4 ms·
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunstone_(medieval)#Sources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunstone_(medieval)#Sources "One medieval source in Iceland, "Rauðúlfs
by berg01 8y ago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunstone_(medieval)#Sources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunstone_(medieval)#Sources
"One medieval source in Iceland, "Rauðúlfs þáttr", mentions the sunstone as a mineral by means of which the sun could be located in an overcast and snowy sky by holding it up and noting where it emitted, reflected or transmitted light (hvar geislaði úr honum).
Sunstones are also mentioned in Hrafns saga Sveinbjarnarsonar (13th century) and in church and monastic inventories (14th–15th century) without discussing their attributes. The sunstone texts of Hrafns saga Sveinbjarnarsonar were copied to all four versions of the medieval hagiography Guðmundar saga góða."
Perhaps you are making the statement that possession and understanding of such a mineral's capabilities is not definitive proof of them actually using to for navigation? I suppose strictly speaking that is true, but the leap of imagination is very, very tiny.
So what are you actually saying and why?
- Luc 8y ago> So what are you actually saying and why? Oooh, maybe I'm part of a sinister conspiracy to bring disrepute to Scandinavian history. No, I mean simply what I say: there is no proof for this conjecture (it's certainly not worth calling a 'theory') that sunstones were used by Vikings in navigation. Yet it keeps coming back. Every time I spend some time pushing back, but I'm getting weary of it, and perhaps I should let people believe in their crystals... As to the 'very very tiny leap of imagination', I am afraid I have to disagree. Look into something like the Bris Sextant if you want to learn more about a real, actually useful, simple device that can be used for navigation. It's fiddly as hell yet still way more practical than optical calcite.
- berg01 8y ago> Every time I spend some time pushing back Eh... You realize HN is not really the primary forum for this kind of debate? > and perhaps I should let people believe in their crystals... Oh, you're just a crank. Edit: And then after I refreshed you added an actual comment regarding the "leap of imagination" with a vague but distinctly condescending comment about something else.