A Woodcut of the Nuremberg UFO 'Battle' of 1561

In Aliens and UFO's in Ancient Art Part I we saw how early humans from a diverse range of cultures depicted what we would describe today as 'Aliens' and Alien craft. No written history of those early periods exists but as time progressed and literacy not only developed but flourished - records were kept of the most astonishing events which happened in the skies. Nuremberg 1561 stands out as a prime example of a phenomena which has no logical explanation other than to say 'The Townspeople saw what they say they saw'. A renowned engraver and artist created this woodcut (above - larger version can be seen below) to commemorate the events of 1561 (he created it in 1566 - just 5 years later).  The Gazette of the town of Nuremberg for April 1561 stated; "At sunrise on the 14th April 1561, the citizens of Nuremberg beheld "A very frightful spectacle." The sky appeared to fill with cylindrical objects from which red, black, orange and blue white disks and globes emerged. Crosses and tubes resembling cannon barrels also appeared whereupon the objects promptly "began to fight one another." Lacking words which we would use today to describe them (Machine, Craft) they describe them in terms which made sense of them for the period, "Cannon barrels, Tubes, Orbs and Crosses". No known aerial phenomena can readily explain what they witnessed and that it was a UFO event is strengthened by a similar event just five years later in Basel, Switzerland.

Nuremberg UFO event 1561

Basel Switzerland saw similar events to Nuremberg and once again it was commemorated by being recorded in a Woodcut (see below). Once more 'orbs' appeared to do battle in the sky, some exploding like 'steam' when struck by others. Just like Nuremberg five years earlier, the whole Town witnessed the event. Again no known aerial phenomena can account for these events. Oddly, they also first appeared at the same time of day - 'The spheres appeared at sunrise, Many became red and fiery, ending by being consumed and vanishing', wrote Samuel Coccius in the local newspaper on this date.

UFO's over Baasel Switzerland 1566

The Medieaval period was no stranger to aerial phenomena which defies rational description. Many artists of the period included images in their work which we would unhesitatingly describe as 'flying machines' or 'aliens' though Academics will tell you no such thing was known. Art Historians and Academics dismiss most 'flying craft' in early art as symbols of the Sun and Moon incorporated into the work of the artist - but whilst this is true in many cases, in many others it just doesn't stand up to scrutiny. If you don't believe they believed in, or saw such things as flying craft or aliens then you are hardly going to reach the conclusion that this is in fact what they are.

Some of those dismissed as representations of the Sun or Moon are shown below - but these are selected to show here because it is argued they are good examples of Academics favouring a more abstract, symbolic answer and ultimately a more complex one, when simplicity and a literal interpretation would yield greater knowledge...

"The Madonna with Saint Giovannino". 15th century by Domenico Ghirlandaio (1449-1494) - Loeser collection in the Palazzo Vecchio.

One of two craft which appear to be in pursuit of one another

Visoki Decani Monastery in Kosovo, Yugoslavia.

The two images below represent 'Flaming Shields' which appeared in 776 during a battle between the Saxons and the French. The Shields appeared to be protecting the French and as a consequence the Saxons fled...

From a 12th Century Manuscript

Again - explained in terms and concepts the witnesses understood - 'Flaming Shields'

A discussion on Aliens and UFO's in Ancient Art can be found by clicking this link Planet Flipside