Ecumene, terra firma, oecumene.

 Although, The Venerable Bede appears later than Alfred Smith's period of interest, his De temporum ratione at the very least demonstrates the siphistication of "Dark Age" though; does he not realise, in common with many other churchmen (the religentsia or religentii), that flat earth is difficult to make the centre of anything as vast and plainly spherical as the universe (psychoverse), making the problem of God making them in his own image etc etc, more problematic. The common present view of the spherical earth, meets the needs of us humanoids for the form of earth that suits us, our status quo of apparent physical being; the way what we think we are matches the way we have defined or paradigmed earth, her globular concept upon which we depend for our habitual equanimity by the way we limit the unknown (threat) to being beyond reason.

The cause of the unequal length of the days is the globular shape of the earth, for it is not without reason that the Sacred Scriptures and secular letters speak of the earth as an 'orb', for it is a fact that the earth is placed in the centre of the universe not only in latitude, as if it were round like a shield, but also in every direction, like a playground ball, no matter what way itt is turned.

The Venerable Bede, 'De temporum ratione', ch 32.

I am grateful to Lesley B Cormack (below) for this reference (in turn taken from Charles W Jones, 'The flat earth', Thought 9, 1934 p 303). A most illuminating article in regard to the nature of human pardigmation of their world is:

FLAT EARTH OR ROUND SPHERE:

MISCONCEPTIONS OF THE SHAPE OF THE

EARTH AND FIFTEENTH~CENTURY

TRANSFORMATION OF THE

WORLD

Lesley B Cormack (Ecumene 1994 1 (4), p363 ff.)

The article is so carefully titled that it is worth noting (as a poet) the capitalisation; which words, and their position on the page, and their concomitant conceptual positions. (interesting). In fact this is an excellent and valuable article if one is gathering up thoughts to address the a psychoverse of a New New World.

Generally, the Edward Arnold journal Ecumene (a journal of cultural Geographies), publishes very valuable stuff for anyone interested in space.

Ecumene (ISSN 0967-4608) is published four times a year in January, April, July and October by Arnold, 338 Euston Road, London, NW1 3BH, United Kingdom. Orders UK tel +44 (0) 1462 672555 to get info.

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