90 
NATURE 
7 = 
«+ : 
[May 28, 1885 
author, wrote, towards the end of the sixteenth century, a 
treatise, ‘* About Greenlana.” Ina second edition (about 1600) 
he added some extracts from the ‘* Kings-mirro-,”? and among 
these, one about the Aurora Borealis. But here he has inserted a 
remark, which in a high degree has attracted attention and 
caused astonishment, and which, till now, has been inexplicable 
to the investigators of the Aurora Borealis. I give further on a 
translation of the description of the Aurora Borealis in the 
‘ Kings-mirror,” and after it the version of Peder Clauss6n :— 
Kings-mirror 
“Such a nature and condition has the north-light, that the 
more obscure the night, the more brilliant it appears, and only 
in the night is it to be seen, never during the daytime, and 
especially in profound darkness, but seldom by moonlight. It 
appears as a large flame from a heavy fire seen from afar. Out 
of this flame prot) udes, apjarently up in the air, sharp points of 
unequal height, and very unsteady, so that now one, then 
the other is higher, and in such a manner this light is pendent 
like a luminous blaze. As long as these flashes are most intense 
and bright, such a keen light radiates from these streams of fire 
and rays, that outdoor people can find their way, and even go a 
hunting, if it should be neces ary. Also, when people are in 
houses provided with windows, it is so bright inside that all 
present can recognise each other. But this light is so fluctuating 
that it sometimes seems to darken, as if a black smoke ora heavy 
nebulous cloud had |een puffed into it, and then shortly again it 
seems as if the light were about to be smothered in this smoke, 
and almost become quite extinct. But as soon as this fog 
commences to dissolve, then this light brightens, and clears up 
for the second time, and it happens even that one would believe 
that heavy sparks emitted from it as from a red-hot iron just 
taken out of the forge. When the night declines, and with day- 
break this light begins to decrease, and when the day has set in 
it seems entirely to disappear.” 
Peder Claussén Friis - 
“‘TIn Greenland a meteor and bright light is seen on the sky 
during the night, which app ars in the following manner: the 
more obscure the night the more brilliant is the light ; that is to 
say, the less the moon shines, aud when shes in her prime or 
wane, the more this light becomes visible in the sky, however, 
always towards the north, AND NEVER SO HIGH IN THE SKY AS 
TO BE OBSERVED IN OTHER COUNTRIES THAN GREENLAND, 
ICELAND, AND THE NORTHERN PART OF NoRWAY, avd for that 
veason it ts called North-light. 
“*Tt appears as a flame or a darting fire, and extends over the 
sky like a tall and slender hedge, and it rushes wp and down in a 
trice as if many organ pifes were posted one beside the other, and 
in the twinkling of an eye one shoots up and the other down, and 
where the flame daris clearest up and down, hack and forwards, 
it can grow dim and almost leave behind ita smoke; dzt the 
next moment light up again ox another spot, or catch fire where it 
Just before seemed to be extinguished. Nobody who has not him- 
self seen it, can imagine how quickly this light moves forwards 
and backwards, as if it were hopping and dancing with much 
agitation. And when this light is most intense, people can 
perceive everything in the houses as if the moon were shining. 
At daybreak this northlight fades away.” 
The ‘‘ Kings-mirror” was written about 1250, at all events 
before 1260, and probably later than 1240. The home of the 
unknown, but at all events Norwegian, author may be looked 
for, according to the sagacious reasoning of H. Geelmuyden 
(Christiania Ob ervatory) between 64° 23’ and 64° 58’ N. lat. 
(not far from the town of Namsos). This description of the 
aurora is indeed unparalleled in the aurora literature of the past 
ages ; the noble but unvarnished manner in which he de cribes 
the phenomenon has not a counterpart in the same or at a much 
later period. It is peculiar, however, that the aurora is men- 
tioned in the ‘‘Kings-mirror” as a phenomenon chiefly charac- 
teristic of Greenland, and not even an intimation is given as to 
its being visible in Norway. This description indicates, never- 
theless, quite plainly that it is based on the author's own 
observation of the aurora in his native country, and it is there- 
t The Kings-mirror (Konungs skuggsj4) is, of its kind, an unparalleled 
Norwegian work, in which an ingenious and noble man, who must have 
stood at the height of culture ar his time, has expounded his philosophy and 
especially his views on State administration and ethics, in the form of con- 
versations between a father and son It isa book on good manners, social 
intercourse of the highest interest, because of the whole form of culture 
which it represents, and is written in elevated tone. 
