The Medieval Equivalent of a Smartphone App?

Did you know that the ancestor of smartphone apps can be traced back to the Middle Ages? The volvelle, a paper-based interactive device, had a multifaceted role during its historical use.

It facilitated celestial calculations, aided medical diagnoses and guided navigation at sea.

Volvelles functioned as both a timekeeper at night so one would know when to administer medication and a mathematical tool, while also serving as a visual aid for illustrating complex theological concepts.

Some have even described volvelles as a kind of early analog computer. Volvelles typically consisted in one or more rotating paper discs, or wheels, with information or data written or printed on them.

Users would rotate these discs to align different pieces of information, allowing them to perform calculations or find answers to specific questions—hence the name wheel chart.

The fact that it was made of paper also meant that they were relatively easy to produce (thought when first created they were limited to the elite due to the high cost of creating parchment).

Made from circles of paper or parchment, the volvelle was part timepiece, part floppy disk, and part crystal ball, explained the J. Paul Getty Trust.

Made out of paper or parchment, volvelles were made of moving parts made of paper that turn and point to celestial bodies on the timekeeper, or to the attributes of God and arguments for His existence on the so-called mystical volvelle.

In fact, they bear a striking resemblance to astrolabes, ancient metal instruments that predate volvelles and served the purpose of observing and calculating the positions of celestial bodies.

These days, volvelles have been overshadowed by the advent of digital tools. They do, however, occasionally appear in educational settings, where they serve as captivating curiosities, shedding light on the historical roots of calculation and visualization principles.

It is believed that volvelles were brought to Europe from the Arab world during the 11th and 12th centuries. Nevertheless, the earliest extant examples of this kind of interactive paper device were created by Ramon Llull of Majorca.

According to Vice, Llull was fascinated by an Arab device called a  zairja, which was a mechanical divination device featuring rotating disks of letters that were meant to answer philosophical questions.

Considered one of the greatest philosopher-scientists of the 13th and 14th centuries in Europe, Llull named them volvelles, from the Latin word volvere, which means “to turn.”

An article published by the J. Paul Getty Museum describes Llull as a mystic philosopher.

Llull was born in 1232 on Majorca and died there in 1315. He had a religious epiphany in 1265 and became a member of the Third Order of St. Francis of Assisi, according to History of Computers.

Llull preached that the three Abrahamic faiths of Judaism, Christianity and Islam should be united. He also went to Tunis and tried to convert Muslims there to Christianity.

By uniting the three religions he had hoped people of the one faith could fight the so-called “hordes of Asia” that were threatening and encroaching on the Middle East and Europe.

In addition to penning many religious treatises, he wrote on alchemy, botany, astronomy and other sciences. He also wrote the first Catalan novel,  Blanquerna, as well as the  Ars Magna, which comprised  Alia ars eleccionis, Ars eleccionis and Ars notandi.

Within these three works, highlighted History of Computers, Llull anticipated by several centuries prominent work on elections theory.

The Getty Museum described how the timekeeping, astrolabe-like, volvelle worked:

Determining time at night was achieved through the not-so-simple process of aligning the device with a pole star; closing one eye; centering the cross of circles on the face, equidistant from both eyes; and locating another star rotating around the central star.

So long as you don’t move your head or hands in the least, you could determine your place in the universe!

The timekeeping device showcased at the Getty is believed to bear a striking resemblance to one of Llull’s volvelles, known as “The Night Sphere.” This ingenious contraption enabled users to calculate time during nighttime hours, overcoming the absence of a sundial.

Llull meant it to be used so people could administer medicine at the most potent time, in accord with celestial body movements. Believe it or not, but Llull’s first volvelle was ingeniously crafted to aid in resolving religious disputes.

Through an intricate interplay of interconnected geometrical figures, meticulously adhering to a defined set of rules, Llull endeavored to encompass the full spectrum of human thought.

These declarations or statements were nevertheless represented only by a series of signs, that is, chains of letters, stated History of Computers.

Some have gone so far as to claim that Llull was a pioneer of computation theory and have described his volvelle as the world’s first analog computer. Llull’s radical innovation was the first physical tool ever used by logicians―experts in logic.

It allowed the user to combine seemingly disparate and incongruous aspects of thinking and language which he connected by intricate geometrical figures, explained the National Catholic Register.

The radical innovation Llull introduced in the realm of logic is, in fact, the construction and the use of a machine made of paper to combine elements of thinking, i.e. elements of language, explained History of Computers.

Intriguingly, volvelles were believed to possess the power to foretell the future, while numbers held mystical importance well into the 16th century.

Medieval times witnessed suspicions and accusations against volvelle users, as these devices were sometimes linked to malevolent practices and dark magic.

However, as the tides of scientific thought evolved, volvelles found a new role in preserving and generating knowledge, emerging as valued tools in the quest for enlightenment.

Ancient Origins / ABC Flash Point News 2023.