h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

If I may nitpick an otherwise splendid article, you appear to be implying or at least offering up the possibility that William of Malmesbury had ripped off the story of Eilmer from tales of Ibn Firnas he'd encountered in Spain. However the only source for Abbas Ibn Firnas's flight is an account written by a Moroccan named Ahmed Mohammed al-Maqqari, who died in 1632, 750 years after Firnas's flight is supposed to have happened and about 500 years after William of Malmesbury died.

Maqqari's account of Firnas's flight is indeed eerily similar to William's account of Eilmer, but it seems far more likely that Maqqari ripped off William and attributed Eilmer's exploit to Ibn Firnas.

It's been a long time since I've thought of the Monk but I'll re-examine things and ask for appropriate changes. But not for a say or two.

Thanks for this.

not for a *day* or two, I mean.

I've noticed that the link to the Islamic Times is dead as well. I'll have to do a makeover of the paragraph. I may not get time until Tuesday, however, but I will get it fixed up.

I've sent off a request for an amendment: F47997?thread=8286322


Thanks again.