Great inventions of ancient China.

The history of the magnetic compass dates back to Ancient China. And it is unlikely that this wonderful invention would have been destined for long life and a happy fate, if it did not end up in medieval Europe.

The history of the compass is connected with the history of the study of magnetism. People learned about magnetism thousands of years ago when they first encountered the unusual properties of magnetic iron ore, or magnetite. According to the ancient Roman historian Pliny the Younger, magnetite was discovered by a shepherd named Magnus, who noticed that the iron handle of his staff was attracted to certain stones.

The earth itself is a giant magnet. Its magnetic field is created by electric and convection currents from the outer core, which is a mixture of molten iron and nickel. Like a simple bar magnet, magnetic field The earth has two poles - north and south. If you place a bar magnet on a piece of paper with iron filings, the filings will collect along the magnetic lines of force surrounding the poles. The same thing will happen with a magnetized object like a compass needle.

By the 1st century n. e. Chinese soothsayers made a fortune-telling device from magnetite - the sinan, or “pointing to the south.” The magnetite was cut into the shape of a spoon and placed in the center of a polished wooden plank. The spoon was spun. Stopping, she pointed her hand to the south. The tablet indicated the main directions (north, south, east and west), as well as constellations and symbols accepted in astrology and fortune telling. In 83, Chinese philosopher Wang Chong described a similar device, but did not say whether it was used in navigation.

The first compasses were made in China. It was an object made of magnetite (for example, a spoon), which made it possible to determine the cardinal directions. Magnetite was used by astrologers and soothsayers for hundreds of years before it was adopted by sailors.

In the 8th century Chinese compasses began to use a light iron needle. It was magnetized by placing it along the magnetic axis of a piece of iron ore. In 1086, the Chinese scientist Shen Kua (1031-95) wrote the treatise “Essays on a Sleepy Pond,” in which he first reported on a marine magnetic compass. A few decades later (in 1117), Chu Yu, in his treatise “Table Talk in Pingzhou,” described the use of a compass on the high seas. But it took another century before European sailors saw it as an indispensable navigational device.

It is believed that the compass (like many other inventions from the Far East) was brought to Europe by the Arabs. Before the advent of the magnetic device, European travelers determined the cardinal directions by the Sun or the North Star. Astronomical methods were quite accurate, but could only be used under cloudless skies. Bad weather interfered with shipping and often led to disasters.

Possibly in the 11th century. Vikings sailed ships around Northern Europe, already guided by a compass, but the first written message about the use of a magnetic compass in the West is contained in the book of the English scientist and priest Alexander Necam (1157-1217) DeNaturis Rerum (“On the Phenomena of Nature”), published in 1180.

The first European compasses consisted of a magnetic needle, which was stuck perpendicularly into a straw and lowered into a plate of water. This device showed north and south quite accurately, but did not tolerate sea motion. By 1250, the needle was already fixed on a rod hidden under a movable disk - a card, on which the main directions were applied. As the needle moved, the card also moved.

The laws governing the behavior of magnets, and therefore the compass, were first described by the French scientist and military man Petrus Peregrinus in 1269. He described the magnetic poles and invented a compass dial that showed direction to the nearest degree.

Further improvement of the device was associated with placing the needle and dial in a case. Lightweight cases were made of wood or ivory - materials that did not prevent the magnetic field from influencing the needle. Later models used copper. In the 16th century ship compasses began to be mounted on self-correcting mounts, or cardan joints, which ensured a reliable position of the compass, despite the pitching.

Soon compasses became indispensable devices. In 1594, the English philosopher Francis Bacon called the magnetic “needle” one of the three greatest achievements of the civilized world (the other two being gunpowder and the printing press). Every year, thousands of sailors risked their lives to steer the course indicated by a tiny piece of iron. Over time, they realized that the compass needle was also wrong. It deviates from the correct course near certain objects, most often iron ones. At sea, compass readings are influenced by nearby massive land masses. Experienced navigators know that when the ship is heading west or east, it is necessary to correct the error - to compensate for the deviation.

