John Damian facts for kids
John Damian de Falcuis (also known as Giovanni Damiano de Falcucci) was an Italian who lived at the court of James IV of Scotland. He tried many different things, like medicine, alchemy (trying to turn metals into gold), and even flying! His adventures and the king's support for him led a poet named William Dunbar to write funny poems about him.
A Royal Alchemist and Inventor
In Scottish government records, John Damian was called the "French Leech." "Leech" was an old word for a doctor. He first appeared in these records in January 1501.
John Damian helped build special furnaces at Stirling Castle and Holyroodhouse. These furnaces were for alchemy. He wanted to create the "quinta essentia," which means the "fifth element." People back then believed this was a magical substance.
John Damian became the Abbot of Tongland, a religious leader. Between 1501 and 1508, King James IV gave him a lot of money. John used this money to buy many ingredients for his alchemy experiments. These included things like aqua vitae (a strong alcohol), quicksilver, sal ammoniac, and sulphur. The court's apothecary (like a pharmacist) named John Mosman helped supply some of these materials. A goldsmith, Matthew Auchinleck, even made silver parts for his equipment.
John also helped with fun events at court. He organized dances in Edinburgh in 1504. The king even played cards and bet on shooting games with John.
In 1507, John Damian tried a very daring stunt. He attempted to fly from the high walls of Stirling Castle! Sadly, he broke his thigh bone in the attempt.
John stopped being the Abbot of Tongland in 1509. King James IV wrote to Pope Julius II to make sure John would still get a pension of 200 gold coins. John Damian was still at the Scottish court just a few months before the battle of Flodden in 1513.
Stories of a Flying Abbot
A poet from that time, William Dunbar, wrote funny poems about John Damian. One poem was called "A Ballad of the False Friar of Tongland, How He Fell in the Mire Flying to Turkey." In this poem, Dunbar joked that Damian came from the east and stole a priest's clothes. He pretended to be a doctor in France, but he was not very good. Then he came to Scotland.
Dunbar wrote that when John Damian failed to make his magical "fifth element," he decided to fly to Turkey. But in the poem, birds attacked him and pulled out his feathers. He then landed in a muddy swamp!
Another writer, John Lesley, also wrote about John Damian. Lesley said that when Damian's alchemy failed, people started to dislike him. To fix this, Damian announced he would fly from Stirling Castle. He said he would even reach France before the Scottish ambassadors!
On the special day, John Damian put on wings made of feathers. He jumped from the highest part of the castle. Lesley wrote that his flight ended as soon as it began. People watching were not sure whether to feel sad for him or laugh at his silliness. Damian broke his thigh bone. He claimed that he had wanted to use only eagle feathers, but some chicken feathers were mixed in, which ruined his wings. This flying attempt is usually thought to have happened around September 1507.
See also
- Franz Reichelt, a later parachute pioneer
