Medieval planetary diagram MS38
Location: Manuscript collection at the University library in Graz, Austria
Time: 12th century
Text: from Beda Venerabilis (De natura rerum, chapter XII)
"Inter terram celumque VII sidera pendent & certis discrepatus quae vocantur errantia....."
Below the diagram there are
- the different meanings of the word vesper, and
- explanations of the numerical values of the Greek alphabet.
Tabula astronomica:summarizes the astronomical knowledge of that time. It shows
- 10 concentric circles with the signs of zodiac in the outmost circle and the planetary spheres in the inner circles, including the sphere of sun and moon,
- comments on the respective planet, describing characteristic features of the planet, as shown for Saturn:
"Summum Planetarum Saturni sidus est. natura. gelidum. XXX Annis Zodiacum id est signiferum peragit. Sicut & martis Stella C.L.X.X diebus lucet."
- a cross of two orthogonal lines with the cardinal points at the endpoint of the lines, quartering the diagram into four parts,
- a medieval world map (T and O map) in the centre with meridiens (the south) at the top of the map,
- symbols for the planets, with human faces for sun and moon and rhombuses with rectangular-crossing lines for the planets,
- dating the diagram due to the position of the planets, sun and moon gives the night of June 2 6to 27, 1154.