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. Lucas Cranach the Elder ( Lucas Cranach der Ältere, 4 October 1472 &ndash 16 October 1553) was a German painter A spring is a point where Groundwater flows out of the ground and is thus where the Aquifer surface meets the ground surface Florida is often said to be its location, and stories of the fountain are some of the most persistent stories associated with the state. Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the

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. Al-Khidr (الخضر "the Green One" also transcribed Khidr Khidar Khizr Khizar; or most accurately Ĥiḍr) has a disputed status amongst scholars Alexander the Great ( or, Mégas Aléxandros; July 20 356 BC June 10 or June 11 323 BC also known as Alexander III of Macedon (el Ἀλέξανδρος Γ' Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Juan Ponce de León ( IPA: /xwan'ponʒedele'on/ (1460 – July 1521 was a Spanish Conquistador. Puerto Rico (ˌpwertoˈriko officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ("Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico" {{lang-en|"Associated Free State of Puerto Rico"}} A governor is a governing official usually the executive (at least nominally to different degrees also politically and administratively of a non-sovereign level of government Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the The New World is one of the names used for the non-Eurasian/non-African parts of the Earth specifically the Americas and Australia. 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. Alexander romance is any of several collections of legends concerning the mythical exploits of Alexander the Great. The Age of Discovery or Age of Exploration was a period from the early 15th century and continuing into the early 17th century during which Europeans explored ^[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 Land of Darkness was a mythical land supposedly enshrouded in perpetual darkness The servant in that story is in turn derived from Middle Eastern legends of Al-Khidr, a sage who appears also in the Qur'an. Al-Khidr (الخضر "the Green One" also transcribed Khidr Khidar Khizr Khizar; or most accurately Ĥiḍr) has a disputed status amongst scholars The Qur’an ( القرآن, literally "the recitation" also sometimes transliterated as Qur’ān, Koran, Alcoran 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. Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language Aljamiado texts are manuscripts which utilize the Arabic alphabet for transcribing Romance languages such as Mozarabic or Ladino. Al-Andalus (الأندلس was the Arabic name given to those parts of the Iberian Peninsula governed by Muslims or

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. Eternal youth is the concept of human physical Immortality free of Aging. The philosopher's stone (lapis philosophorum Greek: Chrysopoeia) is a Legendary substance supposedly capable of turning inexpensive Metals The panacea (pænəˈsiːə named after the Greek goddess of healing Panacea, was supposed to be a remedy that would cure all Diseases and prolong life indefinitely The elixir of life, from Arabic الإكسير also known as the elixir of immortality or Dancing Water or Persian: Aab-e-Hayaat آب حیات For the superstate in George Orwell 's novel see Nations of Nineteen Eighty-Four. 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. For the various places named after the Pool of Bethesda see Bethesda. The Gospel of John (literally According to John; Greek, Κατὰ Ἰωάννην Kata Iōannēn) is the fourth Gospel in the canon Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) Jerusalem (יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, he-Latn Yerushaláyim; Arabic: ar القُدس, ar-Latn al-Quds) is the

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. The Gulf or Bay of Honduras is a large inlet of the Caribbean Sea, indenting the coasts of Belize, Honduras and Guatemala. ^[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. The term Arawak (from aru, the Lokono word for Cassava flour was used to designate the Amerindians encountered by the Spanish in Hispaniola (from Spanish, La Española) is the second-largest and most populous Island of the Antilles, lying between the islands of The Republic of Cuba (ˈkjuːbə or) consists of the island of Cuba (the largest and second-most populous island of the Greater Antilles) Isla de la Puerto Rico (ˌpwertoˈriko officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ("Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico" {{lang-en|"Associated Free State of Puerto Rico"}} Sequene, an Arawak chief from Cuba, had purportedly been unable to resist the lure of Bimini and its restorative fountain. The Republic of Cuba (ˈkjuːbə or) consists of the island of Cuba (the largest and second-most populous island of the Greater Antilles) Isla de la 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. The Caribbean (ˌkærəˡbiən kæ'rəbiən Cariben|Caraïben or Caraïben; Caraïbe or more commonly Antilles; Caribe is a Region consisting 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. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Peter Martyr d'Anghiera (in Italian, Pietro Martire d'Anghiera; in Spanish Pedro Mártir De Anghiera, Latin, Petrus Martyr ^[2]

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 Americas are the lands of the Western hemisphere or New World, consisting of the Continents of North America and South America

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. Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés (August 1478 - 1557 was a Spanish Historian and Writer. ^[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. 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 ^[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. Hernando de Escalante Fontaneda (c 1536 – after 1575 dates uncertain was a Spanish Shipwreck survivor who lived among the Indians of Florida Antonio de Herrera y Tordesillas ( 1559 - March 29, 1625) Spanish Historian, was born at Cuéllar, in the province ^[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. This article is about the Jordan River and its valley in western Asia 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]

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. Cacique or Cazique (female form Cacica) from the Taíno word for the Pre-Columbian tribal chiefs or leaders, of the Taino 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.

