Aurora elders from watching or interpreting the messages of ancestors they believed were transmitted through an aurora. "[[Bulfinch's Mythology]]" relates that in [[Norse mythology]], the armour of the [[Valkyrie|Valkyrior]] "sheds a strange flickering light, which flashes up over the northern skies, making what Men call the 'aurora borealis', or 'Northern Lights' ". There appears to be no evidence in [[Old Norse literature]] to substantiate this assertion. The first Old Norse account of "norðrljós" is found in the Norwegian chronicle "[[Konungs Skuggsjá]]" from AD 1230. The chronicler has heard about this phenomenon from compatriots returning from [[Greenland]], and he gives three possible
Historical astronomy astronomers apply computer models to verify the validity of ancient observations, as well as dating such observations and documents which would otherwise be unknown. Historical astronomy Historical astronomy is the science of analysing historic astronomical data. The American Astronomical Society (AAS), established 1899, states that its Historical Astronomy Division "...shall exist for the purpose of advancing interest in topics relating to the historical nature of astronomy. By historical astronomy we include the history of astronomy; what has come to be known as archaeoastronomy; and the application of historical records to modern astrophysical problems." Historical and ancient observations are used to