Frederick II is visited by:
scholars from Spain and Damascus;
the astrologer, Michael Scot;
Leonardo Fibonacci of Pisa, importer of Arabic numerals;
Munan Eyvindsson, Icelandic outlaw, who gifts a Greenland falcon, relates sagas and recites Eddic and skaldic poems.
The falcon is from the Time Patrol pre-Indian North American ranch which we saw in 15,926 BC on pp. 281-282. Frederick is impressed with how well the bird has travelled from Iceland whereas, of course, Munan/Everard has had to carry it only a short distance from his timecycle arrival point.
Frederick's response to Norse mythology is mine:
"'You open another whole universe!'" (p. 396)
3 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
What interested me was that there was a KNOWN person who introduced Hindu/Arabic numerals to Western Europe. I had somewhat vaguely thought that happened gradually, over a fairly long time, by various unknown persons.
Ad astra! Sean
Note that Fibonacci not only introduced the Hindu numerical system, but demonstrated its superiority by numerous practical examples in things like currency conversions and profit calculations.
It spread very quickly among merchants; official use was rather slower. The English treasury was still using notched tally-sticks several generations later.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
I am not surprised GOV'TS were slower to adopt Hindu numbers, because bureaucrats tend to conservative and unwilling to change.
Ad astra! Sean
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