Nuremberg Celestial Phenomenon of 1561
In the year 1561, on April 14th in the morning, between dawn and the hour after (around four and five o'clock in the morning), a terrible spectacle appeared at the sun, just as it was rising. This was observed in the city of Nuremberg, outside its gates, and in the countryside by many men and women.
First, two blood-red, semi-circular streaks appeared behind the sun, arch-shaped like the waning moon, shining above and below through the sun, with each side blood-colored. Numerous orbs, some bluish or iron-colored, as well as black, were visible around the sun.
Others among them were blood-red and positioned ring-shaped on both sides of the sun. Yet others appeared in rows of three, and others were arranged in squares. Among the latter were blood-red crosses. And between all these orbs and crosses, blood-red streaks could be seen in the background.
This scene was also mixed with flexible, hollow tubes. There were also three large tubes, one on the left-hand side, one on the right, and a third one above the whole scene. In these tubes, four or more orbs could be seen.
All this began to battle each other: The orbs at first flew into the sun, then back out and collided with each other, soon the large tubes also began to fire orbs and to shoot at each other. Everything fought vehemently for about an hour, rose and descended in front of the sun and struggled until exhaustion.
Finally, as reported, all objects slowly descended from the sky to Earth, as if they wanted to set everything on fire, and eventually went down in a lot of steam and dissolved.
After this spectacle, a uniform, large and thick black spear was seen in the sky, with its shaft pointing east and its tip pointing west.
What such signs mean is known only to God. However, it is to be feared that God will send us a terrible punishment for our ingratitude. However, the God-fearing will not despise Him but will wholeheartedly heed the warning of their merciful Father in Heaven, improve their lives, and serve God faithfully, so that He may turn away His righteous wrath and the well-deserved punishment from us. So that we may live as His children here temporarily, and there eternally.
May God help us all. Amen.
On the Wondrous Stralsund Air War and Naval Battle
God help! What dangerous times will still follow on Earth? We hear of wars and cries of war in all elements: how firestorms rage / and tear down many a magnificent building? How does the bloodthirsty Mars wreak havoc in many lands? How do the tempestuous waves of Holland and England rage? The African and French water waves?
Goethe's Manuscript (Pandemonium of Will-o'-the-wisps, Autumn 1765)
"... a persistent rain had severely ruined the roads, which overall were not yet in good condition, as we later found them; and our journey was therefore neither pleasant nor fortunate. However, I owe this damp weather the sight of a natural phenomenon that may be very rare; for I have never seen anything like it again, nor have I heard from others that they have observed it."
"We were traveling between Hanau and Gelnhausen at nighttime up a hill, and even though it was dark, we preferred to walk rather than expose ourselves to the danger and inconvenience of this stretch of road. Suddenly, on the right side of the road, in a depression, I saw a sort of wonderfully illuminated amphitheater. Countless little lights blinked in a funnel-shaped space, one above the other, and shone so vividly that the eye was blinded by them."
"What further confused the gaze was that they did not sit still, but hopped back and forth, both from top to bottom, and vice versa and in all directions. However, most of them remained calm and flickered continuously. I was very reluctant to be pulled away from this spectacle, which I would have liked to observe more closely. Upon questioning, the postilion did not want to know anything about such a phenomenon, but said that there is an old quarry nearby, the middle depression of which is filled with water. Whether this was a pandemonium of will-o'-the-wisps or a gathering of luminous creatures, I will not decide."