Michael Scot and the Four Rainbows

Ano: 2017 | Volume: 0 | Número: 2

Autores: Tony Scott

Palavras-chave: Meteorology, Multiple rainbows, Optical dispersion, Middle-ages

Resumo Inglês:

We apply a physical and historical analysis to a passage by the medieval scholar Michael Scot concerning multiple rainbows, a meteorological phenomenon whose existence has only been acknowledged in recent history. We survey various types of physical models to best decipher Scot’s description of four parallel rainbows as well as a linguistic analysis of Scot’s special etymology. The conclusions have implications on Scot’s whereabouts at the turn of the 13th century.