Wolf In The Sky

The volcanic winter of 536 was among the most severe and protracted episodes of climatic cooling in the Northern Hemisphere in the last 2,000 years. The volcanic winter was caused by at least three simultaneous eruptions of uncertain origin, with several possible locations proposed in various continents. Modern scholarship has determined that in early AD 536 (or possibly late 535), an eruption ejected massive amounts of sulfate aerosols into the atmosphere, which reduced the solar radiation reaching the Earth's surface and cooled the atmosphere for several years. In March 536, Constantinople began experiencing darkened skies and lower temperatures.

 

Summer temperatures in 536 fell by as much as 2.5 °C (4.5 °F) below normal in Europe. The lingering effect of the volcanic winter of 536 was augmented in 539–540, when another volcanic eruption caused summer temperatures to decline as much as 2.7 °C (4.9 °F) below normal in Europe. There is evidence of still another volcanic eruption in 547 which would have extended the cool period. The volcanic eruptions caused crop failures, and were accompanied by the Plague of Justinian, famine, and millions of deaths and initiated the Late Antique Little Ice Age, which lasted from 536 to 660.

Historian Michael McCormick has called the year 536 "the beginning of one of the worst periods to be alive, if not the worst year."

 

Documentary evidence

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The Roman historian Procopius recorded in AD 536 in his report on the wars with the Vandals, "during this year a most dread portent took place. For the sun gave forth its light without brightness... and it seemed exceedingly like the sun in eclipse, for the beams it shed were not clear".

 

In 538, the Roman statesman Cassiodorus described the following to one of his subordinates in letter 25:

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• The sun's rays were weak, and they appeared a "bluish" colour.

• At noon, no shadows from people were visible on the ground.

• The heat from the sun was feeble.

• The moon, even when full, was "empty of splendour"

• "A winter without storms, a spring without mildness, and a summer without heat"

• Prolonged frost and unseasonable drought

• The seasons "seem to be all jumbled up together"

• The sky is described as "blended with alien elements" just like cloudy weather, except prolonged. It was "stretched like a hide across the sky" and prevented the "true colours" of the sun and moon from being seen, along with the sun's warmth.

• Frosts during harvest, which made apples harden and grapes sour.

• The need to use stored food to last through the situation.

• Subsequent letters (no. 26 and 27) discuss plans to relieve a widespread famine.

 

In the entry corresponding to the year 535–536, the early 7th century Mandaean Book of Kings relates, "were you to request a tenth of a peck of grain in the land Gawkāy for five staters, we would look but it would not be found," an exchange of 873 grams of grain for 43 grams of gold, reflecting the scarcity of grain during this time.

 

Norse Mythology
 

In Norse mythology, Fimbulwinter refers to a prolonged and harsh winter that precedes Ragnarök, the end of the world. Some researchers believe the myth may be rooted in a real-world climate event, specifically the extreme weather of 535-536 AD, which was marked by a significant drop in temperatures across Northern Europe. This period of cold is thought to have been caused by one or more large volcanic eruptions that released ash and sulfate into the atmosphere, creating a "volcanic winter". 

Here's a breakdown of the connection:

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• Fimbulwinter in Mythology:

  Norse mythology describes Fimbulwinter as a three-year-long winter with no intervening summer, characterized by extreme cold, snow, and hardship. 

• The Year 536:

  Around 536 AD, a series of volcanic eruptions, possibly in Iceland or Central America, caused a massive release of aerosols into the atmosphere. 

• Volcanic Winter:

  This event created a "volcanic winter," causing a significant drop in global temperatures and leading to crop failures and famine. 

• Evidence from Tree Rings:

  Studies of tree rings from the period show a notable decrease in growth, particularly in the years 536 and 539-540, further supporting the idea of a severe climate event. 

• Consequences:

  The 536 climate event likely caused widespread hardship, including famine, disease (like the Justinian plague), and social unrest, potentially influencing the narratives of Ragnarök and Fimbulwinter. 

• Myth as Cultural Memory:

  Some researchers propose that the Fimbulwinter myth is a way of preserving the memory of this real-world climate catastrophe in Norse culture. 

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The Year of the Wolf:

While not directly tied to the year 536, the Fenrisúlfr (Fenris Wolf) is a central figure in Ragnarök, devouring the sun and contributing to the end of the world. The wolf's association with the end times further connects the mythology to the idea of a catastrophic event like the one experienced in 536. 

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