Inventio Fortunata and the North Pole. New estimate of the 14th century pole.

There has been a new caveot thrown into the argument although I don't
think anyone here has realized it yet. A science article from
september has made a rather brash conclusion which I will get to.

The argument over the Inventio Fortunata, what we know revolves
around the following.

http://f3.grp.yahoofs.com/v1/IFdUQ6Cc1KdS4C2nCP7G71OISk02wCpGr6bxZU0q
kEDMA1FU-0THhF3I7e3B9-_W8WilRDMTApDAdSl3_nf4w-
IpK62fyEfy/Controversies/Inventio.rtf

In all of these stories there is a certain consistency, that the
indivdual who made the journey traveled north and attested to being
at the magnetic pole. However there would be a controvery to a
traveler of the 14th century if the pole were at its current position
or west, I predicted it would be far west of greenland and that the
person traveling would be traveling west but polarity would be north.
This inconsistency is not mentioned, and yet how would they detect
the magnetism if they did not have a compass. Never once was it
mentioned in any account that the friar traveled west to go north.
And finally it mentioned that the friar traveled all the land of the
north on foot and return 5 times to the same place. For fact, to do
so in the Queen Elizabeth islands, in any case, was very unlikely
since the opening in the seas occurs only breifly during the year and
some years it would not be open at all.

What is missing and subject to a heated debate was where the
magnetic pole was in 1360. KNowing where the pole is we can
reasonably estimate, within a few hundred miles where magnetic dip
maxima was, magnetic north. The dipole currently intercepts thule,
the pole itself is rapidly heading toward russia, within decades it
will reach russia, and feild strength is rapidly decaying. However
during the 14th century feild strength was considerably stonger than
to day. We know what causes the pole to move, this has been
determined, the devaincy occurs because the magnetic dipole axis is
not parallel to rotational axis, its off by a few degrees, and the
core is moving relative to the earth. To be more precise the earth is
slowing down and the core is rotating ever so slightly faster. How
fast is the issue, previously based on aurora and other phenomena I
predicted that its probabily making this rotation once every 1500 to
2000 years. A recent paper published in Science (september) has
revealed by measuring nearly identicle earthquakes at the same
location on the other side of the earth the actual speed at which the
earth rotates. They conclude that the rotation is once per 900 years.
The inventio was written about an event that occurred in 1360or about
650 years ago. Since the earth is slowing faster than the core and
the earth is turning from east to west it means that the dipole
intercept is moving eastward, at about 0°24'E per year. Its current
position is about 70°W can also be stated as 290°E so that 290°E -
(650yr * 0°24'E/yr) = 30°E, therefore according to this paper the dip
maximum would be from about 0° to 20°E in accord with a consistent
lag of the dip versus the dipole, although we do not know or can
predict the latitude.
Lying exactly between 10°E and 20°E at the same approximate
latitude as thule are the Svaldbard islands, with a magnetic dipole
at 30°E. The islands consist of 4 islands the largest is about
While the trip from England would not be due magnetic north even if
the magnetic pole was north or to the east of Svaldland (the dip
maxima extends over 100s of square miles and compasses of that day
crude would have only roughly recognized the pole) the trip from
norway would have been magnetic and true north, with very little
deviation. This would be consistent with the Inventio Fortunata. As
for the making of the trip 5 times in 5 years, staging from northern
norway it is easily possible since the distance is about 1000
kilometers from Narvik or hammerfest. The island itself was
discovered in 1194 by the Vikings, later abandoned probably around
1380 or so, were rediscovered by the dutch in the late 16th century.

