The Flying Monk at Malmesbury Abbey

In the year 1010, Eilmer or Elmer (there is a variety of spellings of his name), who was a monk at the abbey, attempted to fly.

He was known to have read the Greek fable of Daedalus and it was his belief in the fable that influenced him to make the attempt.

He had observed how Jackdaws would circle the area swooping and gliding , he calculated how to make use of the air currents after which he constructed wings, the material of which is not known. Fixing the wings to his wrists and flapping them as a bird would, he leapt from the abbey tower, he was successful in travelling a distance of 200 metres but panic set in and he crashed to the ground breaking both legs.

The venture crippled him for the rest of his life, although he was so badly hurt it did not deter him from making preparations for a second flight. The news of his second attempt came to the notice of the Abbot who banned him from any such efforts.

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