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Spirits celestial influences and signs

Aerdadi

Air-dwelling spirits described as corporeal.

From the book

A Chymical Dictionary

Gerhard Dorn and John French · Diotimos Editions · 2026

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Orientation

At a Glance

  • The wordAir-dwelling spirits described as corporeal.
  • In the bookCompare Anachmus, expressly called incorporeal, and the fire-associated Æthnici.
  • A place to readThe historical definition below, 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition page 2; facsimile PDF page 330.

Historical definition

Aerdadi are corporeal spirits living in the air.

Meaning

The apparent tension between “spirits” and “corporeal” is part of the historical classification. The entry assigns these beings a dwelling place and a bodily character rather than treating every spirit as wholly without body. It is useful to retain both features. Replacing the expression simply with “air” would erase the beings described; replacing it with “incorporeal spirit” would reverse its stated qualification.

Use in the book

Compare Anachmus, expressly called incorporeal, and the fire-associated Æthnici. The contrasting descriptions show that the dictionary differentiates spirits by embodiment, appearance and habitat.

Places to read

  1. AerdadiRead the complete historical definition and its commentary.
  2. AnachmusA spirit expressly described as without body.
  3. ÆthniciFire-associated spirits described through visible forms and a mountain habitat.
  4. SylphesA spirit name locally equated with pygmies.

Source note

Historical source. 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition page 2; facsimile PDF page 330 — Facsimile

Sources. A Chymicall Dictionary (1650), s.v. Aerdadi ; compare Anachmus, Æthnici, Sylphes