cm Country of origin: de: Deutschland Current location (city): de: Berlin Current location (gallery): de: Gemäldegalerie Other notes: Source: The Yorck Project... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (3200x2210, 969 KB) Description: Title: de: Der Jungbrunnen Technique: de: Öl auf Holz Dimensions: de: 122 × 186,5 cm Country of origin: de: Deutschland Current location (city): de: Berlin Current location (gallery): de: Gemäldegalerie Other notes: Source: The Yorck Project... Portrait of Lucas Cranach the Elder at age 77 by Lucas Cranach the Younger (1550), at the Uffizi Gallery, Florence Lucas Cranach the Elder (Lucas Cranach der Ältere, 1472 – October 16, 1553) was a German painter and printmaker in woodcut and engraving. ... A natural spring on Mackinac Island in Michigan. ... This article is about the U.S. State of Florida. ...

The Fountain of Youth

Al-Khidr and Alexander watch the Water of Life revive a salted fish

A long-standing story is that Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León, Puerto Rico's first Governor, was searching for the Fountain of Youth when he traveled to present-day Florida in 1513, but the story did not start with him, nor was it unique to the New World. Tales of healing waters date to at least the time of the Alexander Romance, and were popular right up to the European Age of Exploration.^[1] The later legend derives from the "Water of Life" tale in the Eastern versions of the Alexander Romance, where Alexander and his servant cross the Land of Darkness to find the restorative spring. The servant in that story is in turn derived from Middle Eastern legends of Al-Khidr, a sage who is said to appear also in the Qur'an. Arabic and Aljamiado versions of the Alexander Romance were very popular in Spain during and after the period of Moorish rule, and would have been known to the explorers who journeyed to America. Image File history File links Al-khidr. ... Image File history File links Al-khidr. ... Al-Khadir (right) and Dhul-Qarnayn, here referring to Alexander the Great, marvel at the sight of a salted fish that comes back to life when touched by the Water of Life. ... For the film of the same name, see Alexander the Great (1956 film). ... Juan Ponce de León (1460 – July 1521[1][2]) was a Spanish conquistador. ... For other uses, see Governor (disambiguation). ... This article is about the U.S. State of Florida. ... 1513 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Frontispiece of Peter Martyr dAnghieras De orbe novo (On the New World). Carte dAmérique, Guillaume Delisle, 1722. ... The Alexander Romance is any of several collections of legends concerning the mythical exploits of Alexander the Great. ... The so-called Age of Exploration was a period from the early 15th century and continuing into the early 17th century, during which European ships were traveled around the world to search for new trading routes and partners to feed burgeoning capitalism in Europe. ... The Land of Darkness was a mythical land supposedly enshrouded in perpetual darkness. ... Al-Khadir (right) and Dhul-Qarnayn, here referring to Alexander the Great, marvel at the sight of a salted fish that comes back to life when touched by the Water of Life. ... The Qur’ān [1] (Arabic: , literally the recitation; also sometimes transliterated as Quran, Koran, or Al-Quran) is the central religious text of Islam. ... Arabic redirects here. ... Aljamiado text by mancebo de Arévalo. ... Al-Andalus is the Arabic name given the Iberian Peninsula by its Muslim conquerors; it refers to both the Caliphate proper and the general period of Muslim rule (711–1492). ...

There are countless indirect sources for the tale as well. Eternal youth is a gift frequently sought in myth and legend, and stories of things such as the philosopher's stone, universal panaceas, and the elixir of life are common throughout Eurasia and elsewhere. An additional hint may have been taken from the account of the Pool of Bethesda in the Gospel of John, in which Jesus heals a man at the pool in Jerusalem. Eternal Youth is the sixteenth episode of the Warner Bros. ... For other uses, see Philosophers stone (disambiguation). ... The universal panacea (PAN-ah-see-ah), one of the goals sought by many alchemists, was a remedy that would cure all diseases and prolong life indefinitely. ... The elixir of life, also known as the elixir of immortality or Dancing Water and sometimes equated with the Philosophers stone, is a legendary potion, or drink, that grants the drinker eternal life or eternal youth. ... For other uses, see Eurasia (disambiguation). ... Bethesda was originally the name of a pool in Jerusalem. ... For other uses, see Gospel of John (disambiguation). ... This article is about Jesus of Nazareth. ... For other uses, see Jerusalem (disambiguation). ...