This is from Richard Hakluyt-Principal Navigations, Voyages,
Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation

"
The voyage of Nicholas de Lynna a Franciscan Frier, and an excellent
Mathematician of Oxford, to all the Regions situate vnder the North
pole, in the yeere 1360. and in the raigne of Edward the 3. king of
England.
"

"
· Touching the description of the North partes, I haue taken the
same out of the voyage of Iames Cnoyen of Hartzeuan Buske, which
alleageth certaine conquests of Arthur king of Britaine: and the most
part, and chiefest things among the rest, he learned of a certaine
priest in the king of Norwayes court, in the yeere 1364. This priest
was descended from them which king Arthur had sent to inhabite these
Islands, and he reported that in the yeere 1360, a certaine English
Frier, a Franciscan, and a Mathematician of Oxford, came into those
Islands, who leauing them, and passing further by his Magicall Arte,
described all those places that he sawe, and tooke the height of them
with his Astrolabe, according to the forme that I (Gerard Mercator)
haue set downe in my mappe, and as I haue taken it out of the
aforesaid Iames Cnoyen. Hee sayd that those foure Indraughts were
drawne into an inward gulfe or whirlepoole, with so great a force,
that the ships which once entred therein, could by no meanes be
driuen backe againe, and that there is neuer in those parts so much
winde blowing, as might be sufficient to driue a Corne mill.
"

And of course the northern branch of the gulf stream drives the ice
back away from these islands so they are approachable from the south.
Eventually this warm current sinks under the ice.

"
A Testimonie of the learned Mathematician master Iohn Dee, touching
the foresaid voyage of Nicholas De Linna. John Dee

· Anno 1360. (that is to wit, in the 34. yeere of the reigne of
the triumphant king Edward the third) a frier of Oxford, being a good
Astronomer, went in companie with others to the most Northren Islands
of the world, and there leauing his company together, hee transited
alone, and purposely described all the Northerne Islands, with the
indrawing seas: and the record thereof at his returne he deliuered to
the king of England. [Inuentio Fortunata.] The name of which booke is
Inuentio Fortunata (aliter fortunæ) qui liber incipit a gradu 54.
vsque ad polum. Which frier for sundry purposes after that did fiue
times passe from England thither, and home aga
"

"
· It is to be noted, that from the hauen of Linne in Norfolke
(whereof the foresaid Francisan frier tooke his name) to Island, it
is not about a fortnights sailing with an ordinarie winde, and hath
bene of many yeeres a very common and vsuall trade: which further
appeareth by the priuileges granted to the Fisher men of the towne of
Blacknie in the said Countie of Norfolke,
"

So these islands are about 20°N of England which is 1800 miles which
converts into 5.3 knt*fortnight.

So it seems to me that if this papers conclusions hold up, that the
Island of topic of the Inventio were not greenland or Queen Elizabeth
Islands at all, because it is 45° from England to the tip of
greenland a distance of about 1600 nm, One then travels north
15°latitude (distance is what one wants) resulting in 900 nm and an
additional 200 nm west for a total of 2700 nm. This would require 8.2
knts*fortnight to reach, considerably above the average speed for
craft of that period. The it was not about, which means less than a
fortnight and the Queen Elizabeth islands would have been
unachievable except with a strong tailwind all the way,
unreproducable for 5 voyages no less.

So now we have something to bite into, we are no longer looking at
a complete fantasy scenario of Queen elizabeth Islands. If it were
true that the friar saw pygmies living on the islands there are two
things that come to mind. 1. The inuit had already passed the eastern
colony by 1350, that 2. Travelers from north central russia (the
saami) had made it to the islands.

The other issue is magneticism, one would not specifically have to
have magnetic islands and in the high artic of canada, being distal
to the dip maximum the horizontal magneticism during teh 14th century
would not have resulted in more visible local magnetic phenomena, but
decreased relative magneticism. The only place were surface local
magneticism would be credible would be proximal to these islands, if
it existed at all or simply was an embellishment. The other issue is
getting lost, because if one had a crude compass started out from
iceland, england or norway magnetic north would always be the
proximal to the islands, this may have created the opportunity for
discovery. Whereas to reach the magnetic north in canada one would
have to go southwest magnetically, then north east magnetically, then
west. And yet none of this was mentioned. Only mentioned that they
traveled north and discover lands 'under' the north pole. Svaldbard
is exactly 'under' the north pole relative to england and norway.
.