fore beyond doubt that he was familiar with the phenomenon,! 
although he has considered Greenland—the country situated, 
according to the opinion of past ages, farthest towards the north 
—the proper home of the aurora, 
In Peder Clauss6n’s above quoted version of the aurora de- 
scription in the ‘‘ Kings-mirror” I have made the remarks and 
expressions differing from the ‘‘ Kings-mirror” conspicuous by 
italics. It will be seen that his citation is rather free ; many of 
these conspicuous expressions, if not all, point to Peder 
Clauss6n’s knowledge of the aurora through his own observation. 
The more striking is the conspicuous remark that the aurora in 
Greenland does not appear so high in the sky as to be observed 
in other countries than Greenland, Iceland, and the northern 
part of Norway. 
This remark has been inserted in many other publications, 
and all historians of the aurora from Mairan to Fritz have 
occupied themselves with the notable circumstance that, accord- 
ing to this remerk, the aurora was not visible during the last 
half of the sixteenth century in Southern Norway. But nowhere 
in the whole history of the aurora is it so evident how much 
caution must be displayed in drawing comprehensive inferences 
from a single remark of an old author. 
Peder Clauss6n has, in a single copy of his treatise on Green- 
land in the year 1604 or 1605, with regard to the aurora, added 
the following important ‘‘note,” hitherto unknown to the 
investigators of the aurora :— 
““ This northlight was, as before said, only seen in past times 
in northern countries. But in the period of my infancy, about 
the year 1550, it was first seen by people who live in the 
southern part of Norway, however not higher on the sky than 
the Polar Star. But since the year 1570 it ascends to sucha 
height that it appears to us in the ‘south-east and in a southern 
direction, and I suppose that it is seen at present also in other 
countries.” 
Peder Clauss6n’s relation is thus in downright contradiction 
with the interpretation given to his above-mentioned remark. It 
remains now to explain how he could write, in the year 1600, 
that the aurora was only visible in the extreme north of Nor- 
way. It may be seen that he had the opinion tha the aurora, 
in ‘*past times,” was only visible in ‘the northern countries” ; 
the silence of the ‘‘ Kings-mirror” about this phenomenon in 
Norway has perhaps brought him to this conclusion. The 
remark ‘‘and never so high in the sky as to be observed,” 
&c., therefore, in all probability describes the circumstances 
which, after his opinion, took place at the time when the 
“¢ Kings-mirror ”’ was written. The additional clause, ‘‘and for 
that reason it is called northlight,” seems at the same time to 
intimate that he, by the previous remark, would explain why 
the author of the ‘‘ Kings-mirror” uses the expression north- 
light (namely, because it is visible only in the extreme northern 
countries). SopHus TROMHOLT 
Christiania 
UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 
INTELLIGENCE 
CAMBRIDGE.—Two studentships have been established at St- 
John’s College on the foundation of the Rey. Mr. Hutchinson; 
late Senior Fellow. They are of the value of 60/. a year for two 
years and are tenable with a Foundation Scholarship. Any 
student of the College who shall be dod fide engaged in the pur- 
suit of some branch or branches of physical or natural science or 
in the study of Semitic or Indian languages, and shall be of not 
less than nine and not more than eighteen terms’ standing from 
the commencement of his residence in the University shall be 
qualified to be a candidate, and if there is no candidate belong- 
ing to the College of sufficient merit in these studies, the Council 
may elect a student engaged in any study, whether a member of 
the College or not. 
on the students as shall encourage genuine study after the best 
methods—e.g. they may require him to present in writing an 
account of his studies, to deliver lectures, &c. The election will 
take place in June each year. 
It will be seen that a Hutchinson student may be free to work 
at biology in Naples, to join an Eclipse Expedition, to study 
Pali in Ceylon or Hebrew in Cambridge. We hope to hear of 
the Hutchinson students in the future. ; 
The Senate has approved of the erection of a new Chemical 
* The author himself never visited Greenland. 
i a 8 
« ., 
The Council may impose such conditions _ 
