“If at the time of a meteor falling are heard the sounds of roaring, clapping hands, instrumental music, songs and loud cries, the country and its ruler will come to grief.
… one that resembles snakes or boars and is accompanied by a wreath of sparks, or is shattered to pieces and attended with noise, proves sinful in effect.”
Bṛhat-saṃhitā
Varāhamihira
505 - 587
Panditabhushana V. Subrahmanya Sastri and
Vidwan M. Rmakrishna Bhat
Bangalore 1946
Chapter 33 – Ulkas or Meteors
Verses 23 and 28
“I don’t remember the year exactly, but more than twenty years ago, when the fallow land was being plowed up, at breakfast time I was sitting on the porch of the house at the Vanavara trading station and facing towards the north.
I had just raised my axe to hoop a cask when suddenly I noticed how in the north above Vasily Il’ich Onkoul’s Tunguska Road, the sky split in two, and in it, high and wide above the forest, a fire appeared. The heavens moved apart a great distance; the whole northern part of the sky was covered with fire.
At that moment I got so hot I couldn’t endure it, as if my shirt had burst into flame while still on me, and from out of the north, from where the fire was, there came an intense heat. I wanted to rip off my shirt and throw it away, but at that moment the sky slammed shut, and a mighty crash resounded and I was thrown about three sazhen’s (21 feet) to the ground. For a moment I lost consciousness, but my wife, running out, brought me back into the hut.
After the crash there came such a noise as if stones were falling, or a cannon was firing. The earth trembled, and while I lay on the ground I covered my head fearing that the stones might smash it.
At the moment when the sky opened, a hot wind, as if from a cannon, blew past the huts from the north. It left traces on the ground in the form of little paths, and damaged the growing onion plants.”
Giant Meteorites
E. L. Krinov
translated by J. S. Romankiewicz
Pergamon 1966, pp. 147-8.
“At the moment when I arose from the boards, amid the rapidly intensifying sound of thunder, there resounded the first, comparatively small crash. It made me quickly turn halfway around to the right, that is, to the southeast, from whence there fell on me the beams of a bright sun, and I had to raise my eyes a little upwards in the direction of the crash of thunder I’d heard, in precisely that direction from which the sunbeams were shining on me. This somewhat hindered my observation of that phenomenon which, all the same, showed itself visible to the eye the moment after the first peal of thunder — namely, when I quickly turned in the direction of the crash, the sunbeams were cut through by a wide, white-hot streamer from the right side of the beams, while from the left in the direction of the north (or, as seen from the Angara, beyond the Kezhma field) there went flying erratically into the taiga an even more white-hot (paler than the sun, but almost the same as the sunbeams) somewhat elongated mass in the form of a cloud, with a diameter far bigger than the moon....without any regularly defined edges.
After the first faint crash, in about two or three seconds, or maybe more, … there resounded a second, rather loud thunderclap. If you compared it with a normal thunderclap, then it would be as loud as the ones that happen during a thunderstorm.
After that second crash ... the mass was no longer visible, but its tail, or more correctly its streamer, now found itself all on the left side of the sunbeams, having cut through them, and having become many times broader than it had been on the right side.
And right then, in a shorter interval of time than between the first and the second crashes, there followed a third thunderclap, one so strong it was as if it had several crashes mingled together inside of it, with such a crash that the ground shook, and throughout the taiga there reverberated such an echo, and not even an echo, but some sort of deafening solid roar. It seemed that that roar enveloped the whole taiga of unencompassable Siberia.”
Giant Meteorites
E. L. Krinov
translated by J. S. Romankiewicz
Pergamon 1966, p. 149.
“On 30 June, 1908, in the Tunguska region of Central Siberia, an area of inaccessible forest, surging rivers and roadless steppe, a (140-foot-long space-rock), a tongue of flame shaped like a spear, a red fire-ball, larger and more brilliant than the sun, streaked across the sky followed by a train of dust and accompanied by a deafening roar, thunderous crashes and a terrific explosion (around 3-6 miles above ground).
A huge pillar of flame shot upwards, cutting the sky in two.
A black mushroom-shaped cloud rose into the atmosphere.
People were thrown to the ground (as were horses), windows broke, buildings creaked and groaned.
The waters of rivers backed up against the flow.
The driver of a train on the recently completed trans-Siberian railway stopped his engine in the steppe believing it had been derailed.
A giant (air)-pressure wave swept twice around the Earth.
The pendulums of seismographs agitated wildly.
The following nights were marked by fiery glows and brilliant skies.”
The Tungus Event
Rupert Furneaux
Panther books, 1977
Page 1
“The famous story of the Tunguska meteorite, which L. A. Kulik worked to investigate since 1927, was explained to me by the Tungus at the mouth of the Chunya on the Stony Tunguska in a very simple way. When, in 1926 at the Chunya, I talked with the Tungus about the catastrophe of 30th June 1908 - in order to obtain more exact data to be used for the forthcoming search operation for the meteorite - they persistently kept silent and deflected the inquiry into this event again and again; however, I persisted in my questions and they reported the following:
For a long time, there had been tribal feuds between a group of Tungus clans in the basin of the Stony Tunguska and clans living along the right tributaries of the Lower Tunguska. Eventually, this hostility resulted in the shamans sending their evil spirits against each other to cause diseases. Then one of the shamans called the Agdy to destroy the hated enemies.
In the early morning of the 30th June 1908 an interminable legion of Agdy came flying down upon the grounds of the Shanyagir clan and brought disaster to many families of the Shanyagir: some tents flew into the air, “higher than the forest”, and the people sleeping inside suffered from bruises; From [the herd of] Andrey Onkoul, a Tungus, 250 reindeer vanished without any trace; other Tungus' dogs and some reindeer were killed; the storage platforms with bread and equipment were destroyed; the forest, a real, ancient taiga, was flattened within a few seconds to an expanse of approximately 10,000 km² in the catchment areas of the rivers Chambe, Zhilushmo and Khushmo; there was a tremendous thunderous noise, which caused crevices in the earth (at this moment, the seismograph of Irkutsk recorded a really extraordinary type of earthquake).
Owing to these impressions, the inhabitants of that part of the taiga fled in panic in all directions, leaving every last one of their belongings behind. All this is blamed on the Agdy.
Now many Tungus believe that only the Agdy can live at the place of that catastrophe; it has already been 20 years since then, and still nobody dares turn up in this area.”
Innokentiy Mikhaylovich Suslov
Materials on the shamanism of the Evenki Tungus on the Middle and Lower Tunguska.
Collected and recorded by IM Suslov 1926/1928
introduced, translated, annotated, etymological glossary and indexed by:
Karl. H. Menges. Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz 1983, p. 4.
English translation by Joachim Otto Habeck
“The Tungus have only one expression for the thunder — Agdy — by which they also describe the Old Man, the Lord of the Thunder, as well as all the thunderbirds that come down to earth and cause the thunder.
The Agdy birds are as big as black grouses, are made of iron, and their eyes are fiery. The thunder arises from their flight above the earth and their eyes flash like lightning.
All the Agdy have close relationships to certain shamans ... Some old shamans were great friends of the thunder, and this friendship has passed to their descendants. That is why any wicked shaman can call the Agdy in order to do harm to a group of people he hates or even to a whole clan.”
Innokentiy Mikhaylovich Suslov
Materials on the shamanism of the Evenki Tungus on the Middle and Lower Tunguska.
Collected and recorded by IM Suslov 1926/1928
introduced, translated, annotated, etymological glossary and indexed by:
Karl. H. Menges. Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz 1983, p. 4.
English translation by Joachim Otto Habeck
The god comes, the god comes.
The earth trembles in fear at the coming of Ogdy.
The earth rises and falls beneath my feet, like waves of water.
My place of purification is overthrown, my lodgepoles topple.
The god comes.
The god calls out.
Blinding-bright, his tongue lashes the sky.
His roar booms off the hills, the heavens ring with it.
Ogdy is calling his avatar from the Lower World.
The earth at my feet tears open at the touch of his fiery tongue.
The god calls out.
Heeding the god’s call, the avatar arises.
Night-walker, Spawn of Darkness, Beast of Evil Heart,
From the Lower World he arises.
Insatiable, All-devouring,
As wild dogs tearing at entrails of their kill,
Heeding the god’s call, the avatar arises.
Shamanic Chant
Shaman Vasiliy Dzhenkoul
translated by Dieter Hoffman
Professor of Siberian Ethnography
Hamburg University
The Tungus (Evenki) tribesmen
from the mouth of the Chuny
on the Stony Tunguska river
interviewed by Innokentiy Mikhaylovich Suslov in 1926
1295?
Fifth month May 21 - June 21
“In the fifth month of the year yih-wei (probably 1295) on a place near the lake at I hing, all of a sudden there were two dragons which, twisting around each other and fighting, both fell into the lake. Their length had no sharp limits.
In a short space of time a heavy wind came riding on the water, which reached a height of more than a chang (ten ch'ih or feet). Then there fell from the sky more than ten fire balls, having the size of houses of ten divisions. The two dragons immediately ascended (to the sky), for Heaven, afraid that they might cause calamity, sent out sacred fire to drive them away. Supposed that Heaven had been a little remiss for a moment, then within a hundred miles everything would have turned into gigantic torrents.
When I recently passed by boat the Peachgarden of Teh Ts'ing, those paddy fields were all scorched and black, some tens of acres in all. Then we moored the boat to the bank and asked those villagers (for the reason). They said:
'Yesterday noon there was a big dragon which fell from the sky. Immediately he was burned by terrestrial fire and flew away. For that what the dragons fear is fire’.”
The Dragon in China and Japan
pages 48-49
Sourced from:
New Light on the Black Death
page 137
“A good deal of information has survived to the present day about the Norwich Guild of St. George. The Norwich Guild was formed in 1389 and the primary purpose of the organisation was to attend mass on St. George’s day.
Records dating from 1408 show that the celebration of St. George’s Day took the form of a public procession in Norwich where a re-creation of the battle between George and the dragon was staged. Usually an actor, dressed in an expensive and rich costume, would assume the role of St. George, although, in some years, a statue of the saint was conveyed through the town.
In many ways, the celebrations of St. George’s Day were a mixture of religious devotions and displays of civic pride and status, and they would have been lively, jolly and noisy affairs with important or significant local dignitaries such as the mayor enjoying pride of place as the procession marched through the city.
The dragon, which is recorded as being so designed that, by the use of gunpowder, sparks and smoke flew from his mouth, must have provided the townspeople with a great spectacle.
The dragon came to be affectionately known as ‘Snap’ and, in addition to a mouth that could open and shut, had wings that could be operated and made to flap by the man inside the costume.
The Snapdragon would threaten the onlookers by charging at them during the processional march.
…
Such events took place in many English cities and towns in the Middle Ages, including London, Leicester, York, Chichester, Reading, Chester and Coventry.”
St. George
Giles Morgan 2006
pages 100-101
“The mystery of the origins of the red dragon symbol, now on the flag of Wales, has perplexed many historians, writers and romanticists, and the archaeological community generally has refrained from commenting on this most unusual emblem, claiming it does not concern them.
In the ancient Welsh language it is known as “Draig Goch” – “Red Dragon”, and in “Y Geriadur Cymraeg Prifysgol Cymru”, the “University of Wales Welsh Dictionary”, there are translations for the various uses of the Welsh word “Draig”:
Amongst them are common uses of the word, which is today taken just to mean a “dragon”, but in times past it has also been used to refer to “Mellt Distaw” – “Sheet Lightning”.
But the most interesting usage of the word in earlier times, according to this authoritative dictionary, is “Maen Mellt” the word used to refer to a “Meteorite”.
And this makes sense, as the Welsh word “Maen” translates as “stone”, while the Welsh word “Mellt” translates as “lightning” – so literally a “Lightning-Stone”.
That the ancient language of the Welsh Druids has words still in use today that have in the past been used to describe both a dragon and also a meteorite, is something that greatly helps us to follow the destructive “trail of the dragon” as it was described in early Welsh “riddle poems”.
The European “Dark Age” and Welsh Oral Tradition – On the Trail of the Dragon
http://www.morien-institute.org/darkages.html
Sourced from Randall Carlson:
Apocalyptic Visions, Symbols and Art, Dragons & More
Cosmography101-14.2 w_ Randall Carlson '08
When earth beneath the weight of evil groaned,
No teacher, guide, or chief her children owned.
Reckless of God, they felt no righteous awe,
And cast aside the dictates of his law.
The fiend accursed his banner wide unfurl’d,
And shook his pinions (“wings”) joyous o’er the world.
Exulting laughed haughty Ahriman,
And marked creation struggling in his chain.
Twas in that dark despairing hour, that God,
To helpless man his saving mercy shewed.
…
…
A cloud like to an eagle’s pinion rue.
So thick a gloom its gathering shadow spread,
The sun is veiled, the day grows dark and dread.
And from that cloud no rain, but, strange to tell,
Lions and tigers, wolves and dragons fell,
The crocodile and panther of the waste,
All that is horrible, misshapen, vast,
The writhing serpent and the bird obscene,
All things detested that the eye has seen,
Or fancy feigned; and still with gathering storm,
Fast falls each savage shape, and grisly form.
…
…
… Lo! a hill descends from upper air,
And from its aide, beams forth refulgent light,
Dispels the clouds and breaks the gloom of night.
Then comes a hurrying blast, before whose breadth
Fast fly those grim aspects and shapes of death.
Opening of The Book of Zoroaster
(not to be confused with the Avesta)
Zartushi-Behram 1277
translated by: E. B. Eastwick, Esq., from
Wilson, John
The Parsi Religion
Bombay: American Mission Press, 1843, pp. 477 ff.
This portion is probably based on the 9th century Writings of Zadspram
Sourced from Avesta.org
Some have speculated that various medieval middle-Persian works, including this one, were based on a (hypothetical) work called Khwaday-Namag (“Book of Lords”), which would have been written under the reign of Khosrow I Anushirvan (r. 531-579)
By the Star when it goes down,
Your Companion is neither astray nor being misled.
Nor does he say (aught) of (his own) Desire.
It is no less than inspiration sent down to him:
He was taught by one Mighty in Power,
Endued with Wisdom: for he appeared (in stately form);
While he was in the highest part of the horizon:
Then he approached and came closer,
And was at a distance of but two bow-lengths or (even) nearer;
So did (Allah) convey the inspiration to His Servant- (conveyed) what He (meant) to convey.
The (Prophet's) (mind and) heart in no way falsified that which he saw.
Will ye then dispute with him concerning what he saw?
For indeed he saw him at a second descent,
Near the Lote-tree beyond which none may pass:
Near it is the Garden of Abode.
Behold, the Lote-tree was shrouded (in mystery unspeakable!)
(His) sight never swerved, nor did it go wrong!
For truly did he see, of the Signs of his Lord, the Greatest!
Qur’an
The Holy Qur'an: Text, Translation and Commentary
Abdullah Yusuf Ali 1934
Sura 53
The Star
At length, when there comes the Deafening Noise,
…
When the sun (with its spacious light) is folded up;
When the stars fall, losing their lustre;
When the mountains vanish (like a mirage);
…
When the earth is shaken to her (utmost) convulsion,
And the earth throws up her burdens (from within),
And man cries (distressed): 'What is the matter with her?'
…
When the female (infant), buried alive, is questioned -
For what crime she was killed;
…
When the world on High is unveiled;
When the Blazing Fire is kindled to fierce heat;
…
And (O people!) your companion is not one possessed;
And without doubt he saw him in the clear horizon.
…
When the Sky is cleft asunder;
When the Stars are scattered;
When the Oceans are suffered to burst forth;
…
By the (Steeds) that run, with panting (breath),
And strike sparks of fire,
And push home the charge in the morning,
And raise the dust in clouds the while,
And penetrate forthwith into the midst (of the foe) en masse;-
…
The (Day) of Noise and Clamour:
What is the (Day) of Noise and Clamour?
And what will explain to thee what the (Day) of Noise and Clamour is?
(It is) a Day whereon men will be like moths scattered about,
And the mountains will be like carded wool.
…
Ye shall certainly see Hell-Fire!
Again, ye shall see it with certainty of sight!
…
And what will explain to thee That which Breaks to Pieces?
(It is) the Fire of (the Wrath of) Allah kindled (to a blaze),
The which doth mount (Right) to the Hearts:
It shall be made into a vault over them,
In columns outstretched.
…
And He sent against them Flights of Birds,
Striking them with stones of baked clay.
Then did He make them like an empty field of stalks and straw, (of which the corn) has been eaten up.
303
5th December
“A star fell in broad daylight, from the north of the zenith. Its light became white, and there was an explosion similar to a thunderclap.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
Pendant Vingt-Quatres Siècles
Édouard Biot
1846
à “General Catalog of Shooting Stars
and Other Meteors Observed in China
Over the Course of Twenty-Four Centuries”
304
15th of September
“A fall of stars with noise.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
305
Young-hing period, 2nd year, 10th moon.
“Another star-fall with noise”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
307
26th September
“There appeared a star as large as the sun. From the south-west it glided to the north-east. Another, smaller one, as large as a bushel, followed it. The sky was all red, and a noise was heard similar to thunder.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
310
23rd October
“A star of fire fell in the north-west with a great noise.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
333
“There was a star-fall six french miles north-east ofYe (Tchang-te-fou in Ho-nan). The meteor was initially blackish-red: a yellow cloud extended like a curtain, occupying several hundred feet; a rolling muffled sound like thunder made itself heard. The meteor fell to earth and threw out a burning vapour: the dust climbed to the heavens.
Laborourers went in to examine the area: the earth was hot. They saw a large stone larger than a foot, dark-blue, rather light; which resounded like a stone instrument called a king.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
333/334
“In Antioch a star appeared in the eastern part of the sky during the day, emitting much smoke as though from a furnace, from the third to the fifth hour.”
The Chronicle of Theophanes Confessor
Byzantine chronicler (~759 – ~818)
Translated by Cyril Mango And Roger Scott
with the assistance of Geoffrey Greatrex
Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1997
354
14th May
“There appeared a shooting star as large as a bushel: its color was reddish-yellow. It came out of the ‘Fileuse’ (Lyra), and disappeared in the Tsao-fou group (d, e, z, Cepheus). A sound was heard similar to that of thunder.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
355
20th May
“… while Cyril was bishop of Jerusalem, the sign of the life-giving Cross appeared in the sky on the day of Pentecost. It was luminous and stretched from Golgotha, where Christ was crucified, to the Mount of Olives, where He was taken up. All round the sign that appeared was a crown like the rainbow. And on the same day it was seen by Constantius.”
The Chronicle of Theophanes Confessor
381
20th November
“A star ran in the south-east, it passed into the groups: Y (‘déterminatrice’ a, Hydra and Crater) and Tchin (g, e, a, Corvus). There was a sound similar to thunder.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
388
“A celestial dog fell to the North-East with noise.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
389
4th April
“A large star came from the east, going to the south. It had a tail 60-70 feet or degrees which touched the earth. Noise was heard.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
394
“A star fell in the province of Ho-pe (north of the Yellow River); it made a noise similar to thunder, and threw off a glow which illuminated both sky and ground.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
451
Before June 20?
Before September 27?
“When Litorius passed, Theuderedus entered into peace with Romans, and again he entered into open conflict on the Catalaunian plains with the help of Aetius (the Roman commander) against the Huns, who were devastating the provinces of the Gallic lands with savage raiding and destroying very many cities. And there he died as victor in battle. But the Goths, with Thurismundus (the son of King Theuderedus) fighting, fought so bravely, that between the first and final battle almost 300,000 men fell in that struggle.
Many signs of Heaven and Earth preceded in that same time, by whose portents a war so cruel was signified. For, with the frequent earthquakes having occurred, the Moon was obscured from the part of the east, a comet star appeared from the setting of the Sun, and glowed for some time with huge magnitude. The sky grew red in the northern quarter of the sky, as though it became fire or blood, with rather clear lines, and through the fiery reddening the brighter lines were deformed into the appearance of glowing spears. And it was no wonder that so much showing of signs was demonstrated through divine intervention in such a huge mass of slaughtered men.
