Eilmer of Malmesbury, The Flying Monk

Illustration of Eilmer of Malmesbury, shortly before attempting to fly with a pair of wings attached to his hands and feet. He was inspired by the Greek myth of Daedalus and Icarus, and he allegedly glided some 200 m (700 ft) before crash-landing and breaking his legs.

Pictured above is Eilmer of Malmesbury, an English Benedictine monk who lived sometime in the early 11th century. He is best known for an alleged attempt at human flight, which marks one of the earliest recorded attempts of its kind. Unfortunately, the details of his life have been lost to time, except for a single passage in William of Malmesbury's book Gesta Regum Anglorum (Chronicle of the Kings of England), written around 1125 AD. In the passage, William describes Eilmer as a bold youngster who, inspired by the Greek myth of Daedalus and Icarus, believed he could fly by constructing a pair of wings and attaching them to his hands and feet.

After building a set of wings, Eilmer ascended to the summit of a tower. This tower was most likely at Malmesbury Abbey, which sits atop a hill that overlooks the Avon River, so it would’ve been the best option for him to jump from. After taking the leap, he glided through the air for a few seconds before a strong gust of wind caused him to panic, and he fell to the ground, breaking both of his legs. He ended up gliding for a furlong, which is around 200 meters, or 700 feet. His crash and broken legs left him with a limp for the rest of his life, and shortly thereafter he was forbidden from further attempts. After his flight, Eilmer blamed the lack of a tail in his wing design as the cause of the crash, as this would’ve allowed him to steer himself. The original passage from William of Malmesbury’s book follows:

He was a man of good learning for those times, of mature age, and in his early youth had hazarded an attempt of singular temerity. He had by some contrivance fastened wings to his hands and feet, in order that, looking upon the fable as true, he might fly like Dædalus, and collecting the air on the summit of a tower, had flown for more than the distance of a furlong; but, agitated by the violence of the wind and the current of air, as well as by the consciousness of his rash attempt, he fell and broke his legs, and was lame ever after. He used to relate as the cause of his failure, his forgetting to provide himself a tail.[1]

In adulthood, Eilmer became interested in astronomy, which he studied and wrote about, but no records of his writing survive today. It’s a fitting interest for him to have developed, since in his youth he was so taken by the idea of human flight. Eilmer was drawn to verticality, and his inner drive to escape the surface of the Earth led to his leap from the abbey tower and his subsequent studies of the heavens above. It’s an intriguing little tale, and it’s one that resonates with all of us, which is why it’s endured the test of time even though no proof of his flight exists today.

Pub sign from the former Flying Monk Inn, a pub that was located nearby the abbey in Malmesbury. It shows Eilmer soaring through the air, shortly after jumping from the abbey. The Inn has since been demolished and replaced by a shopping center.

The Flying Monk legend survives today as the namesake of a local pub and brewery near the town of Malmesbury. The Flying Monk Inn was also located in Malmesbury, not far from the abbey itself, but unfortunately it no longer exists. Pictured above is the pub sign that was located on the front of the building. It shows Eilmer gliding proudly through the air, shortly after his leap from the abbey tower.

Read more about other ideas for flying machines here.


[1]: of Malmsbury, William. William of Malmesbury's Chronicle of the Kings of England: From the Earliest Period to the Reign of King Stephen. Translated by J. A. Giles. London: Henry G. Bohn, 1847. 252.