The Arawaks and the land of Bimini

The native stories about the curative spring were related to the mythical land of "Beimeni", or Beniny, a land of wealth and prosperity. The spring was purportedly located on an island called Boinca. Although subsequent interpretations suggested the land was located in the vicinity of the Bahamas, the natives were referring to a location in the Gulf of Honduras.^[1] The islands of Bimini in the Bahamas were known as La Vieja during the Ponce expedition. According to legend, the Spanish heard of Bimini from the Arawaks in Hispaniola, Cuba, and Puerto Rico. Sequene, an Arawak chief from Cuba, had purportedly been unable to resist the lure of Bimini and its restorative fountain. He gathered a troupe of adventurers and sailed north, never to return. Word spread among Sequene's more optimistic tribesmen that he and his followers had located the Fountain of Youth and were living in luxury in Bimini. Bimini and its curative waters were widespread subjects in the Caribbean. Italian-born chronicler Peter Martyr d'Anghiera (Peter Martyr) told of them in a letter to the pope in 1513, though he didn't believe the stories and was dismayed that so many others did.^[2] Missing image Map of Belize, showing the Gulf of Honduras The Gulf or Bay of Honduras is a large inlet of the Caribbean Sea, indenting the coasts of Belize, Honduras and Guatemala. ... Arowak woman (John Gabriel Stedman) The term Arawak (from aru, the Lokono word for cassava flour), was used to designate the Amerindians encountered by the Spanish in the West Indies. ... Early map of Hispaniola Hispaniola (from Spanish, La Española) is the second-largest and most populous island of the Antilles, lying between the islands of Cuba to the west, and Puerto Rico to the east. ... West Indies redirects here. ... Frontispiece of De orbo novo Peter Martyr dAnghiera (in Italian, Pietro Martire Danghiera; in Spanish Pedro Mártir De Anghiera, Latin, Petrus Martyr Anglerius or ab Angleria) (February 2, 1457-October 1526) was an Italian-born historian of Spain and of the discoveries of her representatives during the... 1513 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Ponce de León and Florida

The story continues that Juan Ponce de León heard of the fountain from the people of Puerto Rico when he conquered the island. Growing dissatisfied with his material wealth, he launched an expedition to locate it, and in the process discovered Florida. Though he was one of the first Europeans to set foot on the American mainland, he never found the Fountain of Youth.

The story is apocryphal. While Ponce de León may well have heard of the Fountain and believed in it, his name was not associated with the legend in writing until after his death. That connection is made in Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo's Historia General y Natural de las Indias of 1535, in which he wrote that Ponce de León was looking for the waters of Bimini to cure his sexual impotence.^[3] Some researchers have suggested that Oviedo's account may have been politically inspired to generate favor in the courts.^[1] A similar account appears in Francisco López de Gómara's Historia General de las Indias of 1551.^[4] In the Memoir of Hernando D'Escalante Fontaneda in 1575, the author places the restorative waters in Florida and mentions de León looking for them there; his account influenced Antonio de Herrera y Tordesillas' history of the Spanish in the New World.^[5] Fontaneda had spent 17 years as an Indian captive after being shipwrecked in Florida as a boy. In his Memoir he tells of the curative waters of a lost river he calls "Jordan" and refers to de León looking for them. However, Fontaneda makes it clear he is skeptical about these stories he includes, and says he doubts de León was actually looking for the fabled stream when he came to Florida. Additionally, Ponce did not mention the fountain in his writings throughout the course of his expedition.^[1] Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés (August 1478-1557) was a Spanish historian. ... Francisco López de Gómara (1511?-1566?) was a Spanish historian at Seville, who is particularly noted for his works in which he described the early 16th century expedition undertaken by Hernándo Cortés in the Spanish conquest of the New World. ... Hernando de Escalante Fontaneda(ca. ... Year 1575 was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. ... Frontispiece of the princeps edition of Herreras Historia General. ...

It is Herrera who makes that connection definite in the romanticized version of Fontaneda's story included in his Historia general de los hechos de los Castellanos en las islas y tierra firme del Mar Oceano. Herrera states that local caciques paid regular visits to the fountain. A frail old man could become so completely restored that he could resume "all manly exercises… take a new wife and beget more children." Herrera adds that the Spaniards had unsuccessfully searched every "river, brook, lagoon or pool" along the Florida coast for the legendary fountain.^[6] It would appear the Sequene story is likewise based on a garbling of Fontaneda. Look up cacique in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

The very last excursion of Ponce de León ended in the vicinity of the modern Port Charlotte, Florida. Within a very short distance from the site of his last battle lies Warm Mineral Springs. This spring has been in use for thousands of years. It is, therefore, conceivable that his last action was an attempt to reach this artesian well, and to ascertain whether it is the Fount. Port Charlotte is a census-designated place located in Charlotte County, Florida. ... The Warm Mineral Springs (also known as Warm Salt Springs) is a historic artesian spring located 12 miles southeast of Venice, Florida, a mile north of U.S. 41. ...