Now the Huns, having been slaughtered almost to the point of annihilation (451), abandoned the Gallic lands with their king Attila, and fled to Italy (452), breaking into a number of cities. And there they perished, partly by hunger, partly by heavenly plagues.”
History of the Kings of the Goths, Vandals and Suevi
Isidore of Seville
452
451? ^
“Earthquakes are almost constant and very many signs are shown in the sky. In the evening the northern sky became red like fire, and intermixed in this fiery redness were brighter lights like deformed stars.
The moon is darkened, a comet appears, and many other things.”
Sigeberti Gemblacensis - Chronographia
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Scriptorum Volume 6 1844
p. 309
452
6th July
“There appeared in the south-west a star as large as five bushels; it split into 6 or 7 shards. Noise was heard.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
455
22nd of October
“A large shooting star illuminated the ground. Repeated noises were heard, many successive strikes.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
497
“A star of marvellous size and brilliancy appeared, shining with one single ray, attached to this ray, was extended a ball of fire, in the shape of a dragon, and out of its mouth proceeded two rays, one of which appeared to extend its length beyond the regions of Gaul, and the other was bent towards the Irish sea, and terminated in seven smaller rays.”
Flowers of History
Matthew of Westminster
Translated from the original by
C.D. Yonge, B.A.
Henry G. Bohn, York Street, Covent Garden, London, 1853
511
10th October
“In the north-west of the sky, we heard, in several successive instances, a muffled noise. A red vapour descended all the way to the ground.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
530
September
“In September of this year in the 9th indiction, there appeared an enormous and frightening star in the west. It was a comet that sent upward its flashing rays. People called it The Torch and it continued to shine for twenty days. All over the world riots and murders occurred.”
The Chronicle of Theophanes Confessor
“A large and fearsome star appeared in the west, sending up a white ray, like lightning. Some called it a torch-bearer. It remained shining for 20 days. Afterwards there were droughts and civic murders in each city, and many other things that fulfilled the threat.”
The Chronicle of John Malalas
Translation by Brady Kiesling 2019
538/539
“A great and terrible comet appeared in the sky at evening-time for one hundred days.”
The Syriac Chronicle known as that of Zachariah of Mitylene
Translated into English by F. J. Hamilton, D.D. and E. W. Brooks
M.A. Methuen & Co. 36 Essex street, W.C. London 1899
Book 10, chapter 5
541
“Various signs were seen in various parts of France. A comet appeared; on Easter day the sky was seen to be burning; true blood from the cloud flowed on the clothes of men; the house of a certain one appeared sprinkled with blood from within; and various calamities followed, and ill-health with pustules and blisters afflicted the people.”
Sigeberti Gemblacensis - Chronographia
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Scriptorum Volume 6 1844
p. 317
“from the cloud”:
“verus sanguis ex nube defluxit in vestimentis hominum”
“nube” = the singular ablative form of nubes.
541
“There appeared a comet in Gaul, so vast that the whole sky seemed on fire. In the same year, there dropped real blood from the clouds, and a dreadful mortality ensued.”
Flowers of History
Roger of Wendover
Translated from the Latin by J. A. Giles D.C.L.
Henry G. Bohn, London, 1849
The latin here is “ex nubibus” = “from the clouds”
541
“It has come to my ears that during the meetings at which Silla and Imna concerted their plans, there were manifested portents of trees and serpents. This is notorious to everybody.
Now (ill) luck sent by the Powers of Evil 1 is for the sake of making people correct their conduct; natural catastrophes are given for men’s instruction.
It is just in this way that Bright Heaven communicates to us as a lesson tokens of the former spirits.
When misfortune has reached a climax, one may have remorse; when ruin has come, one may think of establishing himself again, but what avails it?”
Nihongi
Chronicles of Japan from the Earliest Times to AD 697
translated into English by W. G. Aston, 1896
Cosimo Classics, 2008
volume 2, page 46
Note 1, from the above edition: “The Japanese interlinear version has tsuchi no wazawahi and ame no wazawahi, i.e. calamities of earth, and calamities of Heaven. There seems here a confusion between ill omens and the calamities they portend.”
563
October - November
“In October of this year, a riot among the people occurred in the quarter of Pittakia, and the emperor punished a great many. In November there was a drought and water became scarce, resulting in many fights around the fountains.
(Since) August a north wind had blown and none from the south. Ships could not reach Constantinople so Eutychios, the patriarch, ordered a litany to [the quarter of) Jerusalem, that is to St. Diomedes.”
The Chronicle of Theophanes Confessor
Kiesling’s translation of Malalas dates this to 562
563
“Now a great prodigy appeared in the Gauls at the town of Tauredunum (Lake Geneva), situated on the river Rhone. After a sort of rumbling had continued for more than sixty days, the mountain was finally torn away and separated from another mountain near it, together with men, churches, property and houses, and fell into the river, and the banks of the river were blocked and the water flowed back. For that place was shut in on either side by mountains and the torrent flowed in a narrow way.
It overflowed above and engulfed and destroyed all that was on the bank. Then the gathered water burst its way downstream and took men by surprise, as it had above, and caused a loss of life, overturned houses, destroyed beasts of burden, and overwhelmed with a sudden and violent flood all that was on the banks as far as the city of Geneva.
It is told by many that the mass of water was so great that it went over the walls into the city mentioned. And there is no doubt of this tale because as we have said the Rhone flows in that region between mountains that hem it in closely, and being so closely shut in, it has no place to turn aside. It carried away the fragments of the mountain that had fallen and thus caused it to disappear wholly.
And after this thirty monks came to the place where the town fell in ruins and began to dig in the ground which remained when the mountain had fallen, trying to find bronze and iron. And while engaged in this they heard a rumbling of the mountain like the former one. And while they were kept there by their greed, the part of the mountain which had not yet fallen fell on them and covered and destroyed them and none of them was found.
In like manner too before the plague at Clermont great prodigies terrified that region. For three or four great shining places frequently appeared about the sun and the rustics used to call them suns, saying: "Behold, three or four suns in the sky." (sundogs? cold weather?) Once on the first of October [October 3, 563] the sun was so darkened that not a quarter of it continued bright, but it looked hideous and discoloured, about like a sack. (eclipse?)
Moreover, a star which certain call a comet, with a ray like a sword, appeared over that country through a whole year, and the sky seemed to be on fire and many other signs were seen.
… And presently the plague came, and such a carnage of the people took place through the whole district that the legions that fell could not be counted. For when sepulchres and gravestones failed, ten or more would be buried in a single trench. Three hundred dead bodies were counted one Sunday in the church of the blessed Peter alone.
Death was sudden. A wound the shape of a serpent would appear on groin or armpit and the man would be so overcome by the poison as to die on the second or third day. Moreover the power of the poison rendered the victim insensible.
At that time Cato the priest died. For when many had fled from the plague he never left the place, but remained courageously burying the people and celebrating mass. He was a priest of great kindliness and a warm friend of the poor. And if he had some pride, thus virtue I think counterbalanced it.
But the bishop Cautinus, after running from place to place in fear of this plague, returned to the city, caught it and died on the day before Passion Sunday. At that very hour too, Tetradius his cousin died. At that time Lyons, Bourges, Cahors, and Dijon were seriously depopulated from this plague.”
History of the Franks
Gregory of Tours
Book 4, 31
568
18th March
“A shooting star, as large as a bushel, came out of Che-ti group from the left (z, x, p, Bootes), and went toward the Celestial Ford (a, g, d, Cygnus). When it extinguished, a noise like thunder was heard.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
578
8th January
“There appeared a shooting star as large as the moon; it sank to the west while meandering, with noise. Its light illuminated the ground.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
579
“In AD 579 a black dragon was killed by a red one. Moreover, in the same year there was a fight of a white dragon with a black one, the result of which was that the white one ascended to the sky and the black one fell on the earth and died.
As black was the colour of the Later Cheu dynasty, these dragon fights were forebodings of its approaching fall, which actually took place two years later.”
The Dragon in China and Japan
Marinus Willem de Visser
1913
pages 47-48
579
23rd June
“A shooting star, as large as 3 bushels, appeared at the principle port of Thai-wei (between b and h, Virgo), and sank in Y (a, Hydra and Crater). Its colour was bluish-white; its brightness illuminated the ground. A noise was heard like that of flags agitated by the wind.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
579
“A great inundation of waters, and filth/squalor/muddiness, thunderbolts and earthquakes, and prodigies followed by plague afflicted Gaul and other provinces.”
Herimani Augiensis Chronicon
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz et. al. Scriptorum Volume 5 1844
p. 89
581
3rd January
“There appeared a great shooting star, which made a noise like a wall crumbling down. Its light illuminated the ground.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
582
“In king Childebert's (II) seventh year, which was the twenty-first of Chilperic and Gunthram, in the month of January there were rains and heavy thunder and lightning; blossoms appeared on the trees.
The star which I called above the comet, appeared in such a way that there was a great blackness all around it and it was placed as it were in a hole and gleamed in the darkness, sparkling and scattering rays of light. And a ray of wonderful size extended from it which appeared like the smoke of a great fire a long way off. It appeared in the west in the first hour of the night.
At Soissons on the day of holy Easter the heavens were seen to be on fire, and there appeared to be two fires, one greater and the other less. And after the space of two hours they united and formed a great flame and vanished.
In the territory of Paris real blood fell from the clouds and dropped on the garments of many men and so defiled them with gore that they shuddered at their own clothes and put them away from them.
This prodigy appeared in three places in the territory of that city. In the territory of Senlis a certain man's house when he rose in the morning appeared to have been sprinkled with blood from within.
There was a great plague that year among the people. The sickness took various forms and was severe with pimples and tumors which brought death to many. Still many who were careful escaped. We heard that at Narbonne in that year the bubonic plague was very fatal, so that when a man was seized by it he had no time to live.”
History of the Franks
Gregory of Tours
Book 6, chapter 14
587
“There was a great flood of waters.
A ball of fire, sparkling and seeming to roar, fell to earth from heaven.”
Herimani Augiensis Chronicon
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz et. al. Scriptorum Volume 5 1844
p. 90
616
January 14th
“A large shooting star like a bushel fell onto the (rebel) Lu Ming-yueh's camp. It destroyed his (wall-attacking tower) and (crushed to death) more than 10 people.”
Sui-shu.
History of Sui Dynasty (581-618)
chapters 4 and 21
Cited within:
Meteorite Falls in China and Some Related Human Casualty Events
Kevin Yau, Paul Weissman And Donald Yeomans
Meteoritics 29, pages 864-871 (1994)
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
says “ten bushels”, whereas Meteorite Falls… says “like a bushel”.
???
616
28th May
“A large shooting star fell in the capital of the province of Ou (Ou-kian, actually Sou-tcheou-fou in Kiang-nan); it changed itself into a stone.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
616
July
“There was a comet in Tae Wei, near Woo Te Tso. Its colour was a yellowish red. It was from 3 to 4 cubits in length. After several days it disappeared.”
Observations Of Comets
From 611 B.C. To A.D. 1640
Extracted From The Chinese Annals
John Williams, F.S.A.
1871
page 39
“Tae Wei, space between stars in Leo and Virgo.
Woo Te Tso, b Leonis and small stars near.”
616
October
“A comet was seen in Yung Shih.”
Observations Of Comets
From 611 B.C. To A.D. 1640
page 39
“Yung Shih, same as S. D. Shih, determined by a Pegasi and other stars near.”
616
14th October
“A shooting star, as large as a bushel appeared in the middle of the groups: Wang-Lang (a, b, g, c, Cassiopea) and Ko-Tao (e, n, x, p, Cassiopea); it made a noise similar to a wall crumbling down.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
620
29th November
“A star fell at Toung-tou (Ho-nan-fou in Ho-nan): noise was heard several times.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
620
12th Month
“There was a red appearance in the sky, over a rod in length, and resembling the tail of a fowl in shape.”
Nihongi
Volume 2, page 148
637
2nd Month – Spring
“A great star floated from East to West, and there was noise like that of thunder. The people of that day said that it was the sound of the falling star. Others said that it was earth-thunder. Hereupon the Buddhist Priest Bin said ‘It is not the falling star, but the Celestial Dog, the sound of whose barking is like thunder.’ ”
Nihongi
volume 2, page 167
642
22nd July
“In the west there appeared a shooting star as large as the moon. It went to the south-west to a length of 30 degrees, and extinguished.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
644
Around June
“A shooting star appeared out of the Toung-pi asterism (g, Pegasus). There was a noise similar to thunder.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
653
November
“A star fell in the camp of the rebels from the districts of Mo-tcheou and of Ou-tcheou (Yen-tcheou-fou and Kin-hoa-fou in Tche-kiang).”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
664
3rd Month (mid-April to late-May)
“There was a star which fell north of the capital.”
…
“This spring there was an earthquake.”
Nihongi
volume 2, page 275
664
“Darkness on the 1st of May at the ninth hour, and in the same summer the sky seemed to be on fire.
An earthquake in Britain.
The plague reached Ireland on the 1st of August. In Mag Itha of Fotharta the plague first raged in Ireland.
From the death of Patrick 203 years, and from the first mortality 112 years.”
The Annals of Ulster
Electronic edition compiled by Pádraig Bambury, Stephen Beechinor
Funded by University College, Cork and
Professor Marianne McDonald via the CELT Project
Proof corrections by Pádraig Bambury, Stephen Beechinor
Original Ulster date from manuscript = 663
664
“At the time of the pestilence, already often mentioned, which ravaged all the country far and wide, … … on a sudden a light from heaven, like a great sheet, came down upon them all, and struck them with such amazement, that, in consternation, they even left off singing their hymn … … But that resplendent light, in comparison wherewith the sun at noon-day might seem dark, soon after, rising from that place, removed to the south side of the monastery, that is, to the westward of the chapel, and having continued there some time, and rested upon those parts, in the sight of them all withdrew itself again to heaven …
The radiance of this light was so great, that one of the older brethren, who at the same time was in their chapel with another younger than himself, related in the morning, that the rays of light which came in at the crannies of the doors and windows, seemed to exceed the utmost brightness of daylight.”
Bede’s Ecclesiastical History of England
A revised translation with introduction, biography, and notes By
A. M. Sellar
George Bell and Sons
London
1907
Project Gutenburg, 2011
666
15th February
“There appeared a star which came out of the Thai-wei area (a group of stars of Leo and of Virgo, around b, Leo) it sank to the East. A noise was heard like thunder.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
670
Around December
“A shooting star was seen which made a noise like thunder.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
676
July 7 – September 3
“In the 3rd year of the same epoch, the 7th moon, day Ting Hae, there was a comet in the eastern part of S. D. Tsing, pointing towards Pih Ho. It was about 3 cubits in length. Its luminous envelope increased greatly until it became 30 cubits in length. It pointed towards Chung Tae and Wan Chang. In the 9th moon, day Yih Yew (September 3), it disappeared.”
Observations Of Comets
From 611 B.C. To A.D. 1640
page 41
“S. D. Keo determined by a and z Virginis.
S. D. Kang determined by i, k, l, q Virginis.”
676
“A star of marvellous brightness was seen shining throughout the whole world.”
The Annals of Wales
676
7th Month, 16th Day – Autumn
“A star appeared in the East, seven or eight feet in the length. In the 9th month it at length disappeared from the sky.”
Nihongi
volume 2, pages 332, 333
677
“A bright comet was seen in the months of September and October.”
The Annals of Ulster
Original Ulster date from manuscript = 676
677?
“In these days also appeared a comet for three months, and each day it shone in the morning with a splendour equal to the sun.”
Flowers of History
Roger of Wendover
“From August, for three months, a star penetrating the heavens with its rays appeared from the east side from the crow of the rooster until morning, and the greatest mortality followed in the east.”
Sigeberti Gemblacensis - Chronographia
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Scriptorum Volume 6 1844
p. 326
The same term, "eastern side", is used for the direction of the comet and also for the region afflicted, possibly intending to draw a connection.
678?
“In the year of our Lord 678, which is the eighth of the reign of Egfrid, in the month of August, appeared a star, called a comet, which continued for three months, rising in the morning, and sending forth, as it were, a tall pillar of radiant flame.”
Bede's Ecclesiastical History of England
676
“A comet was seen for 3 months, and a great pestilence among people followed in the east.”
Herimani Augiensis Chronicon
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz et. al. Scriptorum Volume 5 1844
p. 95
680
5th January
“A large shooting star illuminated the ground.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
682
8th Month
3rd Day
“On this evening at twilight a great star passed from the East to the West.”
5th Day
“There was a great rainbow within the Palace.”
11th Day
“A thing appeared in shape like a Buddhist baptismal flag, and of a flame colour. It floated through the void towards the north and was seen by all the provinces. Some said that it sank into the Sea of Koshi. On this day a white vapour arose on the Eastern Mountain, four fathoms in size.”
12th Day
“There was a great earthquake.”
17th Day
“There was another earthquake.”
Nihongi
volume 2, pages 354-357
707
24th April
“There appeared a shooting star which made a noise like thunder; its light illuminated the ground.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
708
March 16
“There was a large star that fell in the south-west, it made a noise similar to thunder.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
708
March 30
“There was a comet between S. D. Wei and Maou.”
Observations Of Comets
From 611 B.C. To A.D. 1640
page 43
“S. D. Wei determined by three stars in Musca.
S. D. Maou determined by the Pleiades.”
717
“When Oumaros (Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz) had become master of the Arabs, he ordered Masalmas (Maslama ibn Abd al-Malik) to turn back, and, on 15 August, the Hagarenes moved off in great shame.
As their fleet sailed away, a God-sent storm fell upon them and scattered them through the intercession of the Mother of God. Some sank by Prokonesos and the other islands, others by Apostropha and the adjoining shores.
The remainder were going through the Aegean Sea when a terrible calamity came over them; for a fiery hail fell upon them and brought the sea-water to a boil, and as the pitch of their keels dissolved, their ships sank in the deep, crews and all.
Only ten of them escaped, and this by God's providence, so as to proclaim both to us and to the Arabs the divine prodigies they had experienced. Some of our men chanced upon them and were able to seize five of them, while the other five escaped to Syria to announce God's mighty deeds.
In the same year, after a violent earthquake had occurred in Syria, Oumar banned the use of wine in cities and set about forcing the Christians to become converted: those that converted he exempted from tax, while those that refused to do so he killed and so produced many martyrs.”
The Chronicle of Theophanes Confessor
718
Herimani Augiensis Chronicon
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz et. al. Scriptorum Volume 5 1844
p. 97
Brief mention
718
“A shower of honey rained on Othan Bec, a shower of silver upon Othan Mór, a shower of blood upon the foss of Laigin. Hence Niall Frosach son of Fergal, who was born at that time, is so named.”
The Annals of Ulster
Chronicon Scotorum
Original Ulster date from manuscript = 717
728
January
“In the month of January, for several days the star called Antifer appeared in the west, radiating to the north and middle of the sky, in the time of Pope Gregory.”
Mariani Scotti Chronicon
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz et. al. Scriptorum Volume 5 Edente G. Waitz 1844
p. 546
729
“This year appeared the comet-star.”
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
Translation by Rev. James Ingram (London, 1823)
with additional readings from the translation of Dr. J.A. Giles (London, 1847)
Produced by Douglas B. Killings for Project Gutenberg
729
“Comets appeared.”
Annales Quedlingburgenses
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Scriptorum Volume 3 1839
p. 34
“Comet stars appeared.”
Annales Weissemburgenses
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Scriptorum Volume 3 1839
p. 34
Lamberti Annales
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Scriptorum Volume 3 1839
p. 34
729
January
“In the year of our Lord 729, two comets appeared about the sun, to the great terror of the beholders. One of them went before the sun in the morning at his rising, the other followed him when he set in the evening, as it were presaging dire disaster to both east and west; or without doubt one was the forerunner of the day, and the other of the night, to signify that mortals were threatened with calamities at both times. They carried their flaming brands towards the north, as it were ready to kindle a conflagration.
They appeared in January, and continued nearly a fortnight. At which time a grievous blight fell upon Gaul, in that it was laid waste by the Saracens with cruel bloodshed; but not long after in that country they received the due reward of their unbelief.”
Bede's Ecclesiastical History of England
730
8th of February.
