Did a Medieval Flying Monk Spot Halley's Comet Twice? It's Complicated
The legend of monk Eilmer, who attempted flight in 11th-century England, is tied to observations of Halley's comet. New research suggests the second comet he saw might have been the comet of 1018, not Halley's.
Did a Medieval Flying Monk Spot Halley's Comet Twice? It's Complicated
In the early 11th century, a young Benedictine monk named Eilmer jumped from the 150-foot tower of his abbey in Malmesbury, England, wearing crude wings made of willow wood and cloth. He managed to glide about 600 feet, clearing the city wall before crash-landing near the River Avon. The fall broke both his legs, crippling him. Malmesbury Abbey still features a stained-glass window honoring Brother Eilmer.
This legendary experiment in medieval aviation is recorded by 12th-century historian William of Malmesbury in an account written around 1125, though William did not provide an exact date. He did mention another key episode: when Eilmer was "advanced in years," he witnessed Halley's comet in 1066 and remarked, "It is long since I saw you."
Some historians have interpreted this to mean Eilmer saw Halley's comet on an earlier flyby in 989, when he would have been a young boy. Assuming Eilmer was at least five years old in 989, he would have been born no later than 984. That would make him in his 80s in 1066, with his flight attempt—made "in his first youth"—likely occurring between 1000 and 1010.
However, this estimate relies on many assumptions, according to James Aitcheson of the University of Leicester. In a paper published in the journal Notes and Queries, he argues that Eilmer may have seen a different comet altogether in his youth: the comet of 1018. If so, Eilmer would have been born much later, and his flight would have taken place between the 1020s and 1040s.
