Lapis Tempestas - wtf?
So, you're probably thinking one of two things right now.
1) Lapis what?
2) Why would you write about THAT?
3) Who are you anyway?
...ok, so maybe three things. But I can get to three in a bit.
The Lapis Tempestas is an awesome ancient artefact (see picture) that allows you to control the weather. By pressing the symbols on it, you can choose one of eight types of weather and it'll happen around you, for a few miles around.
1) Lapis what?
2) Why would you write about THAT?
3) Who are you anyway?
...ok, so maybe three things. But I can get to three in a bit.
The Lapis Tempestas is an awesome ancient artefact (see picture) that allows you to control the weather. By pressing the symbols on it, you can choose one of eight types of weather and it'll happen around you, for a few miles around.
Cool. What weather can I get?
There are eight symbols, each symbolising a type of weather. And the ancients were a little vague about what constituted weather, so as well as sunshine, rain, lightning storms, snow and hurricanes, you also get tsunamis, earthquakes and drought.
All really pleasant stuff, if you like the apocalyptic thing. I guess the stone wasn't just built for helping the crops, but also the armies.
All really pleasant stuff, if you like the apocalyptic thing. I guess the stone wasn't just built for helping the crops, but also the armies.
So, as cool as this all sounds... I bet you're thinking this sounds like some wacky nutjob, huh? Well, I guess it's time to introduce myself. I'm Anthony, and I'm a PhD student in the Institute of Archaeology and Antiquity at the University of Birmingham, in the UK. I've been studying ancient civilisations since I was an undergrad, which was far too many years ago to count, and my doctoral thesis, when I finally get around to finishing it, is all about the lapis tempestas.
The stone has been documented all through history in various places around the world, up til its most recent (and final) mentions in Anglo Saxon Britain. I've been trying to find out what happened to it after that, but without much luck so far. So, if you happen to stumble across something that looks like my little sketch (all credit to Thyractius, a Roman artist, circa 300AD; I didn't sketch it myself as I have no artistic talent whatsoever, haha) then please do get in touch.
In the meantime, whilst I'm waiting for the floods (haha, pardon the pun) of post that I don't think are about to land on my doormat, I'll be updating the site with all the information I've been gathering about the lapis. It's become a bit of a life's work for me and I really want to share it somewhere that someone outside of a university will see it.
The stone has been documented all through history in various places around the world, up til its most recent (and final) mentions in Anglo Saxon Britain. I've been trying to find out what happened to it after that, but without much luck so far. So, if you happen to stumble across something that looks like my little sketch (all credit to Thyractius, a Roman artist, circa 300AD; I didn't sketch it myself as I have no artistic talent whatsoever, haha) then please do get in touch.
In the meantime, whilst I'm waiting for the floods (haha, pardon the pun) of post that I don't think are about to land on my doormat, I'll be updating the site with all the information I've been gathering about the lapis. It's become a bit of a life's work for me and I really want to share it somewhere that someone outside of a university will see it.
