Dicuil facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dicuil
Folio 25 of BnF Latin 4806, the earliest manuscript of De Mensura Orbis Terrae.
Religion	Catholicism
Other names	Dicuilus
Personal
Born	8th century (2nd half) Ireland?
Died	After 825

Dicuilus (in Gaelic: Dícuil) was an Irish monk, astronomer, and geographer. He was also an author who lived in the late 700s and early 800s. He was likely born in Ireland or the Hebrides islands.

Dicuil traveled through the Carolingian Empire (which was a large kingdom in Europe, also called Frankia) around the year 800. He was part of the Carolingian Renaissance, a time when learning and culture grew under Emperor Louis the Pious. Dicuil wrote important books about stars and the Earth's geography. His work is a great example of Hiberno-Latin culture, which means Irish-Latin culture.

Who Was Dicuil?

We don't know the exact dates of Dicuil's birth or death. Everything we know about him comes from his own writings. Some experts think he was born around 760 to 770 AD.

Dicuil probably lived in one of the many Irish monasteries in the Frankish Kingdom. He learned a lot by traveling and seeing islands near England and Scotland for himself. From 814 to 816, Dicuil taught in one of Emperor Louis the Pious's schools. During this time, he wrote a book about astronomy. In 825, he finished his famous book about geography.

In one of his books, Dicuil describes Ireland as "our own island." He also wrote about living in the Hebrides islands. He said:

We do not read of islands being found in the sea west or north of Spain. There are islands around our own island Hibernia, some small and some very small. Near the island Britannia are many islands, some large, some small, and some medium-sized. Some are in the sea to her south and some in the sea to her west, but they abound mostly to the north-west and north. Among these I have lived in some, and have visited others; some I have only glimpsed, while others I have read about.

Dicuil read many books. He mentioned or quoted from about thirty Greek and Latin writers. These included famous ancient authors like Homer, Herodotus, Virgil, and Pliny the Elder. He also used information from Roman surveys of the world. Some people think Dicuil might be the same person as another Irish poet and grammarian known as Hibernicus exul.

Dicuil's Book on Astronomy

Dicuil wrote an important book about astronomy, which is the study of stars and planets. This book was made up of five parts, written in both prose (like regular writing) and verse (like poetry).

Four parts of this book are still kept in a manuscript (an old handwritten book) at Valenciennes in France. Another manuscript from the abbey of Saint Martin at Tours has two extra chapters.

• Book 1 talks about calendars, how the moon's cycles work over 19 years, and how to write poetry. It also explains two ways to calculate triangular numbers.
• Book 2 discusses the distance between Earth and the sky, and between the seven planets. It also covers how to count lunar months, the moon's age, and rules for calculating important dates like Easter.
• Book 3 focuses on cycles of stars, more about the 19-year lunar cycles, and the first day of the natural year (which is the spring equinox in March).
• Book 4 explains extra days added to the solar calendar and days subtracted from the lunar calendar. It also talks about how fast the Moon, Sun, and stars move.

De mensura Orbis terrae

Dicuil's most famous work is De mensura Orbis terrae, which means "On the Measurement of the Earth." He finished this book in 825 AD. It is a summary of geography, giving clear information about different lands.

This book was based on an older "Measurement of the World" document. This document was created by order of Emperor Theodosius II in 435 AD. Dicuil used information from other authors like Pliny the Elder and Isidore of Seville. He also added his own observations and findings.

In his book, Dicuil describes nine main areas: Europe, Asia, Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, the total area of the Earth, five great rivers, certain islands, the size of the Tyrrhenian Sea, and the six highest mountains.

Even though much of his book was a collection of information from others, it is still very valuable. Dicuil's book is the only source we have for detailed information about the surveys ordered by Theodosius II. His quotes from other authors are usually very accurate.

What makes his book even more interesting are the few reports he got from travelers of his time. For example, he wrote about a monk named Fidelis who traveled along a canal between the River Nile and the Red Sea. This canal was still in use around 762 AD.

Dicuil also wrote about clerics (church officials) who visited the Faroe Islands. These clerics might have lived in Iceland for six months during the summer of 795. They claimed that in "Thule" (which might have been Iceland), there was constant daylight in midsummer. They said there was "no darkness to hinder one from doing what one would." They also described sailing north of Iceland and finding the sea free of ice for a day's journey when they first arrived.

How the Book Was Published

Old Manuscripts

Three main handwritten copies of De mensura Orbis terrae are known. These are the basis for all later versions of the text:

Other medieval manuscripts also exist, like the one at the Bodleian Library (copied in 1436).

Printed Editions

The geography manuscript was known to many scholars over the centuries. So far, three complete editions of the book have been published.

Tierney's 1967 edition is the only complete English translation of Dicuil's work.

See also

In Spanish: Dicuil para niños