This marine compass was made by the famous French master Joseph Roux ca. 1775. The arrow is mounted on a rod hidden under the dial, and the entire instrument is placed in a durable wooden case, which can be mounted on cardan joints so that rocking does not affect the device.

The history of the creation of the first magnetic compass goes back centuries and still remains a mystery in many respects. We mostly only get fragments of those stories with which the appearance of the first magnetic compass could be associated. Greece, China and India claim the title of the country in which the first compass appeared, but even here everything is not so clear.

I propose together to consider the information that has come down to us thanks to the scrupulous work of historians, on the basis of which it will be possible to get an idea of ​​where and when one of the first navigational instruments appeared, which to this day is very popular and is used by both sailors and travel enthusiasts. drier.

One of the “models” of ancient compasses, which still works quite well today.

Since the invention of the magnetic compass is closely related to the discovery and study of magnetism, our further story will simultaneously consider this phenomenon.

First Chinese compass

According to some researchers, the phenomenon of magnetism was first discovered by the ancient Greeks. However, there is another point of view that gives the authorship of the discovery to the Chinese.

Scientists who prefer the “Chinese discovery” refer to a chronicle made in the third millennium BC, although it is assumed that magnetic iron ore itself (aka magnetite) was discovered by the Chinese a thousand years earlier.

In the chronicles cited by scientists, it is assumed that the Chinese Emperor Huang Di used a compass for navigation during his battle. However, according to another version, instead of a compass, his carts used a device in the form of a chariot, on which a miniature figurine of a man showed the direction to the south.

A reconstruction of such a chariot is shown in the photo below:

This chariot was mounted on vehicle and was connected to its wheels in such a way that, thanks to the well-established gear mechanism, when the cart turned, the chariot began to rotate in the opposite direction. Thus, the miniature figurine of a man on a chariot always invariably points to the south, regardless of the turn of the vehicle. In general, of course, this figure would have shown in any other direction: everything depended on where it was initially directed. The chariot itself was not able to navigate to the cardinal points, as the needle of a magnetic compass does.

It is interesting that one of the first Chinese compasses, which was a spoon made of magnetic material and rotating on a smooth board, was not used for its intended purpose, but in magical rituals for predictions. This use of a magnet took place in the third millennium BC, although according to another version, the magnetic properties of a ferromagnet were used in ancient China already in the fourth millennium BC in Feng Shui rituals, explaining magnetism as a manifestation of higher forces.

By the end of the second millennium BC, Chinese sailors were already fully using magnetic compasses for their intended purpose - to navigate the sea.

First compass in India

Independently of China, magnetism was also discovered in India. This discovery happened thanks to a mountain located near the Indus River. Local residents noticed that this mountain was capable of attracting iron.

The magnetic properties of the rock have found application in Indian medicine. Thus, Sushruta, an Indian doctor, used a magnet for surgical procedures.

As in China, sailors in India learned to use a magnet. Their compass looked like a homemade fish, the head of which was made of a material with magnetic properties.

Thus, Indian fish and the Chinese spoon became the ancestors of the modern compass.

Compass and Ancient Greece

Ancient Greece, like the previous two countries, did not lag behind in the scientific field. The Greeks, independently of other scientists, independently discovered and studied the phenomenon of magnetism, and after that they created their first compass.

In the 7th–6th centuries BC, the ancient Greeks, namely Thales of Miletus, discovered that magnetite, known for several centuries, was capable of attracting iron.

This phenomenon was explained in different ways: some believed that magnetite has a soul that is drawn to iron, others - that iron has moisture, which in turn is absorbed by the magnet. But, as we understand, such explanations were still very far from the truth.

Later, Socrates discovered the phenomenon of magnetization of iron attracted to a magnet. And some time later it was discovered that magnets can not only attract, but also repel.