The very last excursion of Ponce de León ended in the vicinity of the modern Port Charlotte, Florida. Port Charlotte is a Census-designated place (CDP in Charlotte County, Florida, United States. Within a very short distance from the site of his last battle lies Warm Mineral Springs. The Warm Mineral Springs (also known as Warm Salt Springs) is a historic Artesian spring located in North Port Florida, a mile north of 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.

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. The Caribbean (ˌkærəˡbiən kæ'rəbiən Cariben|Caraïben or Caraïben; Caraïbe or more commonly Antilles; Caribe is a Region consisting 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. " Jehan de Mandeville " translated as " Sir John Mandeville " is the name claimed by the compiler of a singular book of supposed travels written in The legends of Prester John (also Presbyter John) popular in Europe from the 12th through the 17th centuries told of a Christian Patriarch The Old World consists of those parts of Earth known to Europeans Asians and Africans in the 15th century 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. The Amazon Rainforest (Brazilian Portuguese: Floresta Amazônica or Amazônia; Spanish: Selva Amazónica or Amazonía NOTE This intro is the result of careful NPOV work Please do not make potentially controversial edits to it without first discussing on the talk page Not to be confused with Eden Gardens.The Garden of Eden ( Hebrew "pleasure" גַּן עֵדֶן Arabic: جنات عدن, The Americas are the lands of the Western hemisphere or New World, consisting of the Continents of North America and South America 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.

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. St Augustine is the County seat of St Johns County, Florida, in the United States. 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]

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. 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. Weird NJ ( WNJ) is the title of a biannual Magazine and two paranormal guides that chronicle local Legends Hauntings 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 Charlie Carl Carlson Jr (born in Sanford Florida) is a prolific American and Florida author novelist actor and film producer 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. David Copperfield (born David Seth Kotkin; September 16, 1956) is a magician and illusionist For the musician Exuma see Exuma (musician. Exuma is a district of the Bahamas, consisting of over 360 islands (or "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]

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. Nathaniel Hawthorne (born Nathaniel Hathorne; July 4 1804 – May 19 1864 was an American novelist and Short story writer " Dr Heidegger's Experiment " is a Short story by American author Nathaniel Hawthorne, about a scientist who claims to have been sent water from George Orson Welles (May 6 1915 – October 10 1985 was an Academy Award -winning director, writer actor and producer for film stage radio and television Year 1958 ( MCMLVIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Timothy Thomas Powers (born February 29, 1952) is an American Science fiction and fantasy author On Stranger Tides is a 1988 Fantasy novel written by Tim Powers. 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. Year 1953 ( MCMLIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Don's Fountain of Youth is a Cartoon made by The Walt Disney Company in 1953. Donald Duck is a cartoon character from The Walt Disney Company. Huey, Dewey, and Louie Duck are a trio of Ducks who appear in Animated cartoons and Comic books published by The Walt Disney Company 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. Year 1974 ( MCMLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. Marvel Comics is an American comic book company owned by Marvel Publishing Inc The Man-Thing is a Fictional character in the, created by writers Stan Lee, Roy Thomas, and Gerry Conway and artist Gray Morrow She-Hulk ( Jennifer Susan Walters) is a Marvel Comics superheroine Created by writer Stan Lee and artist John Buscema, she 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 is a six-issue Comic book Limited series written by Bill Willingham, with art by Justiniano and Walden Wong 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". Age of Empires III (also called AOE III) is a real-time strategy (RTS game developed by Ensemble Studios and published by Recently, characters in 2006 Darren Aronofsky film The Fountain search for the Tree of Life to cure a brain tumor. Darren Aronofsky (born February 12, 1969 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American Film director, Screenwriter The Fountain is a 2006 American science fiction / Fantasy film directed by Darren Aronofsky that follows three interwoven A tree of life is a mystical concept a Metaphor for common descent or a Motif in various world theologies and philosophies. 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 Aleph and Other Stories (Spanish El Aleph, 1949 is a book of short stories by Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges. 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. Pirates of the Caribbean At World's End is a 2007 Adventure film, the third film in the ''Pirates of the Caribbean'' series. Captain Jack Sparrow is a Fictional character from the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise who is portrayed by Johnny Depp. 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. The Mighty Boosh, colloquially referred to as The Boosh, is the collective name for the creators of the British television situation comedy written by and starring The following is a list of recurring characters from The Mighty Boosh, including characters from the television series the radio series, and The following is a list of recurring characters from The Mighty Boosh, including characters from the television series the radio series, and An episode of Cartoon Network's Ben 10 focuses on the lead characters defending the Fountain of Youth before it is ultimately vaporized. Ben 10 is an American Animated television series created by "Man of Action" (a group consisting of Duncan Rouleau, Joe Casey,

See also

• Fountain of Life
• Indefinite lifespan

References

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