Earlier versions of the legend

As noted above, the concept of a Fountain of Youth was not new to Europeans when they heard of it in the Caribbean. A Fountain or Well of Youth had appeared in the Alexander Romance, the Travels of Sir John Mandeville and writings related to Prester John long before the Old World became old. Explorers of the time had a habit of projecting onto newly-found places what they had read in books of fantastic travels, as demonstrated by the naming of Amazonia, the insistence that Ethiopia's king was Prester John, and the speculation that the Earthly Paradise was to be found in Asia, the Americas, or wherever its seekers happened to be looking. When the Spanish heard native American stories of a youth-rendering spring in a land of plenty, they could not help but believe they had found the wonderful Fountain of Youth at last. Unfortunately, earlier native versions of the legend are not known outside of what snippets Spanish chroniclers managed to preserve of what is sure to have been a rich tradition. West Indies redirects here. ... Full-page portrait of Sir John Mandeville. ... Preste enthroned on a map of East Africa in an atlas prepared for Queen Mary, 1558. ... For other uses, see Old World (disambiguation). ... Map of the Amazon rainforest ecoregions as delineated by the WWF. Yellow line encloses the Amazon rainforest. ... For other uses, see Garden of Eden (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Asia (disambiguation). ... World map showing the Americas CIA political map of the Americas in an equal-area projection The Americas are the lands of the Western hemisphere or New World, consisting of the continents of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions. ...

The Fountain of Youth today

Postcard from the Fountain of Youth in St. Augustine

The city of St. Augustine, Florida is home to the Fountain of Youth National Archaeological Park, a tribute to the spot where Ponce de León is traditionally said to have landed. The tourist attraction was created by Luella Day McConnell in 1904. "Diamond Lil", as she was known, fabricated stories to amuse and appall the city’s residents and tourists until her death in 1927.^[7] Image File history File links Fountain_of_Youth_postcard. ... Image File history File links Fountain_of_Youth_postcard. ... Nickname: Location in St. ...

Though the fountain situated there is not "the" Fountain, this does not stop tourists from drinking its water. The park exhibits native and colonial artifacts to celebrate St. Augustine's Timucuan and Spanish heritage. Pre-contact distribution of Timucua One of the sketches by Jacques Le Moyne de Morgues showing a Timucua village The Timucua were an American Indian people who lived in Northeast and North Central Florida and southeast Georgia. ...

In the book Weird Florida, part of the Weird U.S. series by Mark Moran and Mark Sceurman, author Charlie Carlson says he conversed with members of a supposed St. Augustine-based secret society claiming to be the protectors of the Fountain of Youth, which has granted them extraordinary longevity. They claimed Old John Gomez, a protagonist in the Gasparilla legend from Florida folklore, had been one of their members.^[8] In August 2006, popular American magician David Copperfield claimed he had discovered a true "Fountain of Youth" amid a cluster of four small islands in the Exuma chain of the Bahamas which he recently purchased for roughly $50 million. "I've discovered a true phenomenon," he told Reuters in a telephone interview. "You can take dead leaves, they come in contact with the water, they become full of life again. … Bugs or insects that are near death, come in contact with the water, they'll fly away. It's an amazing thing, very, very exciting." Copperfield, who turned 50 in September 2006, says that he hired scientists to conduct an examination of the "legendary" water, but as of now, the fountain remains off limits to outside visitors.^[9] Cover of Weird NJ. Weird NJ (WNJ) is a semiannual magazine that chronicles local legends, ghost stories, folklore and anything considered weird in the U.S. state of New Jersey. ... Mark Moran, a lifetime New Jersey resident is co-creator of the Weird NJ magazine and website. ... Mark Sceurman, a lifetime New Jersey resident is co-creator of the Weird NJ magazine and website. ... Jose Gaspar, known by his nickname Gasparilla, was a Spanish pirate who purportedly raided the west coast of Florida during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. ... David Copperfield (born David Seth Kotkin on September 16, 1956) is an American magician and illusionist best known for his combination of illusions and storytelling. ... Exuma Exuma is a district of the Bahamas, consisting of over 360 islands (or cays). ...