It is thanks to the discovery of Socrates that not only compasses, but also a huge number of other instruments work today.

Thus, all the facets of magnetism were gradually revealed, which later made it possible to reveal its nature. But at this stage it was too early to talk about something like a compass.

Further history

In the Middle Ages, nothing particularly new was discovered in terms of discovering new properties of magnetism and working with magnets. Only new explanations for this phenomenon have appeared, mainly related to the same supernatural forces. For example, the monks explained the manifestation of magnetism based on the doctrine of theology.

If we talk about Europe, then the first mention of a compass is found in the works of Alexander Neckam and dates back to 1187. Although, perhaps, the use of the compass here and in the Mediterranean began much earlier - back in the second millennium BC, as evidenced by indirect indications of ancient historians. It is assumed that no reference to the compass survives because the compass simply did not have its own name to fit into the historical document.

Three centuries later, during his voyages, the famous sailor Christopher Columbus noticed that during a sea voyage the magnetic needle deviates from the north-south direction. It was so open magnetic declination, the meanings of which are still used by sailors and shown on some maps.

At Lomonosov's suggestion, observatories were created to systematically study the Earth's magnetic field and its changes. However, this did not happen during the lifetime of the great Russian scientist, but, as they say, “better late than never.”

Later, Descartes and a number of other scientists developed a detailed scientific theory magnetism, and also discovered the magnetic properties of other materials not related to ferromagnets - para- and diamagnetic materials.

Some time later, points of the Earth's magnetic poles were found where the magnetic needle has an inclination of 90°, that is, it is located perpendicular to the horizontal plane.

The compass will only show at the poles if it is positioned vertically.

In parallel with the study of magnets and the features of the manifestation of their magnetic field in different conditions The design of magnetic compasses was improved. In addition, other types of compasses were invented that operated on principles unrelated to magnetism. We talked about them in

Modern models of magnetic compasses are very different from their predecessors. They are more compact, lighter, allow you to work faster and give more accurate measurement results. In addition, such models are often equipped with auxiliary elements that expand the capabilities of the device when working with a map and on the ground.

We should not forget about compasses, the operation of which is not based on the magnetic properties of the needle. Today, there are many such compasses known, which allows the user to choose the most convenient option for operating conditions.

As you can see, the story is this moment cannot give a clear and unambiguous answer to the question of where the very first compass in the world appeared and who invented it. Let's hope that soon historians will be able to brush away the veil of antiquity hiding the facts and they will have more data in order to figure out the country of the discoverers. And we can only wait, learn and use the knowledge that came from the past and is fully used by humanity in the future. modern stage development.

Correct determination of directions is an integral part of the application of techniques.

The main tool used in both Feng Shui and Qimen to measure directions is the Chinese compass or Lopan.

In fact, Lopan was the predecessor of the sea compass. The first mention of a Chinese compass dates back to the 4th century BC, almost 1,500 years before the compass was used for navigation in Europe around 1190 AD. Even in China, the compass was not used in navigation until probably 850 BC. e. Before this, it was only used for movement on Earth and Feng Shui. Wang Chi (who lived during the Song Dynasty, 960 - 1127) developed Luo Pan in the form in which it is used today, with approximately 17 rings. On one of these rings 24 directions were indicated.

Modern Lopan is a wooden disk (15-25 cm in diameter), freely rotating on a square base. Two lines made of red thread run across the compass from one side to the other, forming an optical crosshair. In the center is a glazed cavity containing a suspended magnetized needle. The needle points north, although the Chinese believe it points south. In the West, it is believed that in the same instrument, the magnetized tip of the needle points to the magnetic pole of the Earth.

The compass disk contains a series of concentric rings containing a huge amount of information about Feng Shui, captured in Chinese characters, although Lopan with inscriptions in English has now become widespread.