“An earthquake on the sixth of the Ides (8th) of February.”
The Annals of Ulster
Original Ulster date from manuscript = 729
730
“The Nihon Shukyo Fuzokushi gives an old tradition explaining the names of three Buddhist temples in Shimosa province:
“In 730 AD, when the priest Shaku-myo, by order of the Emperor, prayed for rain, he had a splendid success, and at the same time a dragon appeared in the air, who cut his own body into three parts and died.
The middle part fell in Imba district, where the temple called Ryufukuji, or "Shrine of the Dragon's Belly", is to be found. The tail came down in Katori district (also in Shimosa), and caused the shrine Ryubiji ("Temple of the Dragon's Tail") to be built, while the head descended on the spot where the aforesaid priest had been praying and where still nowadays the name of the sanctuary - Ryukakuji, or "Temple of the Dragon's Horn" (at Sakai village, Shimohabu district) reminds the believers of the dragon of old.”
The Dragon in China and Japan
page 177
730
June 30 – July 9
“There was a comet in Woo Chay. On the day Kwei Yew (July 9) the comet was in S. D. Peih and Maou.”
Observations Of Comets
From 611 B.C. To A.D. 1640
page 43
“S. D. Peih determined by a, g, d, e Tauri.
S. D. Maou determined by the Pleiades.
Woo Chay, a, b, g Aurigæ and b Tauri.”
733/734
“A fiery sign that gave forth light appeared in the sky.”
The Chronicle of Theophanes Confessor
735
“A huge dragon was seen, with great thunder after it, at the end of autumn.”
The Annals of Ulster
Original Ulster date from manuscript = 734
This is one of only two references to Dragons in The Annals of Ulster, which spans from 431 to 1540
737
“An excessive drought rendered the land unfruitful.”
Bede's Ecclesiastical History of England
739
“In the 26th year of the same epoch [Kae Yuen], the 3rd moon, day Ping Tsze, there was a comet in Tsze Kung. It was bright. It passed through Pih Tow Kwei. After 10 days, being obscured by clouds, it was no more seen.”
Observations Of Comets
From 611 B.C. To A.D. 1640
page 44
“Pih Tow Kwei, the square in Ursa Major.”
740
April 12th
“An earthquake in Íle on the second of the Ides of April.”
The Annals of Ulster
Original Ulster date from manuscript = 739
739/740
“Edessa (Sanliurfa) was flooded by its stream on the 28th of the month Peritios. In the same year a violent and fearful earthquake occurred at Constantinople on 26 October, indiction 9, a Wednesday, in the 8th hour. Many churches and monasteries collapsed and many people died. There also fell down the statue of Constantine the Great that stood above the gate of Atalos as well as that of Atalos himself, the statue of Arkadios that stood on the column of the Xerolophos, and the statue of Theodosios the Great above the Golden Gate; furthermore, the land walls of the City, many towns and villages in Thrace, Nicomedia in Bithynia, Prainetos, and Nicaea, where only one church was spared. In some places the sea withdrew from its proper boundaries. The quakes continued for twelve months.”
The Chronicle of Theophanes Confessor
741
“Constantinople is greatly burdened by earthquakes throughout the entire year.”
Sigeberti Gemblacensis - Chronographia
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Scriptorum Volume 6 1844
p. 331
740?
“Signs appeared in the sun, moon, and stars.”
Annales Xantenses
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Scriptorum Volume 2 1829
p. 221
Sigeberti Gemblacensis - Chronographia
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Scriptorum Volume 6 1844
p. 331
741?
“Signs appeared in the sun, moon, and the stars, and the most sacred ceremony ("ordo") of Easter was disturbed.”
Annales Mettenses
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Volume 1 1826
p. 327
Certainly the same event as 740
These annals are often off between each other.
741
“A great drought came upon the country.”
Bede's Ecclesiastical History of England
741/742
“There was much drought and earthquakes occurred in several places so that mountains were joined to one another in the desert of Saba and villages were swallowed up by the earth. … In the month of June a sign appeared in the sky to the north.
…
In this year a sign appeared in the north and in some places dust fell down from heaven. There was also an earthquake at the Caspian Gates.”
The Chronicle of Theophanes Confessor
743
January 1st
“Fiery visions were seen in the sky on the first of January, such as no men of that age had ever beheld.”
Flowers of History
Matthew of Westminster
742 + 744
“In AD 742 orders were given to the great general Kau Lih-sz', to send the five sacred portraits and have them placed in the church, and a gift of a hundred pieces of silk accompanied these pictures of intelligence. Although the dragon's beard was then remote, their bows and swords were still within reach; while the solar horns sent forth their rays, and celestial visages seemed close at hand.
In AD 744 the priest Kih-ho, in the kingdom of Syria, looking toward the star, was attracted by its transforming influence, and observing the sun, came to pay court to the most honorable.”
Nestorian Tablet: Eulogizing the Propagation of the Illustrious Religion in China, with a Preface, composed by a priest of the Syriac Church, 781 A.D.
https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/eastasia/781nestorian.asp
“This remarkable record of the fact that Christianity flourished in medieval China is a huge stone about ten feet high. Carven dragons and a cross adorn its summit, and its main shaft is completely covered with some two thousand Chinese characters.”
In this edition, the Star is interpreted as meaning China, and the Sun is the Emperor. But, what if the priest in 744 saw signs in the actual sky, to lead him to pay a visit?
743/744
“In this year a great comet appeared in Syria.”
The Chronicle of Theophanes Confessor
747
“There were seen stars falling from heaven, so that all who beheld them thought that the end of the world was at hand.”
Flowers of History
Matthew of Westminster
In the paper Solar activity around AD 775 from aurorae and radiocarbon:
this event is dated to 744, not 747
745
“A horrible and wonderful sign was seen in the stars at night.”
The Annals of Ulster
Original Ulster date from manuscript = 744
744
“The stars went swiftly shooting.”
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
744
“Ashes fell from the sky.”
Annales Xantenses
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Scriptorum Volume 2 1829
p. 221
no calendar date – no context
Sigeberti Gemblacensis - Chronographia
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Scriptorum Volume 6 1844
p. 331
744
4th April
“A star as large as the moon fell to the south-east. After its fall, noise was heard.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
Again – South-East.
This again would align with interpreting the Nestorian tablet’s entry for 744 as being a star in the sky instead of a metphorical reference to China – in that general direction.
In other words, was Kih-ho, the Syrian priest mentioned in the tablet, beckoned to visit China by the glowing orb he saw in China’s direction?
744
“In this period very great signs appeared from the month of March to the end of April. The air was full of dirt and dust to the point that day seemed like night.
Then there appeared in the north three columns of fiery clouds [visible] for three days. These arose and descended.
After this there appeared an unknown star, the size of the moon. Each day it rose in the east and travelled to the west, being visible to people for the entire day. There were flashes of the stars all night which flew against the Milky Way.
After this there was a severe earthquake and, [in places] where the earth was torn asunder, fountains arose, the color of blood.
After this there was a huge churning in the Great Sea [the Mediterranean] with waves rising to the heavens one would think, and [seemingly] boiling down to its depths. Many people and animals near the shores died from the thunderbolts.
A fortress which belonged to the children of Ammon which had been built in the midst of the sea was torn from its foundations. The great tower which had been built with great care by Solomon over a fountain he had discovered in the water collapsed and sank.
Following this there was a great famine and a plague accompanied by sore throats which killed 20,000 people a day in Basra.
It is said that monkeys in the country of the Madianites became enraged and caused great damage by attacking people and animals.
When Caliph Marwan of Damascus, who had moved his capital to Harran, saw all of this he repented, seeing his death before him, and wrote [edicts] to all his realm [urging] repentance.
The ground trembled, tears flowed, and everywhere fasts and prayer vigils were undertaken. For they believed that these numerous strange signs were omens of the coming end of the world. Indeed, extraordinary marvels occurred. For example, there was a village at the foot of Mount Tabor which an earthquake moved from its place and transported two miles distant without disturbing any structures and without losing a single chicken.
The city of Manbij sank in its place.
A third of the city of Constantinople collapsed, while Nicaea was completely demolished. Moreover, many cities in Bithynia were destroyed.”
Chronicle of Michael the Syrian
Patriarch of the Syrians
1195?
Translated from Classical Armenian
by Robert Bedrosian
page 153
The year of 744 is here derived from the fact that just before this quote, Constantine V Copronymus blinded and exiled Artavazd. This occurred in 744 AD.
746
“Dragons were seen in the sky.”
The Annals of Ulster
This is one of only two references to Dragons in The Annals of Ulster, which spans from 431 to 1540
Original Ulster date from manuscript = 745
757
19th May
“In the middle of the night, there appeared a large star of a reddish-yellow color, around 100 degrees long: its light illuminated the ground; it fell in the camp of the rebels besieging Nan-yang (Ho-nan: latitude 33° 6’).”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
757
3rd December
“There appeared a shooting star, the size of a bushel, which sank to the north-east. It was about 10 degrees long, traveling with a coiling motion like a serpent, it ejected shards of fire from all sides.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
786
“In the month of December there appeared terrible lines/sword-edges in heaven such as had never previously appeared to our people, in fact the sign of the cross also appeared on people's clothing, and a few people said they saw blood raining, inducing sudden great panic and fear in the people, and a great mortality followed this.”
Annales Laureshamenses
XVIIII
Codex Laureshamensis
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Volume 1 1826
p. 33
Chronicon Moissiacense
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Volume 1 1826
p. 298
“Many signs are reported to have appeared; for the sign of the cross appeared in the garments of men, and blood flowed from the earth and from heaven; and many other signs appeared, from which a great panic and fear fell on the people wholeheartedly, so much so that they made amends.
And six days before Christmas there appeared immense thunder and lightning, so that it shook the churches in Wildi, and it was heard throughout almost all of France, and many people were slain; the birds of the heavens were also killed by the thunder.
And the bow of the sky appeared in the clouds by night.
And afterwards there was a very great mortality.”
Annales Laureshamenses
Fragmentum Annalium Chesnii
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Volume 1 1826
p. 33
786
“A great windstorm in January. An inundation in Dairinis. A horrible vision in Cluain Moccu Nóis, and great penance done throughout Ireland.
A pestilence called scamach.”
The Annals of Ulster
Original Ulster date from manuscript = 785
798
20th June
“A star fell in the north-east. Its radiance was equal to that of day; it made a noise like thunder.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
809
16th September
“In the north-west there appeared a large star that fell toward the south-east. A noise was heard similar to rolling thunder.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
811
30th March
“Between the 3rd and 5th hour of the evening, with the sky covered and the temperature low, there was a shooting star, large like 10 bushels, which fell on the boundary between the boroughs of Yen-tcheou and Yun-tching (Chan-toung).
The sound was heard in tens of locations. Wild pheasants cried out.
Over the region where it fell, there rose a red vapour similar to a standing serpent, and over 10 feet long: this vapour did not disperse until night.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
817
5th of February
“An eclipse of the sun took place on Nones February (5th of February), the same night a comet star appeared as if it were brandishing a sword.”
Annales Fuldenses
Auctore Enhardo
Gesta Quorundam Regum Francorum
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Volume 1 1826
p. 356
“Nones February (5th of February), at the second hour of the night, the moon withdrew; a monstrous comet star appeared in the sign of Agitatoris.”
Vita Hludowici Imperatoris
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Scriptorum Volume 2 1829
p. 621
817
February 17
“There was a comet in S. D. Peih.”
Observations Of Comets
From 611 B.C. To A.D. 1640
page 45
“S. D. Peih determined by a and others in Taurus.”
817
October
“In the month of October, fiery lines/sword-edges appeared in the sky.”
Annales Xantenses
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Scriptorum Volume 2 1829
pages 224, 236
817
26th October
“At the start of night, a large shooting star appeared in the middle of the sky. Its head was like a jug; its tail was like a 2000-bushel harbour-boat, and more than 100 degrees long. It made a noise similar to a flock of flying ducks, and glowed like a lit torch.
It passed under the moon and sank toward the east; and soon thereafter, there was heard a detonation composed of several strikes. At the moment when the star fell to earth, there was, 3 times, a great noise as loud as that of a house crumbling down.
The phenomenon occurred between the districts of Tchin (Tchin-tcheou in Ho-nan) and Thsai (actually Jou-ning-fou in Ho-nan).”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
821
“4th moon” 20 April – 21 May
“There was a large star that fell in the town of Ou (Sou-tcheou-fou): it made a noise similar to wings of birds in flight.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
822
14th June
“A shooting star appeared out of the Celestial Market (a group consisting of stars of Serpens and of Ophiucus, around a Ophiucus, and around a Hercules). Its glow illuminated the ground, and a muffled noise was heard; it extinguished in the Lang-wei group (cluster of stars in Coma Berenices).”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
823
23rd September
“During the night, there was a large shooting star, the size of several bushels; it appeared in the north-west, traversed the asterisms: Koei (b, d, z, Andromeda) and Leou (a, b, Aries), and sank to the south-east. It passed very near to the moon, threw off a bright light and extinguished while dividing. When it fell to earth, noise was heard.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
823
“Prodigies are reported to have arisen this year, chief of which is an earthquake in the palace of Aachen; and in the territory of Tollense, close to the commercial village, a 12-year old girl abstained from all food for 10 months.
And in Saxony, in the district of Firihsazi, 23 villages were burnt by fire from heaven, with lightning descending from the sky on a clear day.
And in many countries the grain was destroyed by devastating hail, and in some places, true stones of very great weight were seen to fall together with the hail; the houses also were struck by the sky, and both men and animals are said to have swooned in every direction by the blow of the thunderbolts, contrary to normal, at frequent intervals.
There ensued a great pestilence and mortality of men, which in every part of France prevailed with brutality, and consumed an innumerable multitude of people of both sexes and different ages, with the greatest degree of cruelty.”
Einhardi Annales
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Volume 1 1826
pages 211, 212
Annales Fuldenses
Auctore Enhardo
Gesta Quorundam Regum Francorum
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Volume 1 1826
p. 358
834
11th July
“In the middle of the night, there was a shooting star which came out of the River Drum (a, b, g, Aquila). Its color was red; it left a long train whose glow illuminated the ground, with the likeness of a string of pearls; it went north, approached the Celestial Scourge (Thien-pang, b, g, Draco, and (another) small one), and it extinguished. A noise like thunder was heard.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
837
“Great and frequent windy tornadoes, and a comet star was seen, pouring out excessive fervor in the east, the sight of it, before a man's gaze, measured 3 cubits.”
Annales Xantenses
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Scriptorum Volume 2 1829
p. 226
837
“Ticinum in Italy is said to have trembled eight times on the night of 3 Kalends January (30th of December). A number of the leading men of Italy died, among whom were Lantbertus and Hugus the foremost.
A star comet appeared in the sign of Libra on 3 Ides April (11th of April), and was seen for three nights.”
Annales Fuldenses
Auctore Enhardo
Gesta Quorundam Regum Francorum
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Volume 1 1826
p. 360
837
March 22 – April 28
“In the 2nd year of the epoch Kae Ching, the 2nd moon, day Ping Woo, there was comet in S. D. Wei. It was about 7 cubits in length. It pointed towards Nan Tow. On the day Woo Shin (March 24) it was to the south-west of S. D. Wei.
It was bright, and moved rapidly.
On the day Kwei Chow (March 29) its place was in S. D. Heu. On the day Sin Yew (April 6) its length was about 10 cubits. It went to the west, gradually pointing to the south. On the day Jin Seuh (April 7) its place was in Woo Neu: its length was about 20 cubits, and was 3 cubits in breadth. On the day Kwei Hae (April 8) the tail was still broad.
In the 3rd moon, day Kea Tsze (April 9), its place was in Nan Tow. On the day Yih Chow (April 10) its length was 50 cubits, the end (of the tail) being divided into two branches, the one pointing to S. D. Te, the other covering S. D. Fang. On the day Ping Yin (April 11) its length was 6 cubits, and was no longer branched. It pointed to the north. Its place was in the 7th degree of S. D. Kang. On the day Ting Maou (April 12) it went to the north-west, pointing to the east. On the day Ke Sze (April 14) its length was about 80 cubits: its place was then in S. D. Chang. On the day Kwei Wei (April 28) it was but 3 cubits in length: its place was to the right of Heen Yuen. After this it was no longer visible.”
“S. D. Wei determined by a Aquarii and q, e Pegasi.
Heu determined by b Aquarii and another.
Te determined by a, b, g, i Libræ.
Fang determined by b, d, p in Scorpio.
Kang determined by i, k, l, q Virginis.
Chang determined by k, l, m, &c. Hydræ.
Tow, or Nan Tow, determined by d, m, &c. Sagittarii.
Woo Neu, or Neu, determined by e, m, n, &c. Aquarii.
Heen Yuen, a and others in Leo and Leo Minor.”
April 29
“A strange star was seen in the lower part of S. D. Tsing, to the east.”
“S. D. Tsing determined by g, e , l, m, &c. Geminorum.”
May 3
“A strange star was seen within Twan Mun, near the star Ping.”
“Twan Mun, between b and h Virginis.
Star Ping, n and others in Virgo.”
May 21
“The strange star seen in the lower part of S. D. Tsing, to the east, disappeared.”
“This relates to No. 206 (April 29).”
June 17
“The strange star seen in Twan Mun disappeared.”
“See No. 207, to which this relates (May 3).”
June 26
“A strange star, like a comet, was seen in Nan Tow, near Teen Yo.”
“Nan Tow, same as S. D. Tow, determined by d, m, &c. Sagittarii.
Teen Yo, not identified.”
September 9
“There was a comet in the S. D. Heu and Wei.”
“S. D. Heu determined by b Aquarii and another.
S. D. Wei determined by a Aquarii and q, e Pegasi.”
^^^
Observations Of Comets
From 611 B.C. To A.D. 1640
pages 47- 48
837
8th November
“There was seen a star as large as a bushel and 50 degrees long; it came out of Tchi (‘déterminatrice’, a, Pegasus) and of Pi (‘déterminatrice’, g, Pegasus); it shot to the north-west and disappeared under Ta-kio (Arcturus). When it extinguished, it shot forth jets of rippling fire (called meandering arrows in the text). In the middle of the sky, there was some noise. Many hundreds of smaller stars followed the big one.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
837
18th December
“A large star fell at Hing-youen (Han-tchong-fou in Chen-si), on the bedroom of the governor. The light illuminated the whole house.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
855
“In [August] two stars - one of greater and the other of a lesser size, were seen moving from west to east, and walked across the sky like this for 10 successions; as the larger remained, the smaller one could not be seen at times.”
Annales Bertiniani
Auctore Prudentio, Trecensi Episcopo
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Volume 1 1826
p. 449
855
“At Mainz the land is said to have trembled twenty times.
…
In the month of October - 16 Kalends November (17th of October), sparks like arrow-heads were driven westward through the air during the whole night, most densely.”
Annales Fuldenses
Auctore Ruodolfo
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Volume 1 1826
p. 369
“October 17. “This year there was a fall of stars during the night preceding the first day of the month Djomadi II, (Hegira 241,) which continued from the beginning of the night until dawn. At the same period earthquakes were felt in all parts of the world.”
Tarich el-Mansury
Cod. 521. Acad. Sci. fol. 51
cited by M. Fraehn, in a communication to the Imp. Acad. Sci. of St. Petersburgh
Dec. 1, 1837;
quoted in L’Institut, Paris, No. 252, p. 350. Oct. 25, 1838.
Cited in Contributions towards a History of the Star-Showers of Former Times
pages 353-355
865
1st of August
“At the first hour of the night, there was seen a large shooting star more than 10 degrees long. Its light was as bright as lightning. Many smaller stars followed the larger one: from the ‘midi’ (?Zenith?), they went north.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
868
February
“There was a comet in S. D. Lew and Wei.”
Observations Of Comets
From 611 B.C. To A.D. 1640
page 51
“S. D. Lew determined by a, b, g Arietis.
S. D. Wei determined by the three stars in Musca.”
869
868?
“In the month of February, thunder was heard in the dark waters in the clouds of the air, and on 15 Kalends March (15th of February), that is, on the holy night of Septuagesimae, a comet star was seen from the north and from the west, immediately (“statim”) there was an excessive storm of winds and a great deluge of water; in which many perished unexpectedly.
