| Liber de Nymphis | |
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Original Name |
ニンフの書 |
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Romanized Name |
Ninfu no Sho |
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Author |
Paracelsus (パラケルスス Parakerususu) |
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Debut |
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Powers |
It summons the powers of elementals. |
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User |
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Status |
Inside the Labyrinth Library |
Liber de Nymphis, the Book of Nymphs, is a Phantom Book written by alchemist Paracelsus and used by Dalian after Hugh opened the Labyrinth Library for the first time. In the manga, it's also known as Book of Fairy (妖精の書 Yōsei no Sho) or Liber de Sylphis, the Book of Sylphis. It opposed The Harlequinade’s powers. In the anime, it was read by Hugh to defeat a dragon. It's present in the Turn-Up Book story.
The Liber de Nymphis is a grimoire, a textbook of magic. Its pages are made of parchment and its letters are written with animal blood.[1] In the anime, its gilded cover shows a sylph and has two green ribbon bows.[2]
Background
This Phantom Book is one of the few remaining tomes that reveals techniques to control spirits. Most of them were burned or replaced by fakes.[1] It’s contained inside the Labyrinth Library under the control number 390,520.[3]
It's based on a real-life work called “Liber de nymphis, sylphis, pygmaeis et salamandris, et de caeteris spiritibus”, by Swiss German philosopher Paracelsus, published posthumously in 1566. It describes four elementals, fundamental building blocks of nature: gnomes, sylphs, salamanders and nymphs, corresponding to earth, air, fire and water, respectively.[4][5]
Powers
A sylph is summoned in the form of a strong wind. When the book is opened, a shock wave is created, repelling any attack. It was capable of engulfing The Harlequinade’s dragon with its own flame.[1]
In the manga, it summons a powerful gust of wind that keeps the enemies away. Soon after, an alchemy circle covers the surroundings and energy is released like an explosion, making opponents disappear.[3]
Script
Anime
In the anime adaptation, Hugh reads the Liber de Nymphis to summon a sylph and defeat the dragon.[2]
"Sheol.
A dark and silent abyss where the souls of the dead wander.
My foray into the abyss began with the innocence of a child chasing after a butterfly.
Eternal pain. Each breath brings with it smothering despair.
What words might I offer if I were to come across my mother and father?
So long it has been since I bound across the earth, amassing a wealth of knowledge.
The intellect of a demon. The ultimate equation which barred my path.
And the solution. I continued to search.
For a simple and universal answer.
Joy. The joy of life. The consummate joy of man that shall never fade.
However, the irregular wingbeats of the butterfly give rise to an infinite array of realities.
The laws of life sneer at human wisdom and escape from our grasp.
Cries of all kinds are averted, yet poverty never goes away.
Humans devour each other, succumb to disease, and cry out in agony as they die.
Oh, Sheol.
Merciless god of the underworld. Death incarnate. Hear my voice! Hear the grievous sobs of a mourning child!
The carcass of the butterfly you have ensnared may pale or tear apart, yet still, there are those who would defy death for a single scale.
Behold! As the ferocious worms take flight into the sky again.
Crushed dreams… Lingering rays of sunset transformed into brilliant light…
Curl your lips into a smile.
Spread your wings with fervor! Take flight! Butterfly of despair!"
Manga
In the manga, it’s shown a page with an alchemy circle. The symbol shines before the circle covers the surroundings, going beyond the pages of the book. On the adjacent page, the first three strophes of Dies Irae can be read in Latin.[3]
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"The day of wrath, that day
will dissolve the world in ashes,
David being witness along with the Sibyl.
How great will be the quaking,
when the Judge will come,
investigating everything strictly.
The trumpet, scattering a wondrous sound
through the sepulchres of the regions,
will summon all before the throne."
Plot
The powers of a sylph from the Liber de Nymphis.
Hugh and Dalian are heading to Conrad’s study to seal The Harlequinade, since Conrad had taken the book from Wesley and released its creatures. They are stopped by a dragon. Hugh decides to distract the monster while Dalian runs to seal the Phantom Book. However, she tells Hugh to say the words inscribed in his golden key. The gates on Dalian’s chest are unlocked by Hugh. The dragon spits its flames, but Dalian is faster. She reaches her arm into her chest and pulls out the Liber de Nymphis. When she opens it, a shock wave is created next to her. She had summoned a sylph. The flames are reflected back to the dragon, which suffers, roaring and squirming on the ground. Hugh and Dalian use the chance to reach Conrad’s study.[1]
Hugh reads the Liber de Nymphis.
In the anime, the Liber de Nymphis appears from Dalian’s chest and ends up in Hugh’s hands. He reads the book, while some scenes show his childhood and experiences during the Great War. Dalian is also shown, sad due to Wesley’s death. The dragon turns to ashes after its flames are returned by the Liber de Nymphis.[2]
In the manga, the book is also used by Dalian. A gust of wind is created to keep the characters from The Harlequinade away. Dalian is seen with black eyes. Then, an alchemy circle shines above the mansion and in one of the pages of the book, causing an explosion that makes the circus creatures disappear.[3]
Trivia
- In the anime, the text read by Hugh mentions butterflies. Golden butterflies appear along with the gust of wind that defeats the dragon. It also mentions the "intellect of a demon"[2], something related to Phantom Books and The Mystic Archives of Dantalian.
- Translated as “Day of Wrath”, Dies Irae is a Latin hymn dating from the 13th century, attributed to either Italian friar Thomas of Celano or to Italian cardinal Latino Malabranca Orsini. It describes the Doomsday, the day of judgement, when the souls are summoned by God to be saved or punished for eternity.[7]
- Both texts from the Liber de Nymphis that appear in the anime and manga describe a man praying to a deity.
- The term "sylph" originates in Paracelsus' works and refers to a mythological spirit of the air. They are associated with fairies and described as rougher, taller, and stronger than humans.[9]
- The Liber de Nymphis is seen during the opening.
- Paracelsus was born Philippus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim.[5] Van Hohenheim is the name of Edward Elric's father in the Fullmetal Alchemist series.
References
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