Medieval Meteorology

Lawrence-Mathers, Anne

doi:10.1017/9781108289948

Cited by 10 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 108 publications

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“…While he was interested to parse out the intricacies of computus, he did not pursue it beyond a certain point for fear of political repercussions and because he may not have found a receptive audience for his findings. 23 He also knew that his predilection for classical texts and the excitement he derived from history did not befit a monk, and in his texts we witness a struggle between his delights and his obligations.…”

Section: Discovering William the Manmentioning

confidence: 99%

Discovering William of Malmesbury: The Man and his Works

Dolmans¹

Discovering William of Malmesbury

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Describing William of Malmesbury, scholars have often found it appropriate to draw upon superlatives: he was one of medieval England's finest men of letters, among the most learned historians of twelfth-century Europe, and, some would argue, the greatest historian of England since Bede. 1 In examining William's own words, however, it becomes clear that he was not a man of extremes; careful, measured, considered, and erudite, William's life was devoted to grappling with the complexities of history, and reconciling his own interests and personal relationships with his quest for truth and objectivity, both historical and religious. This present volume is a celebration of his achievements, and an attempt to become acquainted with the man and the works that allows us to enjoy a glimpse into the multifaceted world of twelfth-century England. It is, however, also a celebration of a more immediate achievement: it marks the release of Rodney Thomson and Michael Winterbottom's edition of The Miracles of the Virgin, the last of William's works to be edited and translated into modern English. William's humble biography belies his cultural importance and the scholarly ambitions that underpinned his career. What little precise information we have has been gleaned from his own writings. Born in Wiltshire in the last decade of the eleventh century, William was well educated and entered into the Benedictine abbey of Malmesbury as a youth. At the time, Malmesbury was under the abbacy of Godfrey of Jumièges, a man committed to the education of his monks, and who established Malmesbury as a centre of learning. 2 From around 1120, William was precentor, or cantor, of the abbey, a role which involved acting as librarian as well as the director of the liturgy; during this time, William undertook an expansion of Malmesbury's library, partially achieved through contributions of

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Section: Discovering William the Manmentioning

confidence: 99%

Discovering William of Malmesbury: The Man and his Works

Dolmans¹

Discovering William of Malmesbury

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“…For instance the Phaenomena by Aratus of Soli, a didactic poem that starts with an ode to Zeus for his creation of the order of the heavens which allow for the reading of signs to be interpreted into a meteorological phenomenon, was very popular, if not always accurate by contemporary standards. The popularity of this work ensured its survival up through the medieval period, where it was picked up by the Church and adopted into a Catholic practice of weather forecasting (Lawrence-Mathers, 2019) While most treatises do not endeavour to explain the causes of meteorological phenomena, Aristotle's Meteorologica, where we get the name of our discipline from, provides a theoretical framework for the natural world. The world consists of four elements in 4 states (dry-moist; hot-cold), and the elements changing states govern the physical processes on Earth.…”

Section: The Roots Of Meteorologymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The works of Aristotle and Pliny the Elder would remain relevant for centuries, with their practical information for agriculture and their framework to explain the phenomena of the atmosphere. As late as the 18th century, Pliny was used as an authority by English agricultural writers (Lawrence-Mathers, 2019). And even now in our current age, atmospheric science still shares some of its characteristics already present millennia ago.…”

Section: The Roots Of Meteorologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding the urban atmosphere through conceptual modelling and opportunistic sensing

Droste

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Een promotie in tijden van corona. Het voelt raar, dit stuk te typen vandaag. Het is 13 Mei: de oorspronkelijke datum van mijn promotie. Maar ik sta niet stijf van de spanning in de Aula, gekleed in mij oneigen nette kledij. In plaats daarvan zit ik met sloffen aan, in pyjama achter m'n bureautje deze eerste paar zinnen te typen; mijn promotie uitgesteld tot een onbepaalde tijd. Waarom? Had ik wat harder door moeten werken? Nee, dit boek is al lang en breed goedgekeurd, ik heb mezelf het zweet in gewerkt om alles op tijd af te krijgen. De wereld is in de greep van COVID-19, het coronavirus, dat ons allemaal binnenhoudt en de wereld gegijzeld heeft. Maar ondertussen gaat de wereld door: de universiteit is open, al het onderwijs massaal online gegooid. Samen met wat collega's assisteer ik om een veldwerk vak volledig online te geven: een enorme inspanning voor student en docent, maar het gebeurt wel. We leren onszelf in rap tempo nieuwe skills aan: het maken en bewerken van instructiefilmpjes, omgaan met virtuele leeromgevingen, de beste houding om in te loungen tijdens eindeloze videovergaderingen... Die blijken we de maanden erna ook nodig te hebben: het virus gaat nergens heen, en we proberen ons dagelijks leven weer op te pakken, terwijl we ook de veiligheid in acht (trachten te) nemen. Het academisch jaar is inmiddels weer van start gegaan, en we mogen mondjesmaat weer de campus op: de tijden van elke dag naar de WUR fietsen lijken eeuwen geleden. We worden het thuiswerken wel zat, de sleur van je eigen huis, ik begon zelfs de dubieuze koffie op kantoor te missen. Vreemd genoeg blijkt eindeloos thuiszitten best stressvol te zijn. Maar tegelijkertijd leren we er ook wel wat uit: we zijn enorm flexibel, maar ook ontzettend kwetsbaar als ons dagelijke ritme zo wild verstoord wordt. Mocht, over hoe lang dan ook, deze situatie weer voorbij zijn, is het zaak om terug te kijken naar hoe we als samenleving ons hier doorheen hebben geslagen, en niet deze periode maar gewoon te vergeten als een nare herinnering. U, lezer, heeft dit boekje nu in de hand. Mijn nieuwe promotiedatum is inmiddels al lang bekend en nadert rap. Hopelijk treffen we elkaar in de Aula, en anders via een scherm. Hopelijk heeft u plezier aan het doornemen van dit werk, gemaakt in een andere wereld, toen we nog bij elkaar op kantoor mochten zitten en elkaar liedelijk de hand konden schudden.

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Medieval origins of modern weather forecasting

Lawrence-Mathers

2021

Weather

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Medieval Meteorology

Cited by 10 publications

References 108 publications

Discovering William of Malmesbury: The Man and his Works

Discovering William of Malmesbury: The Man and his Works

Understanding the urban atmosphere through conceptual modelling and opportunistic sensing

Medieval origins of modern weather forecasting

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