And afterward, during the summer season, a very severe famine followed in many provinces, especially in Burgundy and Gaul, in which a large number of men endured bitter death, so that people are said to have tolerated the eating of human corpses. Moreover, they are said to eat the flesh of dogs.”
Annales Xantenses
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Scriptorum Volume 2 1829
p. 233
868
“A comet-star appeared for several nights; the fountains and the rivers also, on account of a very great rain storm, swelled by rising inundation, and in various places did no small damage to the crops and buildings.
This misfortune brought great famine, and a great destruction of the human race followed throughout all Germany and Gaul.”
Annales Fuldenses
Auctore Incerto
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Volume 1 1826
p. 380
“A comet appeared for 25 days, starting around 4 Kalends February (29th of January), first under "temone minoris Arcturis". Then she advanced almost as far as "triangulum".
There arose in that year a famine and mortality almost unheard of throughout the empire of the Franks, but especially in Aquitania and Burgundy, so that there were not enough people to bury the dead.
For in the city of Senonis 56 people were found dead in a single day.
There was even discovered in the commotion, in the same village, a man and a woman doing evil by killing and then devouring others!
For in Ponto Siriaco, a certain man slew a kindred woman, who had been received by the hospital, and, dividing her into pieces, seasoned her with salt, and boiled her to be eaten by him and his own sons.
In the city itself a woman did the same with a young man.
In many other places, too, it is commonly reported that this very thing happened by reason of the scarcity and famine.
Therefore, in the month of May, a modius of grain was sold to the state of Senonis for eight solidi, a modius of "sigale" seven and a half solidi, a modius of barley six and a half solidi, a modius of oats five solidi, and a modius of salt twelve solidi.
But by divine providence a harvest more abundant than usual came to the rescue.”
Annales Sanctae Columbae Senonensis
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Volume 1 1826
p. 103
“A comet was seen most clearly.”
Annales Augienses
Pars Secunda, Genuina
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Volume 1 1826
p. 68
“A comet was clearly seen.”
Annales Wirziburgenses
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Scriptorum Volume 2 1829
p. 241
“Comet stars.”
Annales Alamannici
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Volume 1 1826
p. 51
Annales Weingartenses
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Volume 1 1826
p. 66
Annales Sangallenses Maiores
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Volume 1 1826
p. 76
“The famine was so great that one man killed another and gnawed them with his teeth after the manner of beasts.”
Annales Engolismenses
From: Historica Monumenta Germaniae
Georg Heinrich Pertz et. al. Scriptorum Volume 4 1841
p. 5
“A strong and violent famine enticed Germany as well as the other provinces of Europe.”
Annales Hildesheimenses
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Scriptorum Volume 3 1839
p. 48
Annales Quedlingburgenses
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Scriptorum Volume 3 1839
p. 48
“A desperate famine, and a mortality of people and animals.”
Annales Alamannici
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Volume 1 1826
p. 51
Annales Weingartenses
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Volume 1 1826
p. 66
“A formidable famine, and a mortality of people and animals.”
Annales Sangallenses Maiores
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Volume 1 1826
p. 76
“A formidable famine.”
Annales Colonienses
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Volume 1 1826
p. 98
“A strong famine.”
Annales S. Benigni Divionensis
Edente G. Waitz Ph. Dr.
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz et. al. Scriptorum Volume 5 1844
p. 39
868
“During the days of fasting of September, two great circles appeared in the sky, similar in aspect to a rainbow.
The greater of these, from the north, was most lovely, but afterwards, as if to bestow its fullness to the south, it languished.
But the smaller one, alone, itself encompassing the middle, shone with every beauty on the other's extremities.
“Minor vero solem sibi medium circumcingens, in extrema parte alterius omni decore resplendui” ?
From before the third hour they sprung up and lasted until the ninth hour, then they disappeared.
At the same time, in Saxony, fire was seen in the air with the speed of an arrow, as thick as the wood of the weavers, and like a mass of iron emitting sparks in the refinery, and suddenly before the eyes of many it was reduced to a pitch smoke.
But as to the significance of these things, the Lord alone knows.
Then, in the autumn, a decree was issued by the kings that a three day fast should generally be observed, and with the dread of famine and pestilence looming; and a great earthquake throughout the kingdom, a desperate human existence befell many.”
Annales Xantenses
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Scriptorum Volume 2 1829
p. 233
868
“A remarkable eruption of water from Sliab Cualann, with little black fishes. A great windstorm on the Feast of Martin – (11th November).”
Annals of Ulster
Original Ulster date from manuscript = 867
868
25th November
“There appeared a star with the appearance of a silk-skin. It traversed the sky, transformed itself into a cloud, and disappeared.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
869
“Again, strong famine, and a mortality of men and disease among animals.”
Annales S. Benigni Divionensis
Edente G. Waitz Ph. Dr.
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz et. al. Scriptorum Volume 5 1844
p. 39
873
“But before the nefarious nation took flight, The Redeemer showed many signs of this kind from heaven: throwing a very large fiery torch (“faculam igneam per:::::::nam”), at a rapid speed, into the midst of the ships, which was soon followed by a storm, which tore all their light boats to pieces.”
Chronicon Salertnianum
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Scriptorum Volume 3 1839
p. 533
["faculam igneam per:::::::nam"]
was corrected by Pertz to:
["faculam igneam permaximam"]
875
Winter
“There appeared two stars, one red, the other white, and as large as a bushel; they followed one another and sank to the south-east; they illuminated the ground like the moon nearly full.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
877 – March, 878 – January 4
“In the second year after Charles the Bald entered Italy (877), the comet-star (which they assume is the same one that appeared in 874 (875 in other chronicles)) appeared in March in like manner, in the western part, in the sign of Libra, and it shone for 15 days, but not as brilliantly as that which appeared at first.
In the same year (October 6) Charles the emperor died, and Charlemagne, king of the Bagioari, entered Italy with an infinite number of people, and obtained the kingdom.
Not long after, however, another wonderful sign appeared in the sky, on Pridie Nones January (January 4 878), when the sky was completely clear, and the dawn was already breaking, an immense light appeared, which seemed to us like twelve points, and when the space between these became as one point, a great thunder was heard in the sky, so that all who heard and saw such an immense light were terrified and frightened.”
Chronicon Novaliciense
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Scriptorum Volume 7 229
p. 122
880
January 25th
“While we were on the river Aisna in the village of Ritest on 8 Kalends February (25th of January), in the watch of St. Praejectus the martyr, after the ninth hour of the day, suddenly a star of astonishing size and brightness shone.
In short, it exceeded the incomparable measure of the stars, but did not fulfill the measure of the sun.
Whence, while we were watching it, it seemed sometimes to grow beyond measure by flaming rays, and at times to fade away by excessive paleness; and thus, by varying its incredible speed, it went toward sunset, and lastly, before it concealed itself among the mountains, setting an obstacle to our gaze, it completely vanished.
Nor can it be inferred from this fact that a sign of this kind has been shown by the star.
When the radiant power of some was then dominant, … "peccatis autem promerentibus perpeti fine deficiens ita evanuit" … , it vanished in such a way that it was not even worth keeping in mind.”
Richeri Historiarum Libri I
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Scriptorum Volume 3 1839
p. 569
"peccatis autem promerentibus perpeti fine deficiens ita evanuit"
something about atoning for sins…
The whole quote is from the margin, from "codice regio Monacensi inter Augustanos" with a more detailed reference given.
881
July
“In the month of July a star was seen to pass from the east in the form of a torch, which illuminated nearly the whole world.
After its passage, it seemed to people that they heard in heaven the sound of gates when they are opened and shut, and therefore they said that heaven was open and shut.”
Chronicon Venetum
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Scriptorum Volume 7 229
p. 21
882
January 18th
“On 15 Kalends February (18th of January), a comet star appeared at the first hour of the night, scattering its hair exceedingly, presaging by its appearance the ill-omened thing which soon followed [the death of Louis 2 days later].”
Annales Fuldenses
Auctore Incerto
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Volume 1 1826
p. 395
886
Around October
“A large star fell at Yang-tcheou-fou in Kiang-nan; it made a noise similar to thunder; its light illuminated the ground.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
886
16th of November
“A white star appeared in the west, 15 degrees long; it displayed twists and fell.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
887
Around June
“While the imperial troops were north of Pien-tcheou (Khai-foung-fou in Ho-nan), there appeared, in broad daylight, a large star that fell in the camp, with a noise similar to thunder.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
892
December 28-31
“The Chinese saw a comet with a broad set of tails in the south-west after sunset on December 28, recorded in Hsin Thang Shu and Wen Hsien Thung Khao. It remained visible in Sagittarius, between φ Sagittari and β Capricorni, until December 31. The comet ‘turned into a cloud’ before fading away. Hsi suggested that this was a nova, but the Chinese definitely record the presence of tails.”
Early Sungrazer Comets
Kenelm J. England
Journal of the British Astronomical Association
vol.112, no.1, p.13-28
2002
December
“There was a comet in S. D. Tow and New.”
Observations Of Comets
From 611 B.C. To A.D. 1640
page 52
“S. D. Tow determined by z, t, s, f, &c. in Sagittarius.
S. D. New determined by a, b, &c. Capricorni.”
894
February
“There was a comet in Shun Show.”
Observations Of Comets
From 611 B.C. To A.D. 1640
page 52
“Shun Show, one of the 12 kung, answering to our zodiacal sign Gemini or
Cancer. It comprises the S. D. Tsing and Kwei, the stars composing which are in Gemini and Cancer.”
894
Summer
“A star fell in the district of Youe (Chao-hing-fou in Tche-kiang). Behind it was seen a luminous trail several degrees long. Its shape was like that of a serpent.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
894
“A great earthquake throughout all Samnium and Apulia.
Then arose, under to the prophecy of the patrician, a burning, from almost the middle of the city of Benevento, from the church of St. Renati, as far as the Golden Gate, on the same day [July 13th], in the third year after the siege of that city had begun.
Afterwards, indeed, the same signs of torches appeared on many occasions in different places; but this was not more terrible than that which had appeared in Apulia.
For a long flame seemed to burn from the second hour nearly until the third hour of the day.
Finally, the plague of the plains followed, which in some places utterly destroyed all the tender fruits, and even the leaves of trees, in the province of Benevento.”
Chronica Sancti Benedicti
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Scriptorum Volume 3 1839
p. 203
896
“The Chinese annals record the appearance of three comets—one large and two smaller ones — at the same time, in the year 896 of our era. "They traveled together for three days. The little ones disappeared first, and then the large one." ”
Comets and Meteors
Their phenomena in all ages; their mutual relations; and the theory of their origin.
Daniel Kirkwood
1873
Produced by sp1nd and the Online Distributed Proofreading
Team at http://www.pgdp.net 2012
page 51
896
Around July
“With the sky being stormy, in the middle of the showers, lightning strikes, thunderclaps, a star, large like a bowl, appeared in the south-west and fell in the north-east. Its colour was like that of a stork’s feather, and it made a sound like that of a flight of wild ducks.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
899
November 18th
“In the year 286 (of the Hegira,) there was an earthquake in Egypt, on Wednesday, the 7th of the month Djolkaada, from midnight until morning, and the stars called Schuhub, (luminous meteors,) were in extraordinary commotion, going from east to west, and from north to south, in such a manner that no mortal could look at the heavens.”
Contributions towards a History of the Star-Showers of Former Times
pages 353-355
Citing:
Elmacini Histor. Saracen., Arab. et Lat., op. Erpenii, p. 181
quoted by M. Fraehn, L'Institut, No. 252, p. 350
900
20th April
“There appeared a star as large as a 200-bushel harbour boat. Its color was yellow. In the front it was thin, and in the rear it was big or large. It went to the south-west.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en ChineI
900
Around December
“There appeared in the middle of the sky a big star, which sank slowly to the east while unwinding like a belt. The sinuous trail of its light condensed and attached itself to the sky. In an instant, it disappeared.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
!!!
900
“A marvellous sign appeared in heaven.
For the stars were seen everywhere as if flowing from the top of the sky to the horizon.
Around the poles almost all meet one another.
This portent was followed by tragic calamities - the extreme intemperance of the air, incessant windstorms, rivers transgressing their boundaries into others - a kind of terrifying image of Kataclism.
And what is worse to these people is the fear of coming up against storms whipped up by God himself.”
Annales Xantenses
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Scriptorum Volume 2 1829
p. 218
This report seems to be an annotation to a particular manuscript of the Annales Xantenses that Pertz was working from, following folio 42, ascribed to bishop Radbodo of Utrecht (whose term spanned 899 to 917):
"Sequitur fol. 42. annotatio, Radbodo episcopo Traiectensi debita".
!!!
901
November 25th
“The whole hemisphere was filled with those meteors called falling stars, the ninth of Dhu’lhajja, (288th year of the Hegira,) [AD 901, November 25th], from midnight till morning, to the great surprise of the beholders, in Egypt.”
Contributions towards a History of the Star-Showers of Former Times
pages 353-355
Citing:
Modern Part of the Universal History
8vo. Vol. 2, p. 281. London 1780. (Hist. of the Arabs.)
902
February – March 2nd
“About February an extraordinary star was seen below some stars in Cainelopardus. After a little while it passed to χ Draconis. On March 2 a shooting star touched it.”
A Handbook of Descriptive and Practical Astronomy
Page 571
citing: Calvisius, Opus Ckronologicum. Francofurti-ad-Oderam, 1620
902
October 13th
“On 3 Ides October (13th of October), a terrible miracle took place in the sky throughout the whole world, from the first rooster to the rising of the sun, there are seen quasi-stars most densely like stars roaming through the air very far, against almost all the cardinal directions of the sky so as to frighten the minds of all who beheld it, because nobody of age remembers, nor does any history report such a marvellous portent.
For at this time the king of Africa, arriving with an innumerable army, desired to invade all Italy, who, when he had arrived in Sicily, immediately laid hold of the city of Turin, which is very well fortified, and situated on top of a mountain, and there many Christians, since he could not turn them over to the evil of his faith, when Bishop Procopius and his clergy were found in the church, he burned them cruelly with fire, and crossing over to Calabria, took possession of Regium.
But when he was besieging the city of Cosenza, in his effort to take Italian cities, on the same night on which the above-mentioned sign of the stars was seen, he was struck by a heavenly sword, and died a sudden death.
But his army, distraught by fear and terror, anxious to return to Africa, nearly all were consumed by shipwreck, and thus, by the mercy of God Almighty, Italy, placed on the wrist of Mars ['Italia in articulo Martis posita"], was delivered by his sword.
Whence some wished to assert that the sign of the stars was made for his death.
But because it had been seen not only in Italy but in the whole world, it is believed that the sentence of the Gospel is fulfilled, saying: , "There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars"; nor did God show such a sign for the death of a wicked king in the whole world [“neque emim tale signum pro iniqui regis morte in universo orbe Deus ostenderat”].”
Chronicon Salertnianum
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Scriptorum Volume 3 1839
p. 549
902
Some day between October 11th and the beginning of November
24th or 25th of October?
“In the month Djolkaada of the year 289, (of the Hegira,) died king Ibrahim ben Ahmet, and during the same night were seen great numbers of stars, which moved, as if they had been darted through the atmosphere, from a culminating point, and rushed down on the right and left, like rain. On account of this phenomenon, this year was called the year of stars.”
Contributions towards a History of the Star-Showers of Former Times
pages 353-355
Citing:
Conde: Hist. de la Domination des Maures en Espagne, I, 397
quoted by M. Fraehn, (as above,) who states that the date is the 24th or 25th October, A. D. 902.
First quoted in part by Von Hammer
Comptes Rend. Acad. Sci., 1837, I, 293.
902/912
December 4th
“I remember that in the year 290 [of the Hegira, beginning Dec. 4, AD 902] there were seen in Egypt burning meteors which scattered themselves through the sky and filled the whole expanse; they caused great terror and increased continually. A short time after, a great dearth of water was felt in this country: the Nile rose only thirteen cubits, and violent disturbances arose which caused the ruin of the dynasty of the Toulounis in Egypt.
(In the year 300 [beginning August 17 912] the same phenomena were seen in all parts of the sky; the flow of the Nile was bad, and there were troubles and agitations in the country.”)
Ahmad ibn Yusuf (835–912)
quoted in:
Relation de l'Egypte
ʿAbd al-Laṭīf al-Baghdādī
Translated and enriched with historical notes and critiques by:
M. Silvestre De Sacy
Paris, 1810, 4to. book 2, chap. 2, p. 340.
First quoted in part by M. Fraehn, (sup.)
The passages occur at pp. 117 and 118 of the Tubingen edition of 1789.
Cited in Contributions towards a History of the Star-Showers of Former Times
pages 353-355
903
Around the spring equinox
“The day after the emperor came from Foung-tsiang (Chen-si), there appeared a star as large as the moon, which emerged from the clouds from the east side and sank to the west. It made a noise similar to thunder.
It left a train which traversed the middle of the sky obliquely, and this train lasted 3 nights and disappeared.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
904?
~May 18th
“At about the time of the birth of the Emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus a brilliant comet showed its rays in the east. It lasted 40 days and 40 nights.”
A Handbook of Descriptive and Practical Astronomy
Page 571
citing: Leo Grammaticus, Chronographia, p. 483
Google says that the birth of this emperor was on May 18, 905 AD
904
30th June
“At the second hour of night, it was raining, the weather was dark. There was seen a star 200 degrees long; which appeared in the east and travelled to the south-west. The front part was black, the tail red, the middle white.
(The diviner classed this one among the ouang-chi meteors – “meandering arrows”)”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
905
12th April
“In the night, there was seen a big star which came out of the middle of the sky; it was as big as 5 bushels. It sank toward the north-west to a distance of close to 100 degrees and stopped.
Above it was a tuft of stars shining like a red-yellow flame, 50 degrees long, which went along meandering. All these little stars were moving, and in the south-east they were falling like rain. In one instant, they disappeared, and after this there was seen a whitish-blue vapour, similar to a bamboo bundle, whose top-point was the middle of the sky, and whose brilliance fatigued the eyes.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
Édouard Biot
1846
This, next, more modern, translation has significant differences with the above.
I’m not sure what to make of these numerous massive discrepancies:
905
April 13
“At night, large meteors emerged in mid-sky like 5 peck measures and streamed northwestward until they were 10 zhang from the ground and then stopped.
On top were star-like rays more than 1 and 1/2 zhang long that flamed scarlet and yellow like fire, and writhed like snakes. Smaller stars all moved southeastward and fell like rain, disappearing in an instant. Afterward there was a greenish-white vapor like a bamboo grove that rose up to the zenith, there darkening.”
From: Archaeoastronomy in East Asia
David W. Pankenier, Zhentao Xu, and Yaotiao Jiang
Cambria Press Amherst, New York 2008
p. 322
905
Mid-may – early June
“In the middle of May, a star appeared around the north side of the circuit, emitting a large ray toward the south-east, like a very long spear between Leo and Gemini across the zodiac, and was seen for nearly 23 days.”
Annales Floriacenses
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Scriptorum Volume 2 1829
p. 254
This next source actually dates this to 909:
Annales Sanctae Columbae Senonensis
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Volume 1 1826
p. 104
“909(?)”
(the question mark is from the above source - Pertz)
(not the original manuscript)
“… A comet star appeared in May, and this change of rulership occurred in August.”
Regionis Chronicon
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Volume 1 1826
p. 611
905
May 22 – June 18
“There was a comet in Ho Pih, Kwan, and Wan Chang. It was about 30 cubits in length. It entered Chung Tae and Hea Tae.
In the 5th moon, on the day Yih Chow (June 12), in the evening, it was in the left angle of Heen Yuen, extending towards the west of Teen She. In the morning the luminous envelope had an exceedingly angry appearance. It extended across the heavens.
On the day Ping Yin (June 13) it was cloudy, and when, on the day Sin Wei (June 18), it ceased a little from raining, the comet was no longer visible.”
Observations Of Comets
From 611 B.C. To A.D. 1640
pages 52, 53
“Ho Pih, or Pib Ho, a, b, r, s Geminorum.
