Aeternus

Tempestarii

In medieval lore, Tempestarii were weather making magicians who dwelt among the common people and possessed the power to raise or prevent storms at will. For this reason, anyone reputed as a weather-maker was the subject of respect, fear, and hatred in rural areas. Perhaps the best known work on tempestarii was an 815 AD piece called "On Hail and Thunder" by a bishop, Agobard of Lyon. Some describe it as a complaint of the irreligious beliefs of his flock, as villagers resented paying tithes to the church, but freely paid a form of insurance against storms to village tempestarii; but, it was also noted, whenever a supposed weathermaker failed to prevent a storm, he or she would generally suffer the wrath of the populace, being victimised or killed. A closer e… more »