Biographical Introduction, Summary of Contents and Appendix with bibliography of references

Abstract

The nineteenth volume in the series presents a treatise on the aurora borealis by Lars (or Laurids) Barhow (1707–1754), a parish priest at Ørlandet, some 50-odd kilometres west of Trondheim in Norway. His theory of the aurora may not be correct from the vantage point of present-day physics, but his consistent methodological approach and independent line of reasoning certainly met the standards of the Age of Enlightenment. Unlike many other investigators, Barhow argued (correctly) that the aurora borealis never descended below the height of the clouds. He also attempted to make a classification system on various types of aurora to ensure that discussions of the phenomenon could follow a common epistemology. The text is extant in two versions, a German printed edition (Frankfurt & Leipzig, 1751) and a Danish manuscript with Latin words and phrases interspersed, which was submitted to the The Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters in 1748. The introduction, written by Neo-Latinist and historian of science Per Pippin Aspaas, contains biographical information as well as a summary with ample extracts of Bahow's text in English translation. A list explaining the references in Barhow's treatise rounds off the introduction.