Predicting Machine

The English Franciscan monk Roger Bacon, who lived in the 13th century, is considered one of the most prominent scientists and philosophers of the Middle Ages. His scientific works are well-known. Much less is known about the fact that Bacon was also fond of the occult and once allegedly created a "mechanical talking head."

This may seem like a myth, but references to "talking heads" have been found in various sources since the 12th century. So, in European manuscripts we are talking about "copper heads", which were mechanical automata that issued predictions. In Arabic manuscripts, severed human heads or skulls utter prophecies.

If you believe the above, they were made of brass or bronze and spoke with the help of movable lower jaws on hinges. The heads could answer questions asked, as well as predict future events. It was assumed that a certain "magic power" was contained within the mechanism. Many mystics sought to get such an artefact, and some made the item themselves.

The chronicler William Malmesbury, in The History of the Kings of England, spoke of Herbert of Aurillac, who lived in the tenth century. This man, using secret knowledge obtained from a book stolen by him from Al-Andalus, a Muslim region located on the Iberian Peninsula, made such an oracle head. True, she answered questions only with the words "yes" or "no." Subsequently, Herbert became pope under the name of Sylvester II. The head is said to have predicted his own death as well.

It is said that a similar mechanism was developed by the English statesman, philosopher, theologian and scientist, Bishop of Lincoln Robert Grossetest, who, like many prominent minds of that time, was fond of alchemy. The head seemed to utter one prophecy, and then exploded.

As for Bacon, he believed that a copper head would help protect England from enemies. The development process took seven years. The master was assisted by the monk Bangay and the servant Miles. The invention looked like "an exact copper copy of the human head with the internal parts of all parts and organs in the human head." But for some reason she refused to talk.

According to legend, Bacon summoned some kind of demon, and not the devil himself, who said that the head would speak if it was fed by "continuous smoke from the six most famous simple ones."

The same legend tells that Bacon and his assistants heated their heads with steam for several weeks. Somehow Bacon and Bungay got tired and went to bed, leaving Miles to watch over his head. In order not to fall asleep, he began to play the violin. And suddenly the head spoke. True, she uttered only one single phrase: "There is time. Time was. Time has passed."

The book "The Famous Historie of Friar Bacon, Conteyning the Wonderful Things That He Did in His Life" describes this event as follows:

“Then followed a terrible noise with strange flashes of fire, such that Miles was half dead with fear. He dropped the violin and fell to his knees, and the room filled with smoke. Hearing the noise, both monks woke up, rushed into the cell and saw that Miles was beating himself in chest and screaming, and on the floor lies the Brass Head, all in smoke. The monks who came running to the noise found the head broken into fragments.

-- Pravda.ru