Kwan, Corona Borealis.
Wan Chang, q, f, n Ursæ Majoris.
Chung Tae, Hea Tae, stars in the feet of Ursa Major.
Heen Yuen, a and other stars in Leo and Leo Minor.
Teen She, space bounded by Serpens.”
905
May 18th?
“A comet appeared at Pentecost.”
Annales Corbeienses
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Scriptorum Volume 3 1839
p. 4
905
October 20th
“A comet appeared.”
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
908-911?
“A great star appeared in the west in the form of a spear.”
The Russian Primary Chronicle
Laurentian Text
Translated and edited by
Samuel Hazzard Cross
and
Olgerd P. Sherbowitz-Wetzor
The Mediaeval Academy Of America
Cambridge, Massachusetts
1953
page 65
910
May 6th
“Two suns ran together on the same day.”
Annals of Ulster
911
“A comet star appeared.”
Annales Sangallenses Maiores
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Volume 1 1826
p. 77
911
17th December
“During the night, there was seen a shooting star as large as one tenth of a bushel, approximately; it came out of the opening of the Pi group (Hyades). Its light occupied more than 30 degrees: noise was heard similar to thunder.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
912
May 13th – 15th
“A comet appeared in S. D. Chang on May 13th. On the day Kea Seuh (May 15th) the comet was in Ling Tae.”
Observations Of Comets
From 611 B.C. To A.D. 1640
page 53
“S. D. Chang determined by k, l, m, &c. Hydræ.
Ling Tae, c Leonis and small stars near.”
902/912
(same report as above – in 902)
August 17th 912:
(“I remember that in the year 290 [of the Hegira, beginning Dec. 4, A. D. 902] there were seen in Egypt burning meteors which scattered themselves through the sky and filled the whole expanse; they caused great terror and increased continually. A short time after, a great dearth of water was felt in this country: the Nile rose only thirteen cubits, and violent disturbances arose which caused the ruin of the dynasty of the Toulounis in Egypt.)
In the year 300 [beginning August 17 912] the same phenomena were seen in all parts of the sky; the flow of the Nile was bad, and there were troubles and agitations in the country.”
Ahmad ibn Yusuf (835–912)
quoted in:
Relation de l'Egypte
ʿAbd al-Laṭīf al-Baghdādī
Translated and enriched with historical notes and critiques by:
M. Silvestre De Sacy
Paris, 1810, 4to. book 2, chap. 2, p. 340.
First quoted in part by M. Fraehn, (sup.)
The passages occur at pp. 117 and 118 of the Tubingen edition of 1789.
Cited in Contributions towards a History of the Star-Showers of Former Times
pages 353-355
912
“Comets have been seen.”
Annales Colonienses
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Volume 1 1826
p. 98
Annales S. Benigni Divionensis
Edente G. Waitz Ph. Dr.
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz et. al. Scriptorum Volume 5 1844
p. 40
Herimani Augiensis Chronicon
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz et. al. Scriptorum Volume 5 1844
p. 112
“Comets appeared.”
Annales Quedlingburgenses
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Scriptorum Volume 3 1839
p. 52
“A comet was seen.”
Annales Besuenses
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Scriptorum Volume 2 1829
p. 249
“Comet-stars.”
Annales Alamannici
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Volume 1 1826
p. 55
“A comet appeared.”
Annales Corbeienses
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Scriptorum Volume 3 1839
p. 4
“A dark and rainy year. A comet appeared.”
Annals of Ulster
Original Ulster date from manuscript = “911 alias 912”
914
“Comets are seen.”
Annales Wirziburgenses
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Scriptorum Volume 2 1829
p. 241
917
“Snow and extreme cold and unnatural ice this year, so that the chief lakes and rivers of Ireland were passable, and causing death to cattle, birds and salmon. Horrible portents also: the heavens seemed to glow with comets; and a mass of fire appeared with thunder in the west beyond Ireland, and it went eastwards over the sea.”
The Annals of Ulster
Original Ulster date from manuscript = “916 alias 917”
921
“Signs were seen.
For near the city of Rome many stones have been seen to fall from the sky.
In the city which is called Narnia, it was so dire and hideous, that nothing else is believed but that they were brought from infernal places.
For one of those stones was so great, that falling into the river Nar, it appears, to this day, measuring about one cubit above the level of water of the river.
For all the entire Roman population of this city saw small fiery torches in the sky, so that they almost fell to the ground.
Some fell by the house of Theophilatus.
Others near the church of the holy apostles James and Philip, which we call the holy apostles.
Others scurried here and there.
In like manner, at the same time, the sky seemed to be burning, near the port of this city, eighteen miles from the city of Rome.
In which flame three pillars were seen together, like the pillars which are now located in buildings.
On these three columns, three columns appeared to sit, each on a column; and one of them, lifting up its wings, desired to extinguish the flame, but could not.
Then the second, and the third, none were powerful enough; and not long after, those who came upon one of the wings with their wings outstretched, at length they agitated their wings against the flame, until that flame extinguished the whole.”
Benedicti Sancti Andreae Monachi Chronicon
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Scriptorum Volume 3 1839
p. 715
? Last two paragraphs:
In quibus tribus columpnis tres columpne apparuerunt sedere, unaquaque super columpna; e quibus una ex illis elevatis alis extinguere cupiebat flamme, nec poterat.
Deinde secunda, et tertias, et necquicquam valuit; nec multo post supervenientes una ex alis partibus expansis alis, et tam diu contra flamma alas exagitant, quousque totam illa flamma extincxit.
“An immense aerolite fell into the river (a branch of the Tiber) at Narni, in Italy. It projected three or four feet above the surface of the water.”
Comets and Meteors
page 59
3 or 4 feet does not equal any “cubit”
I guess the water was at different levels at different times.
“At Cambrai there seemed to appear something like three suns, or the sun had three spheres distant from each other, likewise two shafts in the sky approaching on either side, until they were covered with a cloud, and also two tree-trunks in the sky that approached each other, until they were similarly covered by a cloud.”
Flodoardi Annales
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Scriptorum Volume 3 1839
p. 371
This annal actually dates this to 922
“There was seen a form of beast high in the air, like an immense dragon, whose length was seen from the church of St. Eusebius, near a small market near the gates of Salaria, as many were watching for a very long time, then, being concealed by a cloud, nowhere could it be seen.”
Benedicti Sancti Andreae Monachi Chronicon
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Scriptorum Volume 3 1839
p. 715
925
7th of October
“A celestial dog (meteor) fell with a noise like thunder.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
931
15th of October
“Right after the sounding of the second drum (10pm), there was seen in the north-east a small shooting star which entered in the Pe-teou square (a, b, g, d, Ursa Major), and extinguished.
At the sounding of the 5th drum, first in the north-west and then in the north, there appeared a shooting star as large as half a tenth of a bushel. First it was small, then it grew; it directed itself toward the Koei asterism (z, b, d, Andromeda), it entered and extinguished. Its luminous tail reunited to a point in the sky; it turned into the shape of a cloud and disappeared. Its light illuminated the ground.
There was also seen, in the north-east, a shooting star resembling a large peach, which came out of the Hia-tai stars (n, x, Ursa Major); it sank toward the north-west, reached near the 3rd star of the arm of Pe-teou (h, Ursa Major) and extinguished.
From the sounding of the 5th drum to the day, there were seen, in the middle and all quarters of the sky, more than 100 small shooting stars going in diverse directions.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
934
14th of October
“In the night, at the beginning of the 5th sounding of the drum, there was seen a star as large as 5 bushels which sank to the south-west. Its tail was about 10 degrees long. It was red. It changed from one moment to the next and it turned into the shape of a dragon; it then resembled two shovels or weeding tools, which approached and separated.
Another star, much smaller, sank in the east with a luminous tail. It was dull white. In an instant it broke into shards. (The Sin-ou-tai-sse collection, on this same date, simply says: ‘There were many shooting stars together’).”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
938
27th of April
“In the night, after the 4th sounding of the drum, there was seen in the east a large shooting star resembling a vase of a about 3 tenths of a bushel big. Its light was white. Its tail was more than 20 degrees long. It slid along meandering. It appeared 3 degrees to the east of the River Drum (a, b, g, Aquila). It sank to the east across over 10 degrees and extinguished.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
944
“In Italy, a comet of marvellous size appeared, portending the famine that followed.”
Sigeberti Gemblacensis - Chronographia
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Scriptorum Volume 6 1844
p. 348
944
~24th of October
“Two fiery columns were seen a week before Samain, and they lit up the whole world.”
Chronicon Scotorum
translated by William M. Hennessy, Gearóid Mac Niocaill
Electronic edition compiled by Beatrix Färber and Ruth Murphy
Funded by University College, Cork and
Professor Marianne McDonald via the CELT Project
951?
“Among other wonders, a fiery stone like a mass of red-hot iron came from the west through the air, and a dragon was seen walking.”
Herimani Augiensis Chronicon
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz et. al. Scriptorum Volume 5 1844
p. 114
“Inter alia prodigia ignitus lapis quasi massa candentis ferri ab occidente per aera venit, et draco visus est ambulans.”
952?
“A fiery stone, like a mass of glowing iron, came flying from the west; and a dragon was seen.”
Annales Wirziburgenses
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz et. al. Scriptorum Volume 2 1829
p. 241
"Ignitus lapis, quasi massa candentis ferri, ab occidente volitans venit; et draco visus est."
954
20th of February
“There was seen a large star which fell with a noise as loud as that of thunder; cattle and horses (scurried) to save themselves. In the capital, it was believed that the palace had given a signal (by drum), and so all the drums of the city answered it.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
956
“On 4 Nones September (2nd of September) the moon was turned into blood.
In the same year, in the month of June, a marvellous sign appeared in the sky, namely, a great dragon, and without a head.”
Annales Floriacenses
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz et. al. Scriptorum Volume 2 1829
p. 255
956
“In Italy a stone of marvellous size was thrown from the sky with thunder and a turbulent storm, offering a great spectacle for those who saw it. The temples in most places were shaken by the strong storm. Priests of both orders perished by lightning strike, and many more horrible portents were shown.”
Sigeberti Gemblacensis - Chronographia
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Scriptorum Volume 6 1844
p. 349
956 or 949
“Fiery stones of amazing magnitude were shown.”
Annales Palidenses
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz et. al. Scriptorum Volume 16 1859
p. 63
960
17th of February
“A star appeared in the north-east. Its color was reddish-blue (violet). It went northward. At first it was small but then became large. Its trail was discontinuous. Its light illuminated the ground.”
1st of July
“A large red star came out of the large star within the Sin asterism (Antares).”
12th of July
“A red star came out of the Thai-wei group (group of stars in Virgo and Leo, around b, Leo).”
23rd of July
“A large red star sank to the north-east of the Hiu asterism (b, Aquarius and surrounding stars).”
19th of October
“A star came out of Mao (Pleiades). It was as large as a jug.”
20th of October
“A star as large as a vase came out of Mao (Pleiades). Its light illuminated the ground.”
23rd of December
“A reddish-blue star appeared at the flag of Tsan (p, and others of Orion, in the skin of Leo (?“dans la peau du Lion”)). It went slowly to the south-west and disappeared. A bluish glow illuminated the ground. (In the extract given by Wen-hian-thoung-khao, we read that it was as large as one half-tenth of a bushel.)”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
962
13th of June
“A celestial dog (meteor which makes noise) fell to the south-west.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
963
21st of March
“A red star as large as a peach came out of the Bow and Arrow (h, d, e, c, Canis Major), and disappeared in the south-east. Its light was brilliant.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
964
3rd of April
“There appeared a star as large as 3 tenths of a bushel. Its color was whitish-yellow. It appeared to the south of the Cinq-ti (b, Leo and small surrounding stars) in Thai-wei. It travelled to the ‘Magasin extérieur’ (a1, a2, Cancer) and was reduced to fragments. Its glow illuminated the ground.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
965
19th of July
“There appeared a star as large as a peach. Its color was bluish-yellow. It came out of the Pe-teou square (a, b, g, d, Ursa Major), traversed the north of Thai-wei (group of stars around b, Leo), and went to the west of Kio (a, Virgo). Little by little it grew, ran for about 5 degrees, and disappeared. Its train condensed to a point on the sky and threw off a vivid light.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
966
15th of January
“A star came out of Thien-ho (the Milky Way) (or, following the Wen-hian-thoung-khao, it came out of Thien-‘o (e, Aries)). Its color was a bluish-white. It went to the ‘midi’ (zenith?) to the Celestial Market (Thien-tsang, e, h, q, t, Cetus), and disappeared. At first it was small, then it became as large a half-tenth of a bushel. Its light illuminated the ground.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
966
22nd of February
“A star came out of Thien-che (i, x, t, c, Argo). Its color was a bluish-white. It went very quickly and left a train over 80 degrees long. At first it was small, then it grew. It extinguished while throwing off a vivid light.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
971
20th of September
“A star came out of the group of the “Fileuse” (Lyra) and went to the north-west to an extent 30 degrees long. It disappeared, and a good while later, noise was heard.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
972
28th of September
“A star came out of the Wang-lang group (a, b, g, h, Cassiopea), it went to the north-west to an extent of 40 degrees. Noise was heard and it divided.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
972
“A sign of a fiery color appeared in the sky.”
Annales Wirziburgenses
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz et. al. Scriptorum Volume 2 1829
p. 242
971
“A sign of a fiery color appeared in the sky.”
Ekkehardi Chronicon Universale
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Scriptorum Volume 6 1844
p. 190
Herimani Augiensis Chronicon
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz et. al. Scriptorum Volume 5 1844
p. 116
974
14th of October
“A star came out of the Tchi asterism (a, b, Pegasus) going to the north-west. Then the body of the star divided with noise and its light illuminated the ground.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
977
6th of May
“A large star appeared in the Celestial Scourge (b, g, Draco and a small one). Its light illuminated the ground.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
978
5th of November
“A star came out of the ‘Navire Céleste’ (a, d, m, Perseus). Its light was reddish-yellow. It was as large as a tenth of a bushel. It went to the ‘Fléau Céleste’ (b, g, Draco and a small one), and divided into fragments. Its light illuminated the ground.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
983
25th of April
“A star appeared in middle of the day in the south-west. Its color was bluish-white. Its trail extended around 30 degrees. It disappeared in the south-east while throwing off a vivid glow.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
984
“... a wonderful and memorable sign for posterity, that is to say, a bright star in the very conflict of the parties, in the middle of the axis of the sky, in the middle of this unusual day, as if divine help were to be bestowed on a captured king, shone forth on all who were present, seeing and wondering.”
Annales Magdeburgenses
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz et. al. Scriptorum Volume 16 1859
p. 157
987
17th of July
“At the beginning of the yeou hour (around 5pm), a star appeared in the north-west. Its color was whitish-blue. It was lost behind the clouds. At the same time, in the north-west, there was heard a noise like thunder.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
988
13th of May
“At the time of hai (9pm to 11pm), a star came out of the Celestial Ford (a, g, d, Cygnus). It was as large as a cup. Its color was reddish-yellow. It went along meandering and making noise. Its light illuminated the ground. It passed to the star to the north-east of the Celestial Ford (a, Cygnus).”
12th of July
“At the time of tcheou (from 1 to 3am), a star appeared in the Koei asterism (z, b, d, Andromeda). It was as large as half the moon. It went north and disappeared.”
16th of July
“A star appeared to the east of Keou-tchin (from a to z, Ursa Minor), and of Tse-wei (tail of Draco). It was as large as a cup. Its color was blue and its tail was quite short. A reddish light illuminated the ground. It went to the north and disappeared.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
990
30th of September
“A star came out of the Yu-lin group (d, t, c, Aquarius and others of Pisces). Its color was blue. It went to the south. Its brilliance effaced that of the moon.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
990
30th of November
“A shooting star appeared in Thien-kouan (z, Taurus); it was as large as half the moon and walked toward the south. It passed close to Toung-tsing asterism (m, d, g, Gemini), and Lang-wei (Coma Berenices), and Che-ti (z, x, p, and h, t, n, Bootes), went all the way to the north-east of Takio (Arcturus) and fell to the ground while throwing off a vivid light. It made a noise similar to a wall collapsing.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
991
12th of February
“A star appeared to the west of Choui-fou (n, x, Orion, or c, Orion, below m, Gemini). It was as large as a cup. Its color was reddish-yellow. It traversed the Tsan group (the belt and 4 quadrilateral stars of Orion), and divided into 3 stars which went together to the east of the ‘Ménagerie Céleste’ (g, d, e, c, h, Eridanus), where they disappeared. Their light illuminated the ground.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
996
21st of May
“A star appeared to the north of Tse-wei (group of stars in the tail of Draco). Its tail occupied more than 10 degrees. It radiated like a comet and produced noise. It fell between the stellar divisions: Tchi (a, b, Pegasus) and Pi (g, Pegasus).”
8th of June
“When the sun was still around 5 degrees under the horizon, a star appeared at the zenith. It was as large as a cup. Its color was reddish-yellow. It had a tail. It went rapidly to the north-east for 30 degrees and disappeared.”
28th of June
“A star appeared to the west of the Khien-nieou group (b, a, Capricorn). It traversed the Kieou-koue group (w, Sagitarius, and smaller ones). Its glow radiated over about 10 degrees. It fell to the south-east and reached the earth without noise. Another star came out of the Y asterism (‘déterminatrice’ a, Hydra and Crateris), traversed the ‘Celestial Temple’ (a group which includes Pyxis and small ones of Argo), and fell to the east of the Tsi stars (boreal stars of Argo). Its light illuminated the ground.”
14th of September
“During the day, a star appeared on the north side. It was as large as a cup. It went east for 30 degrees, divided into 3 stars, and disappeared.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
997
19th of October
“Two stars fell to the south-west. One came out of Nan-teou (j, s, t, Sagittarius), the other out of Khien-nieou (b, a, Capricorn). Their light spread over 30 degrees.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
998
“In the month of July there was a terrible earthquake throughout Saxony, and two stones on fire fell from thunder, one in the city of Magdeburg itself, and the other beyond the river Elbe.”
Annales Magdeburgenses
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz et. al. Scriptorum Volume 16 1859
p. 160
1000
“Many wonders were seen. A particularly great earthquake occurred; a comet appeared; on 19 Kalends January (14th of December), about the 9th hour, the sky is split by a burning torch with a long streak like lightning falling earthward with such brightness that not only those who were in the fields, but also those indoors were struck by the burst of light. As this fissure in the sky was gradually disappearing, there was seen a figure like a serpent with a truly crescent-shaped head and blue feet.”
Sigeberti Gemblacensis - Chronographia
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Scriptorum Volume 6 1844
p. 353
1002
12th of October
“A star appeared in the east and went to the south-west. It was as large as a bushel and made a noise similar to the bellowing of cattle. Several tens of smaller stars followed it and they fell together.”
14th of October
“There again appeared thousands of small stars which entered the Kouei group (q, g, d, Cancer) and went to the Tchoung-tai group (l, m, Ursa Major). In general, each large star was seen with a following of about 10 small stars. Among these, there were seen two stars as large as a tenth of a bushel: one went all the way to the star Lang (Sirius), the other all the way to Teou ‘du midi’ (j, s, t, Sagittarius) and they disappeared.”
28th of October
“A star as large as a vase appeared at the zenith. Its tail extended in different directions like a dividing flame; it sank to the west to the Arc of Lang (d, g, h, Canis Major) and disappeared.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
1003
8th of June
“A star appeared to the west of the Wang-lang group (a, b, g, h, Cassiopea); another appeared a little to the north-east of the north pole, went all the way to the exterior of the Tse-wei group (tail of Draco), and disappeared. Noise was heard similar to that of thunder.”
4th of August
“A star appeared out of the Mao asterism (the Pleiades). Its luminous trail occupied more than 10 degrees. Its color was white; it produced a repeated muffled noise; it went to the Lang asterism (Sirius), and disappeared.”
