Dicuil facts for kids

Dicuil (pronounced DEE-kwil) was an Irish monk and geographer who lived a long time ago, in the late 700s and early 800s. He was from Ireland, also known as Gael, and might have spent time in the Hebrides islands near Scotland. He is famous for writing books about geography and astronomy.

Who Was Dicuil?

We don't know exactly when Dicuil was born or when he died. We also don't know much about his life. He probably lived in one of the many Irish monasteries in the Frankish Kingdom (which was a large empire in Europe).

Dicuil traveled to islands near England and Scotland. This helped him learn about different places firsthand. From 814 to 816, Dicuil taught in one of the schools of Louis the Pious, who was a powerful emperor. During this time, Dicuil wrote an astronomy book. In 825, he wrote a geography book.

Dicuil read many books from different authors. He used information from over thirty Greek and Latin writers. These included famous ancient writers like Homer and Virgil. He also used works by later writers such as Isidore of Seville. Dicuil even used old Roman maps and surveys. These surveys were supposedly ordered by emperors like Julius Caesar and Augustus.

Dicuil's Astronomy Book

Dicuil wrote an astronomy book called a computus. This book had five parts, written in both prose (like a story) and verse (like a poem).

• Book 1 talked about calendars and how to track the moon's cycles. It also explained how to calculate special numbers called triangular numbers.
• Book 2 discussed distances between Earth and the planets. It also had rules for figuring out when Easter and Lent would happen.
• Book 3 focused on cycles of stars and other big cycles of the Sun and Moon. It also mentioned the first day of the natural year, which is the spring equinox in March.
• Book 4 looked at extra days added to the solar calendar. It also discussed how fast the Moon, Sun, and stars move.

De mensura Orbis terrae (Measuring the Earth)

Dicuil's most famous work is De mensura Orbis terrae. This means "Measuring the Earth." It is a summary of geography that gives quick facts about different lands.

Dicuil based this book on an older map and survey. This survey was made for Emperor Theodosius II around 435 AD. Dicuil also used information from other writers like Pliny the Elder. But he also added his own discoveries and observations.

In his book, Dicuil described:

• Europe
• Asia
• Africa
• Egypt
• Ethiopia
• The total size of the Earth
• Five big rivers
• Different islands
• The size of the Tyrrhenian Sea
• Six of the highest mountains

This book is important because Dicuil is our only source for some details. For example, he shared information from travelers of his time. One was a monk named Fidelis. Fidelis traveled along a canal that connected the River Nile to the Red Sea. This canal existed back then.

Dicuil also wrote about clerics (church officials) who visited the Faroe Islands. They might have even lived in Iceland for six months in 795. They claimed that in a place called "Thule" (which might have been Iceland), the sun never set 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.

See also

In Spanish: Dicuil para niños