Eilmer of Malmesbury facts for kids
Eilmer of Malmesbury was an English monk who lived about 1000 years ago. He is famous for trying to fly using wings he made himself. People sometimes called him Oliver, Elmer, or Æthelmær.
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Eilmer's Life
Eilmer was a monk at Malmesbury Abbey. He also studied astrology, which was a common interest back then. Most of what we know about Eilmer comes from a book called Deeds of the English Kings. This book was written around 1125 by another monk from the same abbey, William of Malmesbury. William probably heard stories about Eilmer directly from people who knew him when Eilmer was an old man.
When Was Eilmer Born?
Some historians have tried to guess when Eilmer was born. They looked at a quote from Eilmer in William's book about Halley's Comet. This famous comet appeared in the sky in 1066.
Eilmer supposedly said:
You've come, have you? – You've come, you source of tears to many mothers. It is long since I saw you; but as I see you now you are much more terrible, for I see you brandishing the downfall of my country.
William wrote this quote to show that a prophecy came true when the Normans invaded England. He didn't write it to tell us Eilmer's age.
If Eilmer had seen Halley's Comet 76 years earlier in 989, he might have been born around 984. This would mean he was about five or six years old when he first saw the comet. He would have been old enough to remember it. However, people in Eilmer's time likely didn't know that comets returned regularly. So, his comment "It is long since I saw you" could have been about a different comet.
We know Eilmer was an "old man" in 1066. We also know he tried to fly "in his youth." This means his flight probably happened early in the 11th century, maybe in the first ten years. Besides William's book, there are no other records about Eilmer's life.
The Flight Attempt
William of Malmesbury wrote that when Eilmer was young, he read the Greek myth of Daedalus. Daedalus was a character who flew using wings. Eilmer believed this story could be true. So, he attached wings to his hands and feet. Then, he jumped from the top of a tower at Malmesbury Abbey.
William described the flight:
He was a man learned for those times, of ripe old age, and in his early youth had hazarded a deed of remarkable boldness. He had by some means, I scarcely know what, fastened wings to his hands and feet so that, mistaking fable for truth, he might fly like Daedalus, and, collecting the breeze upon the summit of a tower, flew for more than a furlong [201 metres]. But agitated by the violence of the wind and the swirling of air, as well as by the awareness of his rash attempt, he fell, broke both his legs and was lame ever after. He used to relate as the cause of his failure, his forgetting to provide himself a tail.
Where Did He Land?
Eilmer flew for "more than a furlong," which is about 201 meters (or 220 yards). To fly that far, he would have been in the air for about 15 seconds. We don't know his exact path or how long he flew. The abbey today is not exactly the same as it was in the 11th century. However, the tower was probably similar in height.
There's a local story that Eilmer landed on "Olivers Lane." This lane is about 200 meters from the abbey. If he landed there, he would have flown over many buildings. One study suggests he might have landed down a steep hill southwest of the abbey instead of in the town center.
Why the Flight Failed
Eilmer used wings like a bird to glide downwards. But unlike a bird, he couldn't balance himself by moving his wings, head, or legs. He needed a large tail to stay steady in the air. Eilmer couldn't truly soar like a bird. However, he might have glided down safely if he had a tail. Eilmer himself said he failed because he "forgotten to provide himself with a tail."
Eilmer's Story Through History
Besides William's account, we don't have much information about Eilmer's work as a monk. But his writings on astrology were still read as late as the 1500s.
Because of William's book, the story of Eilmer's flight has been told many times over the centuries. Scholars and people interested in human flight kept his story alive. This helped keep the idea of humans flying from being forgotten. Many people retold his story, including:
- Helinand of Froidmont (before 1229)
- Roger Bacon (around 1260)
- Ranulf Higden (before 1352), who was the first to mistakenly call him "Oliver"
- John Milton (1670)
More recently, in 1986, Maxwell Woosnam looked closely at the technical parts of Eilmer's flight. He studied things like the materials, the angle of the glider, and how wind might have affected it.
At the time Eilmer lived, people were already making small toy helicopters and windmills. Church artists also started drawing angels with more realistic, bird-like wings. These drawings showed the curve of the wings, which helps create lift for flying. People believed that air could be "worked" and that humans could fly with enough effort and the right equipment. For Eilmer, a monk, the idea of flight might have also had a spiritual meaning. He would have thought about the soul's journey after death and the idea of rising above the earth.
Legacy
Eilmer's story continues to inspire people today.
- The University of Queensland in Australia has developed a computer program for fluid dynamics called Eilmer4.
- There is a short film called "Eilmer the Flying Monk" that tells the story of his flight.
See also
In Spanish: Eilmer de Malmesbury para niños
