Chaucer's Universe - Tapa dura

This work shows that the 14th century English poet, Geoffrey Chaucer, made more structural and allegorical use of astronomy in his poetry than was previously thought. In Part I the elements of Chaucerian cosmology are explained: physical, astronomical, astrological and geomantic. It is argued that Chaucer was the author of the treatise on the equatorium. Its workings as well as those of the astrolabe and of astronomical tables generally are explained and these give some insight into the history of the techniques of medieval astronomy. In Part II, astronomical allegory is extracted from more than a dozen of Chaucer's works, many of them components of "The Canterbury tales", but also "Troilus and Criseyde" and some of the minor poems. Chaucer's use of the calendar is explained and some associated numerological schemes are mentioned. A chronolgy of the writings of Chaucer's "astronomical period" (1382-94) is also included.