23rd of December
“A star came out of the Pi asterism (the Hyades); it went to the north of the P’ing stars (a, b, Lepus) and disappeared. Its luminous trail extended over 30 degrees and undulated like a serpent.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
1004
25th of January
“In the Wei district (Wei-tcheou in Sse-tchouen) there appeared a star as large as a bushel; it passed to the north-west of the city. Its tail extended over a li (~400 meters); its light illuminated the ground. There were heard 3 strikes similar to the sound of thunder.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
1004
“I do not think we should overlook the prodigy which was divinely shown to one of the Muslims on the day when the festive assumption of the Mother of God was celebrated by the faithful (August 15?).
For while he himself was abiding in the monastery of St. Benedict (Monastero di San Benedetto in Conversano?), not far from a fortified tower, he saw a shining star coming from the western region with rapid speed and falling into the harbour of the city.”
Chronicon Venetum
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Scriptorum Volume 7 229
p. 35
1005
10th of March
“Before sunset, a star fell rapidly to the south-west. It was as large as a peach.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
1005
2nd of April
“A star came out of the ‘général supérieur’ of Tse-wei (l, Draco): its light illuminated the ground.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
1005
11th of December
“In broad daylight, a star appeared to the south of the Oei asterism (a, Musca and Musca Borealis); it made a noise similar to thunder: a vivid glow illuminated the ground.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
1005
“A comet with a terrible appearance, waving its flames hither and thither, was seen in the south.”
Sigeberti Gemblacensis - Chronographia
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Scriptorum Volume 6 1844
p. 354
1006
“An unusual new star appeared in an unknown [manner], flashing in appearance, with eyes beating, not without fear. Which, strangely enough, was sometimes rather contracted, sometimes more diffuse, and sometimes it was extinguished. It was seen for three months in the innermost parts of the south, in addition to all the signs which are seen in Heaven.”
Annales Sangallenses Maiores
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Volume 1 1826
p. 81
“Star comets, whose sign always announces human crime, appeared in the southern region, and there ensued the greatest pestilence throughout all territories whether in Italy or in Venice.”
Chronicon Venetum
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Scriptorum Volume 7 229
p. 36
“There was great famine, a comet appeared for a long time.”
Annales Laubienses
From: Historica Monumenta Germaniae
Georg Heinrich Pertz et. al. Scriptorum Volume 4 1841
p. 18
1006
24th of July
“A star appeared to the north of the Oei asterism (Musca); it entered the ‘Grenier céleste’ (a, g, d, m, Cetus) and split into multiple stars. Its glow illuminated the ground.”
16th of August
“A star appeared at the Hiu asterism (b, Aquarius). A short radiating tail was near to it. There was heard a noise similar to that of thunder. It went to the north-east and disappeared; its light was red and illuminated the ground.”
25th of November
“A star appeared to the north-east of Tchoung-tai (l, m, Ursa Major); it went rapidly with noise; its glow illuminated the ground.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
1020
17th of January
“A star came out of the Hien-youen group (a, g, d, Leo); it was as large as a cup; its tail was yellow. It advanced slowly to Thai-wei (group of stars around b, Leo). A good while later, there was heard a noise similar to a thunderclap.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
1028
16th of May
“At the end of the night, there appeared a star as large as a bushel. It went from the north to the south-west. Its glow illuminated the ground. It made a noise similar to that of thunder and left a luminous trail about 10 degrees long which dispersed itself slowly and became a greenish-white cloud.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
1028
“A portent visible to the whole country appeared in the heavens.”
The Russian Primary Chronicle
Laurentian Text
Translated and edited by
Samuel Hazzard Cross
and
Olgerd P. Sherbowitz-Wetzor
The Mediaeval Academy Of America
Cambridge, Massachusetts
1953
page 136
1030
“A wonderful light was seen in the sky during the night, which rendered it as light as day.”
Brut Y Tywysogion
Chronicle Of The Princes
The Journal of the Cambrian Archaeological Assocation
Volume 10, third series, J. Russel Smith, London, 1864
1032
4th of May
“A star came out of Tchoung-tai (l, m, Ursa Major), traversed the Boreal River (a, b, Gemini), entered in the eastern Tsing group (m, d, Gemini), and disappeared. It made a noise similar to that of a flame, and its light illuminated the ground. Shortly after, another star appeared next to Thsoung-jin (a group to the east of b, g, Ophiucus), in the Celestial Market. It shot to the west and was lost behind the clouds.”
26th of May
“A star came out of Kouan-tso (Corona Borealis); it was as large as a cup, and disappeared near Keou-tchin (a group from a to z Ursa Minor); its glow illuminated the ground.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
1037
21st of August
“Hundreds of stars were seen shooting to the south-west, among which was seen a much larger star which went toward the eastern Pi (g, Pegasus; a, Andromeda), and disappeared. Its light illuminated the ground and took a good while to dissipate.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
1039
8th of April
“On 8 Ides April (6th of April), there were seen fiery beams of marvellous size in the sky between the southern and eastern quarters, which, running over the setting sun, were seen to fall to the earth; whose tracks could be seen for a long time.”
Sigeberti Gemblacensis - Chronographia
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Scriptorum Volume 6 1844
p. 358
1040
17th of December
“A star as large as a cup appeared at the zenith; it was red-yellow; it had a tail; it went rapidly to the south-west and disappeared behind the clouds. Its glow illuminated the ground. A good while after, a noise was heard similar to that of thunder.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
1046
14th of July
“A star came out of the Yng-tchi group (a, b, Capricorn); it was as large as a cup. Its glow illuminated the ground. Noise was heard. It went north to the Wang-lang group (a, b, g, h, Cassiopea), and disappeared.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
1057
“This year stones of an astonishing size, mixed with hail, fell from heaven, and some men perished by lightning.”
Bertholdi Annales
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz et. al. Scriptorum Volume 5 1844
p. 270
1074
27th of January
“On that day, a wonderful sign was seen in heaven. At sunrise, two columns of a golden color, of the most splendid brightness, arose on the right and on the left, which, until the sun rose several degrees, continued to radiate the same reddish beams. The previous night, too, at around the crowing of roosters, in an entirely clear sky, most people saw a heavenly bow.
Lamberti Hersfeldensis Annales
Edente V. Cl. Lud. Frid. Hesse
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz et. al. Scriptorum Volume 5 1844
p. 207
1078
13th of July
“In the south-east, a vivid glow illuminated the ground; there appeared a star as large as a bowl; it came out of The Big Squash (a, b, g, d, Delphinus), went to Nei-kiai (small stars of the head of Ursa Major), and disappeared. When it broke apart, noise was heard similar to that of thunder.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
1087
“Hermann, king of the Saxons, while preparing to ambush the emperor, was struck by a pebble from Heaven, and died.”
Annales Brunwilarenses
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Volume 1 1826
p. 100
1091
“While Vsevolod was hunting wild beasts behind Vyshgorod, and as the men were stretching snares and the beaters were shouting, a huge serpent fell from the sky, and all the people were terrified. At this time the earth uttered a groan audible to many.”
The Russian Primary Chronicle
page 173
1093?
August 1
“A burning arrow was seen passing through the sky from the south to the north, on the first of August at the first hour of night.”
Sigeberti Gemblacensis - Chronographia
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Scriptorum Volume 6 1844
p. 366
1094?
August 1?
“This year, around the time of the feast of St. Peter in Chains, a great fire appeared around evening time throughout the whole world, and there was a great mortality.”
Annales Brunwilarenses
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Volume 1 1826
p. 100
“This year there was a great mortality among men, and a fiery dragon was seen flying through the air.”
Annales Laubienses
From: Historica Monumenta Germaniae
Georg Heinrich Pertz et. al. Scriptorum Volume 4 1841
p. 21
“A wonderful fire passed over the whole world.”
Annales Stederburgenses
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz et. al. Scriptorum Volume 16 1859
p. 203
1095
“In many parts of the world, on Pridie Nones April (4th of April), around dawn, several stars were seen to fall from heaven to earth at the same time; one of the largest of which fell to earth to the amazement of some in France, and noting the place where it was seen to fall, they poured water there, and were further stupefied that smoke with loud boiling heat then came out.
…
In county Namur we saw baked bread as if soaked with blood.”
Sigeberti Gemblacensis - Chronographia
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Scriptorum Volume 6 1844
p. 367
“In the month of April, on the 5th night (the editor corrects this to the 4th), quasi-stars were suddenly seen falling from the sky all over Apulia, which filled the whole surface of the earth. And from that time the people of Gaul, and indeed of all Italy, began to go to the tomb of the Lord with arms, bearing on the right shoulder the flag of the cross.”
Annales Lupus Protospatarius
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz et. al. Scriptorum Volume 5 1844
p. 62
1096
“A sign appeared in the sun on 5 Nones March (3rd of March); it was also reported everywhere that the world gave birth to various prodigies.”
Ekkehardi Chronicon Universale
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Scriptorum Volume 6 1844
p. 208
Annales Magdeburgenses
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz et. al. Scriptorum Volume 16 1859
p. 178
1096; 1099
“The sign in the sun which had been written of beforehand, and the many portents which had appeared both in the air and on earth, roused not a few who had previously been numb to such excitements ("exercicia").
Some of which we have thought most useful to discuss here, but all of them are too lengthy (to detail).
For we also saw a comet standing in the southern quarter, and extending its brightness in the manner of a sword, about the Nones of October (7th of October); but in the third year after this, another star in the east changed its place by leaps at long intervals ("stellam aliam in oriente locum suum longo interstitio saltibus mutantem") - which was beheld on 6 Kalends March (24th February 1099?); also the bloody clouds rising both from the west and from the east, and meeting one another in the center of the sky; and again, at night, fiery splendours arose from the north; and small torches were widely beheld hovering in the air, as most people will testify.”
Ekkehardi Chronicon Universale
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Scriptorum Volume 6 1844
p. 214
1096
1099??? ^
“The world gave birth to various prodigies everywhere, by which it was foretold that something that had neither been seen nor heard of for centuries was immanent, of which one supposes, and the rest consider it more certain.
One day in the evening, as those who saw testified, with no clouds in the air, in different locations, shining balls of fire were seen, turning around, they withdrew themselves to another part of the sky.
That it was not fire, but angelic powers, is indicated by its wanderings, which afterwards almost swept the whole of the west, signifying an upheaval and foreshadowing the departure of the peoples from their places.”
Annales Palidenses
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz et. al. Scriptorum Volume 16 1859
p. 71
Annales Magdeburgenses
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz et. al. Scriptorum Volume 16 1859
p. 179
1098
“In the summer, at Finchamstead in Berkshire, a pool welled with blood, as many true men said that should see it.
Before Michaelmas (29th of September) the heaven was of such an hue, as if it were burning, nearly all the night.
This was a very troublesome year through manifold impositions; and from the abundant rains, that ceased not all the year, nearly all the tilth in the marsh-lands perished.”
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
1098
“On 5 Kalends October (27th of September) in many places the sky seemed to be on fire during the night, and a severe pestilence among animals followed, and the crops were spoiled by excessive rain and blight.”
Sigeberti Gemblacensis - Chronographia
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Scriptorum Volume 6 1844
p. 368
“There was an amazing sign in heaven on 5 Kalends October (September 27), in that during nearly the whole of that night a large part of the sky appeared bloody, and that redness did not remain in one place only, but spread over all parts of the sky except the south, and many rays seemed to proceed from this redness like the rays of the sun.”
Bernoldi Chronicon
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz et. al. Scriptorum Volume 5 1844
p. 466
“An unusual brightness during almost the whole night of September 27 flashed..... ”
Ex Florentii Wigorniensis Historia
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz et. al. Scriptorum Volume 5 Edente G. Waitz 1844
p. 564
1098
“There was seen a ball of fire of remarkable magnitude being carried through the air from west to east.”
Annales Magdeburgenses
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz et. al. Scriptorum Volume 16 1859
p. 180
West to East.
(That’s bad.)
(That’s not a distant space-rock)
1098
“In the month of October there appeared a comet.”
Annales Lupus Protospatarius
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz et. al. Scriptorum Volume 5 1844
p. 63
1102
“On January 29, there was a portent in the heavens visible for three days, resembling a fiery ray which proceeded from east, south, west, and north, and all night there was as much light as shines from the full moon.
On February 5, there was a portent in the moon. On the seventh of the same month, there was a portent in the sun: it was surrounded by three rainbows, and there were other rainbows one above the other.
At the sight of these portents, pious men with sighs and tears begged God that he should turn these portents to a good end.”
The Russian Primary Chronicle
page 200
1102
12th of November
“A star appeared in the ‘Navire céleste’ (a, g, d, Perseus); it was as large as a small bowl; it shot rapidly to the ‘Cinq-Chars’ (a, Capricorn; b, q, i, Auriga; b, Taurus), and disappeared. It was blackish-blue, with a tail. A repeated noise was heard.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
1103
“This year a comet with terrible flames was seen flashing for 40 days, like a giant torch burning in a star, looking like rays of the sun to the onlookers, and it struck not a small amount of terror in the minds of people.”
Annales Brunwilarenses
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Volume 1 1826
p. 100
1105
“On the eve of the nativity of the Lord there was a great earthquake in Jerusalem. Two orbs appeared in the manner of the sun, similar in form and luminance to the everyday sun, radiating a display of all colors like a celestial rainbow.”
(Sigeberti) Auctarium Ursicampinum
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Scriptorum Volume 6 1844
p. 471
“The day before the eve of the nativity of Christ, there was seen from the west a fire so great blazing among the stars that it was believed to be the dawn of the sun if it were in the east.”
Ekkehardi Chronicon Universale
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Scriptorum Volume 6 1844
p. 230
“A star appeared in the sky, sending out a very long ray in the form of a train.”
Annales Elnonenses Maiores
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz et. al. Scriptorum Volume 5 1844
p. 14
“A comet of wonderful size and progress was seen.”
Brut Y Tywysogion
Chronicle Of The Princes
1106
“A comet was visible in February, from 3 o'clock to 9 for twenty five days at the same hour. In Judea this comet was seen fifty days decreasing. Shortly after the stars seemed to rain down from heaven.”
Flowers of History
Roger of Wendover
“On 14 Kalends March (16th of February), in the first week of Lent, in the west rises a comet, very thin, but fiery; which, however, had wonderfully milky rays, and it was seen to grow daily and extend eastwards under Orion. A ball of fire was also seen to fall to the earth from the same star on the third night.”
Annales Blandinienses
Edidit D. Ludowicus Bethmann
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz et. al. Scriptorum Volume 5 1844
p. 27
“In the first week of Lent, on the Friday, which was the fourteenth before the calends of March, in the evening appeared an unusual star; and a long time afterwards was seen every evening shining awhile. The star appeared in the south-west; it was thought little and dark; but the train of light which stood from it was very bright, and appeared like an immense beam shining north-east; and some evening this beam was seen as if it were moving itself forwards against the star. Some said that they saw more of such unusual stars at this time; but we do not write more fully about it, because we saw it not ourselves.
On the night preceding the Lord's Supper, that is, the Thursday before Easter, were seen two moons in the heavens before day, the one in the east, and the other in the west, both full; and it was the fourteenth day of the moon.”
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
“ ... … a sign of this, in the same year: a comet had appeared.
There was also seen, at the Lord's Supper, two full moons, one to the east and the other to the west.”
(Sigeberti) Roberti De Monte Cronica
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Scriptorum Volume 6 1844
p. 482
“On 4 Nones February (2nd of February) a star was seen throughout the day in the sky, from the third hour until the ninth hour, almost a cubit distant from the sun.
On 2 Ides February (12th of February) at Barum in Italy, stars were seen in the sky during the day, first as if running together, then as if falling to the earth.
A comet appeared for nearly the whole of February.”
Sigeberti Gemblacensis - Chronographia
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Scriptorum Volume 6 1844
p. 369
“On 4 Nones February (2nd of February) a star was seen throughout the day in the sky, emitting a long ray from itself, from the 3rd hour until the 9th hour, almost a cubit's distance from the sun.”
(Sigeberti) Roberti De Monte Cronica
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Scriptorum Volume 6 1844
p. 482
“This year a comet appeared in the month of February, and an immense whirlwind arose on Nones July (7th of July), the like of which no man remembers having seen.”
Annales Laubienses
From: Historica Monumenta Germaniae
Georg Heinrich Pertz et. al. Scriptorum Volume 4 1841
p. 21
“From the first week of Lent ... we saw a comet of immense brightness for two weeks.”
Ekkehardi Chronicon Universale
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Scriptorum Volume 6 1844
p. 234
“A comet appeared at night and was seen for many days.”
Annales Besuenses
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz et. al. Scriptorum Volume 2 1829
p. 250
“A comet was seen.”
Annales Magdeburgenses
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz et. al. Scriptorum Volume 16 1859
p. 181
1106
February 10
“A comet appeared in the west. It was like a great Pei Kow. The luminous envelope was scattered. It appeared like a broken-up star. It was 60 cubits in length and was 3 cubits in breadth. Its direction was to the north-east. It passed S. D. Kwei. It passed through S. D. Lew, Wei, Maou, and Peih. It then was lost behind the clouds and was no more seen.”
Observations Of Comets
From 611 B.C. To A.D. 1640
page 60
“S. D. Kwei determined by b, d, e Andromeda and stars in Pisces.
Lew determined by a, b, g Arietis.
Wei determined by the three stars in Musca.
Maou determined by the Pleiades.
Peih determined by a, g, d, e, &c. Tauri.
Pei Kow is a kind of vessel or measure.”
1106
31st of December
“A star came out of Koei (z, b, Andromeda); it shot rapidly to the south, entered the Celestial Store (Thien-thsang, i, h, q, t, Cetus), and disappeared; it was whitish-blue: it illuminated the ground and made a noise similar to a piece of cloth being torn.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
1109
31st of January
“A shooting star came out of the Koei asterism (z, b, Andromeda); it was as large as a small bowl; it sank rapidly to the north-west, entered Tsao-fou (d, z, h, Cepheus), and disappeared. It was whitish-blue; it had a tail and illuminated the ground with its light: noise was heard.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
1110
“ ... the minds of some are frightened by the rising of a comet, an unlucky star, for about 6 months ... ”
Ekkehardi Chronicon Universale
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Scriptorum Volume 6 1844
p. 243
1110
February 11th
“On February 11 of this year, there was a portent in the Crypt Monastery. A fiery pillar appeared which reached from earth to heaven; lightnings illumined the whole countryside, and thunder was heard in the sky at the first hour of the night.
The whole populace beheld the miracle.
The pillar first stood over the stone refectory, so that its cross could not be seen. Then it moved a little, reached the church, and halted over the tomb of Theodosius. Then it rose, as if facing to the eastward, and forthwith became invisible.”
The Russian Primary Chronicle
page 204
“A comet appeared in an unwonted manner, for, though it arose from the east, and mounted into the sky, it seemed not to move forwards, but backwards.”
Flowers of History
Roger of Wendover
“A comet appeared in an unusual manner. For when, rising from the east, it had ascended into the firmament, it was seen to regress back.
In the month of June a comet appeared directing its rays towards the south.”
(Sigeberti) Roberti De Monte Cronica
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Scriptorum Volume 6 1844
p. 483
1110
May 29
“A comet appeared in S. D. Kwei and Lew. Its luminous envelope was 6 cubits in length. It went to the north and entered Tsze Wei Yuen. When in the north-west it entered the clouds and was no more seen.”
Observations Of Comets
From 611 B.C. To A.D. 1640
pages 60, 61
“S. D. Kwei determined by b, d, e, &c. Andromedæ and stars in Pisces.
S. D. Lew determined by a, b, g Arietis.
Tsze Wei Yuen, circle of perpetual apparition.”
1110
“A comet appeared towards the north.
The winter is very hard with long-lasting snows.”
Annales Formoselenses
Edente D. Ludowico Bethmann
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz et. al. Scriptorum Volume 5 1844
p. 36
1110
“On the fifth night in the month of May appeared the moon shining bright in the evening, and afterwards by little and little its light diminished, so that, as soon as night came, it was so completely extinguished withal, that neither light, nor orb, nor anything at all of it was seen. And so it continued nearly until day, and then appeared shining full and bright. It was this same day a fortnight old. All the night was the firmament very clear, and the stars over all the heavens shining very bright. And the fruits of the trees were this night sorely nipt by frost. Afterwards, in the month of June, appeared a star north-east, and its train stood before it towards the south-west. Thus was it seen many nights; and as the night advanced, when it rose higher, it was seen going backward toward the north-west.