The Fountain of Youth lives on as a metaphor for anything that potentially increases longevity. It is a frequently used plot device in age regression stories. Nathaniel Hawthorne used the Fountain in "Dr. Heidegger's Experiment" to demonstrate that positive thinking is a far better remedy than deluded journeys to Florida for legendary cures; Orson Welles directed and starred in a 1958 TV program based on the legend;^[10] and Tim Powers featured it in On Stranger Tides, a novel of 17th century voodoo adventure. In 1953, the Walt Disney Company created a cartoon entitled Don's Fountain of Youth, in which Donald Duck had supposedly discovered the famous fountain and can't resist pretending to his nephews that it really works. In 1974 Marvel Comics featured the Fountain (which works if bathed in, but cripples if drunk from) in Man-Thing and later The Savage She-Hulk, and in 2005 the Fountain turned up in the DC Comics series Day of Vengeance. The fountain and its waters form the main plot device in Microsoft and Ensemble Studio's Age of Empires III campaign "Blood, Ice and Steel". Recently, characters in 2006 Darren Aronofsky film The Fountain search for the Tree of Life to cure a brain tumor. Jorge Luis Borges refers to the Fountain of Life in a short story in the book The Aleph, in which the people who are immortal get tired of it and eventually start looking for the Fountain of Death to reverse their immortality. The 2007 film Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End ends with Captain Jack Sparrow heading off to find the Fountain of Youth, positioned in southern Florida according to his map. Also, The Mighty Boosh has an episode called 'The Fountain of Youth' where the two characters Vince Noir and Howard Moon go searching for it. An episode of Cartoon Network's Ben 10 focuses on the lead characters defending the Fountain of Youth before it is ultimately vaporized. Age regression is a popular theme in transformation fiction involving the physical reduction in age by a character. ... Nathaniel Hawthorne (born Nathaniel Hathorne; July 4, 1804 – May 19, 1864) was a 19th century American novelist and short story writer. ... Dr. Heideggers Experiment is a short story by American author Nathaniel Hawthorne, about a scientist who claims to have been sent water from the Fountain of Youth. ... George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an Academy Award-winning American director, writer, actor and producer for film, stage, radio and television. ... Jan. ... Tim Powers at the Israeli ICon 2005 SF&F Convention Timothy Thomas Powers (born February 29, 1952) is an American science fiction and fantasy author. ... On Stranger Tides (Ace Books, 1987, ISBN 0441626831) is a fantasy novel written by Tim Powers. ... Year 1953 (MCMLIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Disney redirects here. ... Dons Fountain of Youth is a cartoon made by the Walt Disney Company in 1953. ... Donald Duck is an animated cartoon and comic-book character from Walt Disney Productions. ... Huey, Dewey and Louie Duck are a trio of fictional ducks who appear in animated cartoons and comic books published by the Walt Disney Company. ... Year 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the comic book company. ... The Man-Thing is a fictional comic book creature created by Stan Lee, Roy Thomas and Gerry Conway, and featured in various Marvel Comics titles, the most prominent of which was written by Steve Gerber. ... She-Hulk (Jennifer Walters) is a Marvel Comics superheroine. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... DC Comics is an American comic book and related media company. ... Day of Vengeance #1; cover by Walter Simonson. ... Age of Empires III (also called AoE III, or simply Age 3) is a real-time strategy (RTS) game developed by Ensemble Studios and published by Microsoft Game Studios. ... Darren Aronofsky (born February 12, 1969 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American film director, screenwriter and film producer. ... The Fountain is a 2006 science fiction/fantasy film directed by Darren Aronofsky that follows three interwoven narratives that take place in the age of conquistadors, the modern-day period, and the far future. ... The Tree-of-Life is a fictional plant (the ancestor of yams, with similar appearance and taste) in Larry Nivens Known Space universe, for which all Hominids have an in-built genetic craving. ... Borges redirects here. ... For other uses, see Aleph (disambiguation). ... Captain Jack Sparrow is a fictional character from the Pirates of the Caribbean universe who is portrayed by Johnny Depp. ... The Mighty Boosh is a British comedy television series and live show about two friends who go on a series of magical adventures. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... // Though the various forms of The Mighty Boosh have had many recurring characters, it has evolved a central cast of four or five characters who usually appear: Howard TJ Moon (Julian Barratt), TJ standing for Tommy Jerry (Tommy after Thomas Edison and Jerry after Jerry the mouse), is an aspiring... Ben 10 is an American animated television series created by Man of Action (a group consisting of Duncan Rouleau, Joe Casey, Joe Kelly, and Steven T. Seagle), and produced by Cartoon Network Studios. ...

See also

• Fountain of Life
• Indefinite lifespan

Godescalc Lectionary, commemorating the Baptism of Charlemagnes son in Rome in 781 with an image of the Fountain of Life. ... Indefinite lifespan is a term used in the life extension movement to refer to the longevity of humans (and other lifeforms) under conditions in which aging can be effectively and completely prevented and treated. ...

References

2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 93rd day of the year (94th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... RAdm Samuel Eliot Morison (1887-1976), USN historian Samuel Eliot Morison, RAdm, USNR (July 9, 1887 – May 15, 1976) was an American historian, notable for producing scholarly works that were both authoritative and highly readable, an ability recognized with two Pulitzer Prizes. ... Reuters Group plc (LSE: RTR and NASDAQ: RTRSY); pronounced is known as a financial market data provider and a news service that provides reports from around the world to newspapers and broadcasters. ...

External links

• Fountain of Youth - St. Augustine, Florida
• Memoir of Hernando D'Escalante Fontaneda
• Article on the Fountain of Youth
• Article on Al-Khidr and the Water of Life