The Talking Brass Head
Medieval legend said a brilliant scholar who became Pope had built a bronze head that answered questions with 'yes' or 'no'.
What was reported
Gerbert of Aurillac was the most learned man of his age, a teacher at Reims who studied mathematics and astronomy and became Pope Sylvester II in the year 999. After his death, chroniclers told that he had made a head of bronze that could answer any question with yes or no, and that he had learned his skills from demons.
Similar legends grew up around other scholars, such as Roger Bacon and Albertus Magnus, whose talking heads were said to have spoken, cracked, or been smashed to pieces.
Explanations offered
The stories show how medieval people viewed great learning: as close to magic. Gerbert really did bring knowledge of Arabic numerals and the abacus to Europe, and built instruments for astronomy. The brazen head is often called an ancestor of the robots and computers of later stories.
- When
- Legends from the 12th century
- Where
- Reims, France
- Witnesses
- Medieval chroniclers
- Status
- Legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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