Despite its historical significance, medieval meteorology has often been overlooked in academic research. To address this gap, Andreas Lammer, Associate Professor at the Center for the History of Philosophy and Science, and Professor Beate Fricke of the University of Bern have co-edited a volume on the subject. Their work has been published as a volume of Das Mittelalter, the research journal of the German Association of Medievalists.
In this volume, Lammer and Fricke explore how weather phenomena such as lightning and comets played a crucial role in the development of knowledge across various cultures and periods during the Middle Ages. These natural events were both starting point and goal of scientific inquiries and also held deep religious significance, which in turn further influenced both the creation and interpretation of scientific theories.
To capture these different dimensions of medieval meteorology, Lammer and Fricke have curated eight interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary contributions. These essays provide valuable insights into the evolution of meteorological knowledge within both Arabic and Latin scientific traditions. Topics range from the relationship between weather forecasting and economic predictions in the works of the Yemeni astronomer al-Ašraf ʿUmar to the integration of ethics and ecology in the Arthurian epics. Spanning eight centuries and two continents, this volume offers a rich exploration of medieval meteorology.
Andreas Lammer: “This volume is the good outcome of a wonderful collaboration with colleagues from various fields of medieval studies. It was a true pleasure to work together with them on a topic that is, as it seems to me, a bit ‘up and coming.’ There is much more still to unearth, and I hope that our volume will inspire others to get their hands dirty in the history of meteorology.”
The volume is published in open access and can be read and downloaded for free on the website of Heidelberg University Publishing.
The role of water
Additionally, Lammer, along with Colin Murtha, a PhD candidate at the Center for the History of Philosophy and Science, contributed a chapter to the book The Elements in the Medieval World, Interdisciplinary Perspectives: Water. This first volume in the book series Elements, Nature, Environment (also co-edited by Lammer) explores the essential role of water in medieval life and science.
In their chapter “What Goes Up Must Come Down: The Water Cycle in Early Arabic Meteorology”, Lammer and Murtha focus on the development of theories about the water cycle in early Islamic philosophy. Together, they examine how Islamic philosophers grappled with fundamental questions such as: How does water vapor rise while other forms of water fall? Why are there various kinds of precipitation? Why do rivers continue to flow? And why is the sea salty? This work once again stresses the importance of meteorology to understand the development of medieval science.
More information about the chapter can be found on the website of Brill Publishers.