Eilmer of Malmesbury: Encyclopedia II - Eilmer of Malmesbury - Eilmer

Eilmer of Malmesbury - Eilmer

Eilmer was a monk of Malmesbury Abbey who studied mathematics and astrology. All that we know of him is told by a fellow-monk William of Malmesbury, writing around 1125 in his De Gestis Regum Anglorum (Deeds of the English Kings). There is little reason to doubt the accuracy of William's story as it was probably derived directly from Eilmer himself when an old man.

As to Eilmer's age, later historians have guessed at it based on a quotation in William's "Deeds", in regard to Halley's comet which appeared in 1066: You've come, have you? … You've come, you source of tears to many mothers. It is long since I saw you; but as I see you now you are much more terrible, for I see you brandishing the downfall of my country (Malmesbury, Ch. 225). From this quotation, later historians wrote that Eilmer may have seen Halley's comet 76 years earlier as a youth, putting his birth date as early as 985, making him about 5 years old the first time (old enough to remember). However the periodicity of comets was likely unknown to Eilmer's age and thus his remark "It is long since I saw you" could have been about a different comet. We know for certain that he was an "old man" in 1066, and made the flight "in his youth", placing it some time in the early 11th century. In any case, William recorded the quote by Eilmer not to establish his age, but to show that his prophecy was fulfilled later that year when William the Conqueror invaded England.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Eilmer", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki