(Duchess Anna Amalia Library, Weimar, Germany)
A page from the Nuremberg Chronicle, written by Hartmann Schedel (1440-1514). The Nuremberg Chronicle is a book of the history of the world - beginning with Genesis and ending in 1490. The book was commissioned by two Nuremberg merchants, Sebald Schreyer (1446–1503) and his son-in-law, Sebastian Kammermeister (1446–1520) with Hartmann Schedel as the author. Typical of these books about 90% of the text was copied from other books and 10% written by Hartmann. The pictures of the books were woodcuts made by Michael Wolgemut and Wilhelm Pleydenwurff. This page comes from the first part of the book: the history of the world from creation to the deluge. It shows the universe according to the Ptolemaic system (also known as the geocentric model) of the ancient Greco-Roman mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer Claudius Ptolemy (A.D. 100-170). In thid model the earth is the center of a spherical universe. The outer border of this universe is the Firmament with the 'fixed stars' (the planets are the 'moving stars'). Between Earth and the Firmament are the 7 planets, including the sun, with the Moon being the closest planet to the Earth. Between the Earth and the moon are 4 elemental spheres (water, fire, earth and water). Unlike modern Astronomy, it was thought that the planets and stars were embedded in rotating spheres made of an aetherial, transparent fifth element (quintessence or aether). Starting at the center, the composition of the universe is as follows:
- Earth
- the water sphere (home of the alchemical element water)
- the air sphere (home of the alchemical element air)
- the fire sphere (home of the alchemical element fire)
- the Moon
- Mercury
- Venus
- the Sun
- Mars
- Jupiter
- Saturn
- Firmament (= the 'fixed stars')
- crystalline sphere (= "the water above the firmament', mentioned in Genesis 1:7)
- Primum Mobile (= the swiftest, outermost sphere that imparts motion to the other spheres)
- Empyrean - the abode of the angels and God
The 9 words at the left is the Christian hierarchy of angels (from highest to lowest): Seraphim, Cherubim, Thrones, Dominions, Virtues, Powers, Principalities, Archangels, Angels. The 4 heads at each corner are the Anemoi or Venti, Greek/ Roman winds gods associated with a cardinal direction: Auster (South wind), Zephyrus (West wind), Subsolanus (East wind) and 'Aparnas' (probably Boreas or Aparctias, the North wind). Book from 1493.