This was a very calamitous year in this land, through the contributions which the king received for his daughter's portion, and through the badness of the weather, by which the fruits of the earth were very much marred, and the produce of the trees over all this land almost entirely perished.”
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
1110
“In the month of June a comet appeared, directing its rays towards the south.”
Sigeberti Gemblacensis - Chronographia
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Scriptorum Volume 6 1844
p. 372
1112?
“A very dry summer.”
“On 4 Ides May (12th of May), Sunday night, there was a tempest, burning many trees and crops.”
Annales Laubienses
From: Historica Monumenta Germaniae
Georg Heinrich Pertz et. al. Scriptorum Volume 4 1841
p. 22
1112?
“In Mons, the church of St. Waltrude and two other smaller churches burned along with nearly the whole town.
The Church of St. Michael caught fire from hazardous divine lightning on the sea and burned together with its (outer) buildings.
In the month of May statues ("sigilines") and trees were scorched by divine fire, with the hope of fruits lost; and some forests even withered.”
(Sigeberti) Anselmi Gemblacensis Continuatio
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Scriptorum Volume 6 1844
p. 375
1113?
May
“In the month of May, the winter wheat and the trees were scorched by dooming fire ("sacro igne"), with the hope of fruit lost, and with some forests also drying up. A severe and long-term illness among people followed, with diarrhea and death.
A huge comet appeared at the end of May.”
(Sigeberti) Roberti De Monte Cronica
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Scriptorum Volume 6 1844
p. 484
1114?
“This year, in the latter end of May, was seen an uncommon star with a long train, shining many nights. In this year also was so great an ebb of the tide everywhere in one day, as no man remembered before; so that men went riding and walking over the Thames eastward of London bridge.
This year were very violent winds in the month of October; but it was immoderately rough in the night of the octave of St. Martin (October 31? November 11?); and that was everywhere manifest both in town and country.”
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
1113?
“In the month of May, a large comet appeared, and shortly after, an earthquake destroyed part of the city of Mamistra, not far from Antioch, together with two castles, namely, Triphalege and Mariscun.”
Flowers of History
Roger of Wendover
(Sigeberti) Roberti De Monte Cronica separates the large comet and the earthquake at Mamistria by 1 year (1113/1114).
“shortly after”?
Also, Roberti reports yet another earthquake at Mamistria in 1115!?!
Also, (Sigeberti) Anselmi Gemblacensis Continuatio reports a quake that ‘opened the earth’ in the suburbs of Antioch, with towers tumbling down, November 13 1115!
So, did Roger of Wendover conflate the comet with the earthquake?
1113
June
“In Ravenna and Parma, cities in Italy, blood rained in the fields and under the walls, in the month of June.”
(Sigeberti) Anselmi Gemblacensis Continuatio
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Scriptorum Volume 6 1844
p. 375
1116?
“In the month of December, the sky suddenly became red as if it was on fire, and there was an eclipse of the moon.”
“On the 29th of March, the Thames became dry as well as the sea for twelve miles during two days. Ralph bishop of Rochester was elected to Canterbury on the 26th of April. There were also many severe storms at this time; a comet appeared in the month of May, and the church of Canterbury was dedicated.”
Flowers of History
Roger of Wendover
Wait, Roger here has two comet sightings in May, one in 1113, above, and the other here in 1116???
1117
17th of February
“On 13 Kalends March (17th of February) we saw fiery or bloody clouds rising from the north, and extending through the middle of the firmament which were striking no small amount of terror into the world. For, as we later learned, in each city, the brightness (“fulgor”) itself seemed so near, that it was thought that the end of all things threatened there.”
Ekkehardi Chronicon Universale
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Scriptorum Volume 6 1844
p. 252
1117
16th of December
“In the night of the seventeenth day before the calends of January, was the heaven seen very red, as if it were burning.”
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
1118
14th of April
“Very early in the morning of Resurrection Sunday (April 14th), the sky opened from the southern side and poured out such an abundance of light that the moon, which was very clearly visible at the time, was washed out by this inestimable brightness, and for an hour or more - as many witnesses have confirmed - it continued to be brighter than all the light of the sun. In the same space, however, a cross of no small size appeared hanging through the same opening; whose variety of both gold and jewels could be clearly distinguished.”
Ekkehardi Chronicon Universale
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Scriptorum Volume 6 1844
p. 253
1126
10th of July
“A star as large as 5 bushels appeared; it was followed by lots of shining points whose glow illuminated the ground. This meteor rose from the south-east and fell to the north-west. A noise similar to thunder was heard.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
1137
“On the same holy day when Pope Innocent was celebrating solemn masses at Barum, in the presence of the king with the bishops and princes, a golden crown was seen descending from heaven over the monastery of Saint Nicholas, on which was a dove, and beneath it was a censer carrying incense, as the two preceding candles seemed to be burning (in 1133?).”
Annales Palidenses
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz et. al. Scriptorum Volume 16 1859
p. 79
1165
5th of August
“A star appeared in the north-east, it sank briskly to the south-west and disappeared. It had a brilliant tail, and noise was heard: it was as large as Venus and yellowish-red.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
1184
18th of May
“A shooting star pierced the clouds; it appeared in the zenith and glided slowly to the north-east where it disappeared. It had a luminous tail; and then, this tail split into smaller stars of a whitish-blue color. Noise was heard. The principle star was as large as Venus.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
1192
“On 18 Kalends February (15th of January) after the setting of the sun, at the very start of the night, there were seen many species of frightful fire occupying the whole northern part of the world.”
(Sigeberti) Continuatio Aquicinctina
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Scriptorum Volume 6 1844
p. 428
902, 912 + 1199/1200
This next account is a little convoluted, referring to 3 distinct events from 2 witnesses, 300 years apart. It is from ʿAbd al-Laṭīf al-Baghdādī, in 1199, in Egypt, reporting luminous meteor showers, followed by the Nile refusing to rise to water the crops, inducing famine, and subsequent chaos, throughout all districts of Egypt, in 1200, including widespread cannibalism.
From the experience of the famine of 1200, ʿAbd al-Laṭīf, was driven to investigate the causes of failures of the Nile. At the end of his list of various reasons why the Nile might fail, he cites similar circumstances in Egypt, in the early 900s.
He begins by quoting the witness, Ahmad ibn Yusuf, in 902/912, who reported significant meteor showers and subsequent drying up of the Nile. Ahmad ibn Yusuf, in 902/912, is just as puzzled as ʿAbd al-Laṭīf is in 1200. Ahmad ibn Yusuf, in 902/912, quotes from the Astronomical Aphorisms of Ptolemy to offer a possible explanation.
So, again, this is an account, from 1200 AD, which starts out by quoting from an account from around 900 AD, which starts out by quoting from the Astronomical Aphorisms of Ptolemy:
ʿAbd al-Laṭīf al-Baghdādī, around 1200 AD:
“I will here add what I have seen in a commentator (Ahmad ibn Yusuf - 835–912) on the Astronomical Aphorisms of Ptolemy, the last of which begins thus:”
Ahmad ibn Yusuf, in the early 900s, first quoting Ptolemy:
“Shooting stars indicate dryness of the air; if they all go towards the same quarter of the heavens, they foreshadow winds which will blow from that quarter, but if they scatter in all parts of the heavens they indicate the drying up of the water, disturbances in the atmosphere, and the incursions of armies moving in various directions.”
Astronomical Aphorisms of Ptolemy
“I remember that in the year 290 [of the Hegira, beginning Dec. 4, A. D. 902] there were seen in Egypt burning meteors which scattered themselves through the sky and filled the whole expanse; they caused great terror and increased continually. A short time after, a great dearth of water was felt in this country: the Nile rose only thirteen cubits, and violent disturbances arose which caused the ruin of the dynasty of the Toulounis in Egypt.
In the year 300 [beginning August 17 912] the same phenomena were seen in all parts of the sky; the flow of the Nile was bad, and there were troubles and agitations in the country.”
(back to ʿAbd al-Laṭīf al-Baghdādī in 1199/1200)
“These are doubtless very strong signs, but they are common to all regions; and not peculiar to Egypt.
We have seen a recurrence of the same phenomena in the present year 596, [beginning Oct. 22, 1199.] At the beginning of the year, the stars were seen coursing through the heavens, and afterward the water was very low. During the same year the sovereign of Egypt was dethroned by his uncle Melic-aladel.
In this state of affairs, the year 597 [beginning Oct. 22, 1200.] announced itself as a monster whose fury was to destroy all the resources of life and all means of subsistence.
There was no longer any hope of the rising of the Nile; and consequently the price of food had already risen; the provinces were desolated by drought: the inhabitants foresaw an inevitable famine, and the fear of famine excited tumultuous movements among them.
The inhabitants of the villages and the countryside withdrew to the main cities of the provinces: a large number emigrated to Syria, the Magreb, the Hedjaz and Yemen, where they dispersed from side to side, like the descendants of Saba. There were also an infinite multitude who sought a retreat in the cities of Misr and Cairo, where they experienced a terrible famine and a terrible mortality: for when the sun entered the sign of the ram, the air became corrupted, the plague and a deadly contagion began to make itself felt; and the poor, pressed by the ever-increasing famine, ate carrion, corpses, dogs, excrement, and animal dung.
They went further, and went so far as to eat little children. It was not uncommon to surprise people with roasted or boiled little children. The commandant of the city guard burned alive those who committed this crime, as well as those who ate such a dish.
I myself saw a little child roasted in a basket. They brought it to the provost, and at the same time they brought a man and a woman who, it was said, were the father and mother of the child: the provost condemned them to be burned alive.
In the month of Ramadhan, a corpse was found at Misr from which all the flesh had been removed to eat it, and which had remained with its legs tied, like a sheep that cooks bind to cook it. Galen unnecessarily desired to obtain the sight of such a skeleton, and there is no means which he did not employ to achieve it; this spectacle has not been less sought after by all those who have devoted themselves to the study of anatomy.
When the poor began to eat human flesh, the horror and astonishment caused by such extraordinary meals were such that these crimes were the subject of all conversations, and this subject was never exhausted; but afterwards we got used to it so much, and there was conceived so much of a taste for these detestable dishes, that we saw men make them their ordinary food, eat them as a treat, and even stock up on them: while imagining various ways of preparing this flesh; and the custom, once introduced, spread throughout the provinces, so that there was no part of Egypt where examples were not seen.
Then it caused no further surprises; the horror which we had at first had vanished entirely; it was talked about and heard about as something indifferent and ordinary. One day I saw a woman wounded in the head, whom commoners were dragging through a market: they had stopped her while she was eating a small roasted child who had been seized with her. The people who were in the market paid no attention to this spectacle, and went about their own business: I saw no sign of astonishment or horror in them, which caused me a much greater surprise than the crime itself. This indifference did not arise, in truth, until the sight of these cruelties had already struck their senses a great number of times; so that they were among the things of which one had contracted a habit, and which no longer had the right to cause an impression of surprise.
Two days before, I had seen a child very near the age of puberty, who had been found roasted; two young people had been seized with this corpse, who confessed that it was they who had killed a child, had roasted it, and had already eaten a part of it.
It happened one night, shortly after the hour of prayer which is done when the sun has totally disappeared from above the horizon, that a young slave played with a newly weaned child, who belonged to a wealthy private individual. While the child was at his side, a beggar seized the moment when this slave had her eyes turned away from him; she split his belly open, and began to eat the raw flesh.
Many women have told me that people threw themselves on them to tear their children from them, and that they were obliged to use all their efforts to save them from these kidnappers. Seeing one day a woman holding a newly weaned and plump little child, I admired this child, and I recommended that this woman take good care of it: on this occasion, she told me that, while she was walking on the edge of the canal, a vigorous man had thrown himself on her, and had made an effort to snatch her child from her; that she had found no other means of putting him to safety, than to throw herself to the ground, holding him under her, until a horseman, having come to pass, forced this man to get away from her: she added that this scoundrel eagerly watched for the opportunity to seize the first member of the child who came out from under her to eat it, and that the child had afterwards been ill from the tugging experienced by the contrary efforts which this ferocious kidnapper and she also had made, one to tear him away, the other to hold him back.
We saw the children of the poor, either young or old, who had no one left to take care of and keep them, scattered in all the districts of the city and in the narrowest streets, like locusts that have descended on the countryside. The poor people, men and women, stalked these unfortunate children, kidnapped them and ate them. The culprits are only caught in blatant offense rarely, and when they are not well on their guard.
It was most commonly women who were seized with these proofs of their crime: a circumstance which, in my opinion, only came about because women were less clever than men, and could not flee and evade searches, with such promptitude. Thirty women were burned at Misr in a few days, none of whom admitted to having eaten several children. I saw one brought to the provost, having a roasted child hanging from her neck. They gave her more than two hundred lashes, to extract from her the confession of her crime, without being able to obtain any answer; one would even have said that she had lost all the faculties which characterize human nature. So they pulled her violently to take her away, and she died in the square.
When we had burned an unfortunate person convinced [convicted?] of having eaten human flesh, we found his corpse devoured the next morning: eaten all the more willingly, since his flesh was all roasted, they were exempt from cooking it.
This fury to eat each other became so common among the poor, that most perished in this way. Some rich people, of an honest condition, also shared this detestable barbarism; and among them, some saw themselves reduced by want, others did so out of greed and to satisfy their taste.
A man told us that he had a friend who was reduced to poverty by the calamity of that year; that this friend invited him to come and eat at his place one day, as he used to do before; that having gone there, he found gathered there a troop of people whose exterior announced only misery: in front of them was a fricassee where there was a lot of meat; they had no bread to eat with this stew. This gave him some suspicion; and having gone to the toilets, he saw there a store filled with human bones and fresh flesh. Seized with terror, he hastened to flee.
Among these scoundrels there were some who used all kinds of traps to surprise men and lure them into their homes under false pretences. This was what happened to three of the doctors who frequented me.
One informed me that his father having gone out, had never reappeared.
The other was invited by a woman who gave him two pieces of silver, to come with her to a patient who belonged to him: this woman having led him in some narrow paths, the doctor became worried, and refused to follow her; he even reproached her very harshly: then, without claiming the two pieces of silver, she withdrew hastily.
The third was requested by a man to accompany him to a patient who lived, he said, in the main street. While walking, this man gave alms of a few small coins; and he said [this passage from the Alcoran]: “It is today that one will receive retribution, and a double reward for the good that one has done; that those who act, act for such a reward”. This happened again so often that the doctor began to suspect some bad design. However, the good opinion he had of this man outweighed his worries; moreover, the desire for gain carried him along: he therefore allowed himself to be introduced into a half-ruined hotel. This aspect increased his fear, and he stopped on the steps, while the man leading him took the front and had the door opened for him. His comrade then coming to meet him said to him: "After having waited so long, are you at least bringing some good game?". These words threw terror in the heart of the doctor; he rushed into a stable through a window which, to his happiness, he came across by chance. The master of the stable came to him and asked him what had happened to him: but the doctor was careful to confess it to him, not daring to trust him either. Then this man said to him: "I know your adventure; the people who live in this house take the men and kill them”.
In Atfih, jugs filled with human flesh were found at a grocer's, covered with water and salt: they asked him for what reason he had amassed such a large quantity; and his answer was that he had feared that, if the scarcity continued, the men would become too thin.
A large number of the poor had withdrawn to the Island [Rawda], and hid themselves there in mud huts, from which they spied on passers-by to kidnap them. They were informed of this, and they wanted to put them to death; but they fled. An enormous quantity of human bones was found in their huts. I believe from a sure man that there were four hundred skulls.
…
…
…
Nothing was more common than features of this nature; and it would be difficult to find throughout the expanse of Egypt, even among those who live in seclusion in monasteries, or among women who spend their lives in their apartments, someone who has not been an eyewitness to such atrocities. It's still something that was known to everyone, that the tombs were searched to take out the corpses, and eat them, or sell the flesh.
This dreadful calamity just described, spread throughout Egypt: there was not a single place where the custom of eating men was not extremely common. Syene, Kous, the Fayyoum, Mahallèh, Alexandria, Damietta, and all other parts of Egypt, witnessed these scenes of horror. A merchant of mine, a man you can count on, having come from Alexandria, told me a lot of facts of this kind which had passed before his eyes; and what he tells me, most remarkable, is that he had seen five heads of children in the same cauldron, cooked with the most exquisite spices.
Enough on this subject, on which, although I much extended, it seems to me that I was still very short.”
Relation de l'Egypte
ʿAbd al-Laṭīf al-Baghdādī
Translated and enriched with historical notes and critiques by:
M. Silvestre De Sacy
Paris, 1810, 4to. book 2, chap. 2, p. 340.
First quoted in part by M. Fraehn, (sup.)
The passages occur at pp. 117 and 118 of the Tubingen edition of 1789.
Cited in Contributions towards a History of the Star-Showers of Former Times
pages 353-355
1200
“A cold, foodless year, the equal of which no man witnessed in that age.”
Annals of Loch Cé
translated by William M. Hennessy
Electronic edition compiled by the CELT Team
Funded by University College Cork. and
Professor Marianne McDonald via the CELT Project
1202
“In the year 599, on the night preceding Sunday the last day of the month Moharrem, [October 19, A. D. 1202,] the stars rushed across the heavens from east to west, and glided to the right and left, like grasshoppers in a field. This continued until dawn. The inhabitants cried out with terror, and fervently implored the mercy of the Most High. A similar occurrence happened in the year of the holy mission of the Prophet, [A. D. 611,] as well as in the year 241, [A. D. 855.]
During this period (around 1202), the region suffered various catastrophic afflictions. The Yemen was ravaged by dust storms, heralded at Mecca by extraordinary celestial phenomena, while Taif was struck by virulent plague.”
Sufis of Andalusia
The Ruh al-quds and al-Durrat al-fakhirah of Ibn ‘Arabi
Translated by R.W.J. Austin
School of Oriental Studies, University of Durham
Beshara publications 2002
Page 38
Footnote = “Futuhat, II, p. 450”
1204
March
“At night, red clouds (chìyún) appeared within white vapors, crossing the sky from the east to the west. After that, conflagrations occupied the country for eight days. Thus, astrologers regarded this as a symbol of fire.”
Records of sunspot and aurora during CE 960–1279
in the Chinese chronicle of the Sòng dynasty
Hisashi Hayakawa
Harufumi Tamazawa
Akito Davis Kawamura
Hiroaki Isobe
Earth, Planets and Space (2015) 67:82
Citing: “Sòngshǐ, Five Elements II b, p. 1413”
1204
“On the first of April, in the first watch of the night, such a great redness was seen in the heaven towards the east and north, that the firmament seemed on fire, in which excessive redness, however, brilliant stars appeared, which was a terrible and marvellous thing. And this appearance lasted till midnight. ”
Flowers of History
Matthew of Westminster
1214
“An earthquake occurred in the advent of the Lord ('s birthday), 13 Kalends January (20th of December) three times in one night.
A ball of fire exceeding the size of an ox, and emitting a great light, was seen in the air about the beginning of the day, on Ides January (13th of January).”
(Sigeberti) Autctarium Mortui Maris
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz Scriptorum Volume 6 1844
p. 468
Not sure how these dates can be from the same year.
They are both listed under 1214, but the event in December is written up immediately before the event in January, straddling a change in year.
