46 History of Luminescence 



Another Middle Ages reference to the glowworm was by the Holy 

 Hildegard {ca. 1099-1179) , the German nun of Bingen, best known 

 for her miraculous visions. Among other contributions she pre- 

 pared a book, Physica, written between 1 150 and 1 160 and published 

 at Strassburg in 1533, which described some insects and included 

 the " glimus " or glowworm. 



Physica was a sort of natural history, giving an account of ani- 

 mals, birds, insects, etc., with a statement of their healing power. 

 Concerning the glowworm, " De glimo," included as Chapter 52 at 

 the end of the book on birds, Hildegard wrote: ^ " The glow-worm 

 is more cold than warm. If a person suffers from a wasting disease 

 and is prostrated, one should gather as many living glow-worms as 

 possible and tie them in a cloth over the navel of the affected one, 

 who will immediately regain strength." This remedy is among the 

 first of a number of glowworm cures, recommended during the 

 Middle Ages. Bees, wasps, flies, locusts, and other insects had heal- 

 ing value. Even gnats, according to Hildegard, would cure a scaly 

 head, or ringworm, if mixed with straw, burnt to an ash, and applied 

 as a lixivium to the affected place. 



Reference to fireflies in literature by Occidental nations, as com- 

 pared with the Oriental, appears to be of relatively recent origin. 

 According to Sarton (Introduction to the History of Science 3: 236, 

 487-488, 1947), the first mention of luminous insects in Western 

 belles-lettres occurs in Dante's (1265-1321) Inferno (XXVI, 29), 

 where a peasant, looking down at dusk from a hillside, saw: 



Fireflies innumerous spangling o'er the vale. 



Sarton attributes the scarcity of mention to the fact that " refer- 

 ences to such eerie creatures were tabooed." This opinion is sub- 

 stantiated by John Murray (1826: 40) , who wrote: " The Italians 

 have a superstitious dread of these beautifully adorned insects; 

 believing them to be the spirits of their departed ancestors." 



Somewhat later, the glowworm was noticed in literature, but often 

 referred to with derision because of its small light, or as " a dirty 

 beast." However, by Shakespeare's day, the insect had become quite 

 respectable, and glowworm is mentioned a number of times in his 

 plays. Probably the most famous quotation is from Hamlet (1604, 

 I, 5, lines 89-90) . 



The glow-worm shows the matin to be near, 

 And 'gins to pale his ineffectual fire. 



•■From Physica, Der Aebtissin St. Hildegardis myst. Tier-u. Artzneyen-Buch, 91, 

 1927. Translation by A. Huber. 



