Olaus Magnus the Goth on Fire, Light and Lighting Devices of the Northern People

• Olaus Magnus, Archbishop of Uppsala, published Historia de Gentibus Septentrionalibus in Rome in 1555. This encyclopedic, illustrated work on the customs and history of the Nordic people became popular and it was translated into several European languages during the following decades. In this article, a special focus is given to the various instances where Olaus Magnus comments on fire, light and lighting devices in Scandinavia, such as the symbolic meaning of fire and light at wedding ceremonies, lighting the guild feasts, light in Christian processions and in the church, lighting in wintertime, light and fire in summertime, fire and lights during warfare, birds and lights, and fishing by means of fire.Finally, the evidence provided by Olaus Magnus is compared with other sources, and what archival sources reveal about the use of light and lighting devices at Häme and Turku Castles in Finland during the same period.

Ämnesord

HUMANIORA  -- Historia och arkeologi -- Arkeologi (hsv//swe)

HUMANITIES  -- History and Archaeology -- Archaeology (hsv//eng)

HUMANIORA  -- Historia och arkeologi -- Teknikhistoria (hsv//swe)

HUMANITIES  -- History and Archaeology -- History of Technology (hsv//eng)

HUMANIORA  -- Historia och arkeologi -- Historia (hsv//swe)

HUMANITIES  -- History and Archaeology -- History (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Olaus Magnus

lighting devices

lamps

candles

wax candles

torches

fire

Nordic people

Mediaeval lighting

Mediaeval customs

Olaus Magnus

belysning

lampor

eld

ljus

Nordens historia

kyrkohistoria

medeltid

boktryck

Finland

slott

Sverige

Tavastehus

facklor

vaxljus

arkeologi

Archaeology

History

historia

konstvetenskap

Art History

Literature

litteraturvetenskap

Ethnology

etnologi

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