1216
2nd of January
“A star appeared to the north-east of the five Heou (q, i, u, t, j, Gemini); it sank slowly to the south-west of Thien-kouan (z, Taurus), and disappeared. It made a noise, and the glow of its trail illuminated the ground; it had a yellowish-red color.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
1219
20th of August
“At the beginning of the night, a star came from the south-west. Its glow illuminated the ground. Its form was like that of the moon not entirely round; its color was whitish-blue. Hundreds, thousands of small stars formed around it a ring like a radiating flame; it fell in the north-east. Shortly after, a noise was heard similar to rolling drums.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
1221
1st of January
“A shooting star made a noise as loud as thunder.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
1223
17th of December
“A star appeared to the north-east of the five Heou (q, i, u, t, j, of Gemini); it sank rapidly to the north-west and was lost behind the clouds. Its color was yellowish-red. A muffled sound was heard; at the same time, a radiant trail illuminated the ground. The star was as large as a saucer.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
1259
18th of July
“Stars appeared in the Teou asterism (j, s, t, Sagittarius) and in the River Drum (a, b, g, Aquila); they went rapidly to the south-east and were lost behind the clouds. They were yellowish-red; they made noise, and their luminous trails illuminated the ground. They were as large as Venus.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
1260
25th of November
“A star appeared in the north-east and sank briskly toward the moon: noise was heard. It had a luminous tail, its glow illuminated the ground. The star was as large as a peach.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
1264
July 26 – ~September 4
“A comet appeared in S. D. Kwei. In the evening it was seen to the north-west. It passed through Shang Tae and swept Wan Chang in Tsze Wei, as well as Pih Tow. In the morning it was seen in the north-east.
It was visible altogether for about 40 days.”
“S. D. Kwei determined by g, d, h, q Cancri.
Tsze Wei, the circle of perpetual apparition.
Shang Tae, i, k in fore- foot of Ursa Major.
Pih Tow, a, b, &c. Ursæ Majoris.”
“The account in the ‘She Ke’ differs considerably, having some additional particulars. It is as follows:
“In the reign of She Tsoo, the 1st year of the epoch Che Yuen, in the autumn, day Kea Seuh, a comet appeared in S. D. Kwei and Lew. In the evening it was seen in the north-west. Its brightness illuminated the heavens. It measured 100 cubits in length. It passed through Shang Tae. It swept Tsze Wei, Wan Chang, and Pih Tow. In the morning it was seen in the north-east. It was visible altogether for about 40 days.”
Observations Of Comets
From 611 B.C. To A.D. 1640
page 66
“S. D. Kwei determined by g, d, h, q Cancri.
S. D. Lew determined by d, e and others in Hydra.”
July 26 - September 21
“At night, a comet appeared in S. D. Lew. Its tail extended across the heavens.
On the day Ke Maou (July 31) it passed into S. D. Kwei.
In the 8th moon, day Sin Sze (August 2), it entered S. D. Tsing.
On the day Woo Woo (September 8) it could not be seen.
On the day Kea Tsze (September 14) it returned, and was seen in S. D. Тsan.
On the day Sin Wei (September 21) it was resolved into a reddish vapour.”
Observations Of Comets
From 611 B.C. To A.D. 1640
pages 63, 64
“S. D. Lew determined by d, e, &c. Hydræ.
Kwei determined by g, d, h, q Cancri.
Tsing determined by g, e, l, m, &c. Geminorum.
Tsan determined by a, b, g, &c. Orionis.”
1276
“Two stars did battle in the center of the sky, one of which fell.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
1278
“A large star sank to the south, in the sea; with over a thousand smaller stars following. For some time, a sound like thunder was heard.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
8th moon
“The fall of a star to the south of Kouang-tcheou (Canton). When the star fell, its color was red and it was as big as a sieve, and radiated a lively brilliance. When it touched down on the ground, a great noise was heard, like rolling drums, and, in an instant, this noise ceased.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
1280
“A stone or a mass of iron fell at Alexandria in Egypt, which was thought to be the effect of lightning. Soyuti, whom De Sacy cites in his Chrestomacy Arabe, says:
“Lightning fell on a stone at the foot of the Rose Mountain (near Alexandria), which it burned. The stone was taken, melted, and several ounces of iron were obtained from it, according to the red weight.”
Ueber Feuer-Meteore : und über die mit denselben herabgefallenen Massen
Concerning fire meteors: and the masses that fell with them
Ernst Florens Friedrich Chladni
Chladni’s note here:
Gilbert's annalen der Physik, B. 50 y p. 294.
1292
“4 days before the purification of St. Mary (February 2), after the setting of the sun, there appeared an impression, or a kind of comet, or a miracle (wonder/marvel/strange thing), between the west and the north, in the manner of a red star, generally of the larger kind; which was mobile from place to place, without any apparent trace, and as it proceeded directly, it returned to its place in the manner of a semicircle.
Also on the following Sunday and for the following four days it appeared in a similar manner, but with a smaller speed and size; and there was another larger one, white and bright, in the northern part, close to the horizon, moving.
Likewise, on the eighth day of the purification, a third was seen, similar to the first, and mobile, at the end of the Gemini, in the southern latitude.”
Annales Blandinienses
Edidit D. Ludowicus Bethmann
From: Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Georg Heinrich Pertz et. al. Scriptorum Volume 5 1844
p. 34
1293, 1294
“On 18 July 1293 in central England there was ‘a remarkable appearance in the sky about dawn’ and the following evening there was ‘continual thunder for the whole night with great lightning, ‘and finally there succeeded a thunderbolt.’ Then just a year later, on 20 July 1294, ‘there were coruscations of lightning destroying the corn whence ensued a great dearth and many died of hunger.”
A Meteorological Chronology to AD 1450
Britton, C.E.
Geophysical memoirs 70
HMSO, London
Sourced from within:
New Light on the Black Death
The Cosmic connection
Mike Baillie
Page 139
1296? 1290? 1250?
June 24th (Julian)
July 3rd (Gregorian)
“A note concerning the fall of a gigantic meteorite in 1296 near Velikii Ustiug is interesting:
“On the second week at noon there suddenly appeared over the town of Ustiug a dark cloud and it was as dark as the night. The people of the town upon seeing such a miracle were unable to comprehend what it was. And after this there appeared great clouds rising from all four sides and from these clouds lightning kept flashing ceaselessly.
And it thundered over the town of Ustiug so strongly and horribly that it was impossible to hear people talk. Even the ground seemed to sway continuously and shake as if terrified by this horror. And clouds of fire arose and collided with one another; great heat arose from lightning and fiery thunder.”
According to this report which has been preserved to the present time, this meteorite which was called “stony swarm”, fell into the forest near the town of Velikii Ustiug.
For many centuries, up to the beginning of the current one, this event having had a religious tint imparted to it, was used by the church for its purposes.”
Principles of Meteoritics:
International Series of Monographs on Earth Sciences
Yevgeny Leonidovich Krinov
Pergamon Press, 1960
Translated from the Russian by Irene Vidziunas
Edited by Harrison Brown
Division of Geological Sciences, CalTec
Page 2
The above gives 1296
The wicki gives 1290
And The Meteoritical Society gives friggin’ 1250
1299
9th October
“There appeared a shooting star, red in color, with a tail about a degree in length: its glow illuminated the ground. It came out of the River Drum (a, b, g, Aquila), and disappeared to the west of the Khien-nieou asterism (b, a, Capricorn). A noise like thunder was heard.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
1304
"In 1304 glowing stones fell in thunderous weather near Friedeburg an der Saale, and the same stones were coal-black and as hard as iron, and wherever they fell, they burned and narrowed the grass as if a coal fire had been there.”
Ueber Feuer-Meteore : und über die mit denselben herabgefallenen Massen
Concerning fire meteors: and the masses that fell with them
Ernst Florens Friedrich Chladni
Citing: Spangenberg's Mansfeldiſcher Chronik
1308
19th September
“A shooting star appeared to the south of Keou-tchin (z, Ursa Minor and surrounding ones); it arrived near Ta-kio (Arcturus). Its tail was 3 degrees long; it transformed into a white cloud which extended to the ‘Sept-Illustres’ (m, z, c, Bootes), and rounded itself out like a wheel.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine
“An enquiry into the causes of the Black Death, will not be without important results in the study of the plagues which have visited the world, although it cannot advance beyond generalisation without entering upon a field hitherto uncultivated, and, to this hour, entirely unknown. Mighty revolutions in the organism of the earth, of which we have credible information, had preceded it. From China to the Atlantic, the foundations of the earth were shaken,--throughout Asia and Europe the atmosphere was in commotion, and endangered, by its baneful influence, both vegetable and animal life.
The series of these great events began in the year 1333, fifteen years before the plague broke out in Europe: they first appeared in China. Here a parching drought, accompanied by famine, commenced in the tract of country watered by the rivers Kiang and Hoai.
This was followed by such violent torrents of rain, in and about Kingsai, at that time the capital of the Empire, that, according to tradition, more than 400,000 people perished in the floods.
Finally, the mountain Tsincheou fell in, and vast clefts were formed in the earth.
In the succeeding year (1334), passing over fabulous traditions, the neighbourhood of Canton was visited by inundations; whilst in Tche, after an unexampled drought, a plague arose, which is said to have carried off about 5,000,000 of people.
A few months afterwards an earthquake followed, at and near Kingsai; and subsequent to the falling in of the mountains of Ki-ming-chan, a lake was formed of more than a hundred leagues in circumference, where, again, thousands found their grave.
In Hou-kouang and Ho-nan, a drought prevailed for five months; and innumerable swarms of locusts destroyed the vegetation; while famine and pestilence, as usual, followed in their train.
Connected accounts of the condition of Europe before this great catastrophe, are not to be expected from the writers of the fourteenth century. It is remarkable, however, that simultaneously with a drought and renewed floods in China, in 1336, many uncommon atmospheric phenomena, and in the winter, frequent thunder storms, were observed in the north of France; and so early as the eventful year of 1333, an eruption of Etna took place.
According to the Chinese annals, about 4,000,000 of people perished by famine in the neighbourhood of Kiang in 1337; and deluges, swarms of locusts, and an earthquake which lasted six days, caused incredible devastation. In the same year, the first swarms of locusts appeared in France, which were succeeded in the following year by myriads of these insects.
In 1338, Kingsai was visited by an earthquake of ten days duration; at the same time France suffered from a failure in the harvest; and thenceforth, till the year 1342, there was in China, a constant succession of inundations, earthquakes, and famines.
In the same year (1342) great floods occurred in the vicinity of the Rhine and in France, which could not be attributed to rain alone; for, everywhere, even on the tops of mountains, springs were seen to burst forth, and dry tracts were laid under water in an inexplicable manner.
In the following year (1343), the mountain Hong-tchang, in China, fell in, and caused a destructive deluge; and in Pien-tcheou and Leang-tcheou, after three months’ rain, there followed unheard of inundations, which destroyed seven cities. In Egypt and Syria, violent earthquakes took place; and in China they became, from this time, more and more frequent; for they recurred, in 1344, in Ven-tcheou, where the sea overflowed in consequence; in 1345, in Ki-tcheou, and in both the following years in Canton, with subterraneous thunder. Meanwhile, floods and famine devastated various districts, until 1347, when the fury of the elements subsided in China.
The signs of terrestrial commotions commenced in Europe in the year 1348, after the intervening districts of country in Asia had probably been visited in the same manner.
On the island of Cyprus, the plague from the East had already broken out; when an earthquake shook the foundations of the island, and was accompanied by so frightful a hurricane, that the inhabitants who had slain their Mahometan slaves, in order that they might not themselves be subjugated by them, fled in dismay, in all directions. The sea overflowed--the ships were dashed to pieces on the rocks, and few outlived the terrific event, whereby this fertile and blooming island was converted into a desert. Before the earthquake, a pestiferous wind spread so poisonous an odour, that many, being overpowered by it, fell down suddenly and expired in dreadful agonies.
This phenomenon is one of the rarest that has ever been observed, for nothing is more constant than the composition of the air; and in no respect has nature been more careful in the preservation of organic life. Never have naturalists discovered in the atmosphere, foreign elements, which, evident to the senses, and borne by the winds, spread from land to land, carrying disease over whole portions of the earth, as is recounted to have taken place in the year 1348.
It is, therefore, the more to be regretted, that in this extraordinary period, which, owing to the low condition of science, was very deficient in accurate observers, so little that can be depended on respecting those uncommon occurrences in the air, should have been recorded. Yet, German accounts say expressly, that a thick, stinking mist advanced from the East, and spread itself over Italy; and there could be no deception in so palpable a phenomenon. The credibility of unadorned traditions, however little they may satisfy to physical research, can scarcely be called in question when we consider the connexion of events; for just at this time earthquakes were more general than they had been within the range of history.
In thousands of places chasms were formed, from whence arose noxious vapours; and as at that time natural occurrences were transformed into miracles, it was reported, that a fiery meteor, which descended on the earth far in the East, had destroyed everything within a circumference of more than a hundred leagues, infecting the air far and wide. The consequences of innumerable floods contributed to the same effect; vast river districts had been converted into swamps; foul vapours arose everywhere, increased by the odour of putrefied locusts, which had never perhaps darkened the sun in thicker swarms, and of countless corpses, which even in the well-regulated countries of Europe, they knew not how to remove quickly enough out of the sight of the living. It is probable, therefore, that the atmosphere contained foreign, and sensibly perceptible, admixtures to a great extent, which, at least in the lower regions, could not be decomposed, or rendered ineffective by separation.
Now, if we go back to the symptoms of the disease, the ardent inflammation of the lungs points out, that the organs of respiration yielded to the attack of an atmospheric poison--a poison, which (if we admit the independent origin of the Black Plague at any one place on the globe, which, under such extraordinary circumstances, it would be difficult to doubt) attacked the course of the circulation in as hostile a manner as that which produces inflammation of the spleen and other animal contagions that cause swelling and inflammation of the lymphatic glands.
Pursuing the course of these grand revolutions further, we find notice of an unexampled earthquake, which, on the 25th of January, 1348, shook Greece, Italy and the neighbouring countries. Naples, Rome, Pisa, Bologna, Padua, Venice and many other cities suffered considerably: whole villages were swallowed up. Castles, houses and churches, were overthrown, and hundreds of people were buried beneath their ruins. In Carinthia, thirty villages, together with all the churches, were demolished; more than a thousand corpses were drawn out of the rubbish; the city of Villach was so completely destroyed, that very few of its inhabitants were saved; and when the earth ceased to tremble, it was found that mountains had been moved from their positions, and that many hamlets were left in ruins.
It is recorded, that during this earthquake, the wine in the casks became turbid, a statement which may be considered as furnishing a proof, that changes causing a decomposition of the atmosphere had taken place; but if we had no other information from which the excitement of conflicting powers of nature during these commotions, might be inferred, yet scientific observations in modern times have shewn, that the relation of the atmosphere to the earth is changed by volcanic influences. Why then, may we not, from this fact, draw retrospective inferences respecting those extraordinary phenomena?
Independently of this, however, we know that during this earthquake, the duration of which is stated by some to have been a week, and by others, a fortnight [two weeks], people experienced an unusual stupor and headache, and that many fainted away.
These destructive earthquakes extended as far as the neighbourhood of Basle, and recurred until the year 1360, throughout Germany, France, Silesia, Poland, England and Denmark, and much further north.
Great and extraordinary meteors appeared in many places, and were regarded with superstitious horror. A pillar of fire, which on the 20th of December, 1348, remained for an hour at sun rise over the pope’s palace in Avignon; a fireball, which in August of the same year was seen at sunset over Paris, and was distinguished from similar phenomena, by its longer duration, (not to mention other instances mixed up with wonderful prophecies and omens), are recorded in the chronicles of that age.
The order of the seasons seemed to be inverted,--rains, floods and failures in crops were so general, that few places were exempt from them; and though an historian of this century assures us that there was an abundance in the granaries and storehouses, all his contemporaries, with one voice, contradict him. The consequences of failure in the crops were soon felt, especially in Italy and the surrounding countries, where, in this year, a rain which continued for four months, had destroyed the seed. In the larger cities, they were compelled, in the spring of 1347, to have recourse to a distribution of bread among the poor, particularly at Florence, where they erected large bake-houses, from which, in April, ninety-four thousand loaves of bread, each of twelve ounces in weight, were daily dispensed. It is plain, however, that humanity could only partially mitigate the general distress, not altogether obviate it.
Diseases, the invariable consequence of famine, broke out in the country, as well as in cities; children died of hunger in their mothers’ arms,--want, misery and despair, were general throughout Christendom.
Such are the events which took place before the eruption of the Black Plague in Europe.”
The Black Death in the Fourteenth Century
I. F. C. Hecker, 1833
Translated by B. G. Babington
Produced by Thiers Halliwell and Archibald Ogden-Smith for Project Gutenberg
Chapter 3 – Causes – Spread.
Sourced from:
New Light on the Black Death
page 100
“Several contemporary accounts exist of the earliest days of the Black Death, so similar in detail as to suggest that they may well have come from the same source. Almost the only man known to have been at or near the spot, Ibn-Bātuta, ‘The Traveler’ is disappointingly reticent. An anonymous Flemish cleric, on the other hand, was fortunately unfettered by the restrictions imposed on those who have actually seen what they describe. Basing himself on a letter from a friend in the papal curia at Avignon he recounted how:
“In the East, hard by Greater India, in a certain province, horrors and unheard-of tempests overwhelmed the whole province for the space of three days. On the first day there was a rain of frogs, serpents, lizards, scorpions, and many venomous beasts of that sort. On the second, thunder was heard, and lightning and sheets of fire fell upon the earth, mingled with hail stones of marvelous size; which slew almost all, from the greatest even to the least. On the third day there fell fire from heaven and stinking smoke, which slew all that were left of men and beasts, and burned up all the cities and towns in those parts. By these tempests the whole province was infected; and it is conjectured that, through the foul blast of wind that came from the South, the whole seashore and surrounding lands were infected, and are waxing more and more poisonous from day to day …”
“This concept of a corrupted atmosphere, visible in the form of mist or smoke, drifting across the world and overwhelming all whom it encountered, was one of the main assumptions on which the physicians of the Middle Ages based their efforts to check the plague. For one chronicler the substance of the cloud was more steam than smoke. Its origin was to be found in a war which had taken place between the sea and the sun in the Indian Ocean. The waters of the ocean were drawn up as a vapor so corrupted by the multitude of dead and rotting fish that the sun was quite unable to consume it nor could it fall again as healthy rain. So it drifted away, an evil, noxious mist, contaminating all it touched. For the Chronicler of Este, however, this cloud of death owed nothing to the sea:
“Between Cathay and Persia there rained a vast rain of fire; falling in flakes like snow and burning up mountains and plains and other lands, with men and women; and then arose vast masses of smoke; and whosoever beheld this died within the space of half a day; and likewise any man or woman who looked upon those who had seen this …”
“By the end of 1346, therefore, it was widely known, at least in the major European seaports, that a plague of unparalleled fury was raging in the East. Fearful rumors were heard of the disease’s progress: ‘India was depopulated, Tartary, Mesopotamia, Syria, Armenia were covered with dead bodies; the Kurds fled in vain to the mountains. In Caramania and Caesarea none were left alive …’ But still it does not seem to have occurred to anyone that the plague might one day strike at Europe.”
The Black Death
Philip Ziegler
Penguin UK, 1982 (original was 1969)
Opening of chapter 1 Origins and Nature
542-594
“Contagion is the inseparable symptom of the plague; which, by mutual respiration, is transfused from the infected persons to the lungs and stomach of those who approach them.
Yet no restraints were imposed on the free and frequent intercourse of the Roman provinces: from Persia to France, the nations were mingled and infected by wars and emigrations; and the pestilential odour which lurks for years in a bale of cotton was imported, by the abuse of trade, into the most distant regions.
The winds might diffuse that subtle venom; but unless the atmosphere be previously disposed for its reception, the plague would soon expire in the cold or temperate climates of the earth.
Such was the universal corruption of the air, that the pestilence which burst forth in the fifteenth year of Justinian was not checked or alleviated by any difference of the seasons. In time, its first malignity was abated and dispersed; the disease alternately languished and revived; but it was not till the end of a calamitous period of fifty - two years (AD 542-594) that mankind recovered their health, or the air resumed its pure and salubrious quality.”
The History of the Decline and fall of the Roman Empire.
Edward Gibbon
Abridged and edited by James Dean 1881
Sourced from within:
New Light on the Black Death
The Cosmic connection
Mike Baillie
2006
Page 77
Citing this edition:
Nelson and Brown, Edinburgh, 1832
1350
2nd August
“A star entered the Northern Bushel (a, b, g, d, e, z, h, Ursa Major); it was as large as the moon. There was heard a violent noise like a thunderclap: 3 days later, this same phenomenon was repeated.”
Catalogue Général des Étoiles Filantes
et des Autres Météores observés en Chine