If it Thunders in February...

This was a funny article. About how hearing thunder can presage events. 

So the fact that it's going to thunder in Scotland means some poor wealthy bloke will die? Heh. 

But don't laugh. People still believe in astrology, numerology, palmistry, religion etc. You can fool some people all the time eh? 

Have a lovely day son. 

And don't forget to take the photographs! 

Love

Baba

If it Thunders in February...
http://www.medievalists.net/2016/02/01/if-it-thunders-in-february/
(via Instapaper)

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If you hear thunder in February, it could mean bountiful crops are coming, or war and death will come down upon the wealthy. Here is your day-to-day guide on thunder from the sixth century.

Thunder Storm Clouds – photo by Per / Flickr

Some superstitions from ancient times continued into the Middle Ages, including beliefs about astrology and how signs and portents could be observed in the natural world. One of those who wrote about these beliefs was John Lydus, a Byzantine administrator and scholar who lived in the sixth century. Like many, he initially doubted that the skies could predict the future, but his attitude changed when he saw for himself a 'horse-headed' comet in the sky in the year 540, which was followed by news that the Persians had invaded and destroyed the city of Antioch.

He would go on to write the book De Ostentis – On Celestial Signs, in which he offers the learning of the ancient world regarding portents, giving them a Christian viewpoint. He explains,

We are eager to speak about both solar and lunar obscurations, for thus the aforesaid call the defections of the luminaries caused by eclipses, both comets and their difference, both their trailings and dartings, both lightning flashes and thunderbolts, also other aerial wonders and finally manifestly earthquakes and conflagrations and the presaging therefrom, not so as to recount their natural causes or the speculations about them, for the particulars about these things clearly should be reserved for philosophers, but to learn perhaps beforehand how it is possible naturally from these celestial signs the occurrence of future events.

Lydus devoted a considerable part of his book to interpreting thunder, going so far as to note what will happen if people hear a thunderbolt on a particular day. Here is section on detailing what would happen over each day during the month of February:

February 1st – If it thunders, it threatens war and death of wealthy men.