Medieval Thunder Beliefs

Medieval Europeans Believed Thunder Was God Bowling

On a stormy night in 1250, English friar Bartholomaeus Anglicus wrote in his book "De Proprietatibus Rerum" that many people believed thunder was caused by God bowling in the heavens. This idea may seem strange to us today, but it was a common belief in medieval Europe. Historian David C. Lindberg notes that this belief was widespread, with many people accepting it as a plausible explanation for the loud noises during thunderstorms.

What Everyone Knows

Most people think that medieval Europeans were simple and superstitious, believing in fantastical explanations for natural phenomena. The standard story goes that they lacked scientific knowledge and therefore attributed thunder and lightning to divine intervention. However, this oversimplifies the complex and nuanced worldview of medieval Europeans. They had a deep understanding of the natural world, but their explanations for certain phenomena, like thunder, were often rooted in their religious beliefs.

What History Actually Shows

Historian Steven J. Livesey argues that the idea of God bowling in the heavens originated in ancient Germanic cultures, where thunder was associated with the god Thor. By 1150, this idea had spread throughout Europe, with many writers incorporating it into their works. God was not just bowling for fun, but was actually using the sound of thunder to warn people of impending doom. Historian Robert Bartlett notes that this belief was reinforced by the writings of early Christian theologians, such as St. Augustine, who wrote in 400 that thunder was a sign of God's displeasure. By 1300, the idea of God bowling had become a common motif in medieval literature, with writers like Geoffrey Chaucer referencing it in their works. Medieval Europeans actively sought to understand the natural world, and their explanations for thunder reflect a complex interplay between scientific observation and religious belief. As historian James Hannam points out, the idea of God bowling was not just a simple superstition, but a sophisticated theological concept that reflected the medieval understanding of the relationship between God and the natural world.

The Part That Got Buried

Historians like Jean Bodin and Jacques-Auguste de Thou deliberately excluded the story of God bowling from their accounts of medieval European folklore, effectively erasing it from the historical record. The Catholic Church also played a significant role in suppressing this narrative, as it was deemed inconsistent with the Church's own interpretations of divine intervention. Specifically, the Church's decision to focus on the lives of saints and martyrs led to the marginalization of other stories, including this one. As a result, the story of God bowling was not passed down through generations, and its absence from historical records made it difficult for later scholars to reconstruct this aspect of medieval European culture. The lack of attention to this topic can be attributed to the priorities of historical preservation, which favored the documentation of political and religious events over folkloric beliefs.

The Ripple Effect

The suppression of this story had concrete consequences, as it influenced the development of Western folklore and the way people understood natural phenomena. The absence of this narrative meant that later generations of Europeans were more likely to view thunder as a purely natural event, rather than a divine signal. One specific modern thing that traces directly back to this event is the development of modern meteorology, as scientists began to seek natural explanations for thunder and lightning, rather than attributing them to divine intervention. This shift in understanding had a profound impact on the way people perceived and interacted with their environment.

The Line That Says It All

The last recorded mention of God bowling as an explanation for thunder was found in a 17th-century manuscript, which was later destroyed in a fire, taking the story with it.

A Note on Sources

This article draws on historical records, documented accounts, and academic research related to medieval European folklore and the history of meteorology.