Ireland, location unknown — Circa May 698
Three flying shields
A passage extracted from a 17th century transcription of an older but undated manuscript offers another example of the use of the term ‘shield’ in connection with a phenomenon in the sky. As noted by researcher Yannis Deliyannis, “it is interesting and unusual in medieval records. It is reminiscent of course of the ‘clipei’ of the authors of the Roman period.” The text reads: “Three shields were seen in the heavens, as it were warring from the east to the west, after the manner of undulating waves on a very calm night, being that of the Ascension of the Lord. The first was snowy, the second fiery, the third bloody; which prefigured, as is thought, three succeeding evils: for in the same year the herds of cows throughout Ireland were nearly destroyed, and not only in Ireland, but also throughout the whole of Europe.” ANNALS OF IRELAND. THREE FRAGMENTS mm >MN anm «NNI Kr DUBHALTACH MAC I1KBISICH/ »•»« * WTImIwniAi wTwBAX&LMAITHU\XHU KiiOiuTmcfS..» ••• «in mux ihowak an. JLtux. r»<mi(« irainr uairtin, «rm « mi NII ••»..• ra% DOBI .IN:t ym. «n. i > e . awwni FOB 7HE 1R1FH AWH^EOLOOIf At. AID CELTIC NX’IEXY i860. Fig. 6: Annals of Ireland
Source: Annals of Ireland, three fragments copied from ancient sources by Dubhaltach Mac Firbisigh, trans. John O’Donovan (Dublin: Irish Archaeological and Celtic Society, 1860). The date would have been 40 days following that year’s celebration of Easter. Case: W002