The rings of the Chinese compass are called "tsen", which means "layers". A compass can have from 7 to 39 such rings. Compass sizes can range from 6 cm to 1 meter in diameter. Very small compasses can be inaccurate, and ones that are too large can be difficult for one person to handle. There are basic rings that are required for all compasses. In addition to them, there are special rings used in one or another Feng Shui school or even just by different Feng Shui masters.

Rings are cut out, painted or engraved on the surface of the disk. each ring is divided into sectors from (8 to 720). The hieroglyphs in each sector are written in black, red or gold. The good thing about the Chinese language is that characters take up much less space than English words, having the same meaning. Thanks to this, you can fit a huge amount of information on one compass.

When using a compass for Feng Shui or Qi Men purposes, it is important to remember that a Western compass measures points, while a Chinese compass measures sectors. For example, south on the western compass is a point located exactly 180°. On the Chinese compass, south ranges from 157.5° to 202.5°. In other words, it is a 45° sector with a center at 180°. Remember that there are 8 directions of 45° = 360°. To be more precise, the middle of the south (or direction Y).

So, the Western compass measures points, while the Chinese compass measures sectors. In Qi Men, although sometimes you have to do very precise measurements, it will be enough for us to determine within which sector out of 8 the place we need will be located.

Chinese Luopan is a kind of round Lo Shu. You can start with Lo Shu and from its directions build a circle with 24 directions. Representing Lo Shu as a circle, we get something similar to the figure below.

Although in Qi Men we will not need to divide it into 24 mountains, nevertheless, for a closer acquaintance with Lopan, I will give it here. To do this, we divide each of the 8 directions into 3 sectors, which will give 24 directions.

This ring has 24 segments, which are usually called directions, or in Chinese 24 "shan" (mountains). Each of these 24 directions constitutes a sector of 15°

What's on this ring? It consists of three sets of symbols already known to us: trigrams, Earthly branches and Heavenly trunks. As you know, the total number of trigrams is 8, but on the ring of 24 mountains only 4 of them are located: Kun, Qian, Gen and Xun, meaning Earth, Heaven, Mountains and Wind. These trigrams indicate corner points: SW, NW, SE, NE. The remaining elements of the 24 rings are Earthly branches - 12 and Heavenly trunks - 10. Total - 24 elements.

The table below shows the correspondence of mountain names with our accepted symbol and degree system.

Note that the 12 branches occupy every second sector and that the trigrams occupy corner positions. The heavenly trunks are placed so that they fall on their corresponding element and alternate between yang (+) and yin (-).

In relation to Qi Men, at the first stage we use the Luo Pan compass to determine one of the eight directions. We will need compass measurements to determine the direction of movement in Dynamic Qi Men. And also to divide our apartment or office in which we work into sectors of the Lo Shu square in accordance with the cardinal directions.

How to take readings from a traditional Lopan compass

How to find out which direction you are facing Entrance door Houses? Walk out the door and hold the compass with both hands so that the edge of the square compass panel is parallel to the door. Keep the compass parallel to ground level. Thumbs Rotate the dial slowly until the needle is directly above the red line. Make sure the small tip end of the needle is between two points on the base.

The science of Feng Shui pays great attention to the harmonious arrangement of certain objects in space that bring good luck. A special device called a burst can correctly localize the desired area. The predecessor of the traditional compass has a beautiful and mystical story occurrence. What are the rules for using an ancient Chinese device that allows you to recognize directions in space and find sectors used in Feng Shui technique?

The first mentions of the Lopan compass appeared before our era. People had just begun to explore the world and were beginning to comprehend science. Such a compass became the main assistant in moving around the Earth. It has also been adapted to be used in the science of Feng Shui. Later Chinese compass with unusual name Lopan began to become overgrown with myths and legends. One of the most striking and intriguing is the legend of the Yellow Emperor.

Chinese compass lopan

In the 3rd millennium BC there lived a legendary scientist and inventor, nicknamed the Yellow Emperor. He gave his people a lot of simple and useful things, including a calendar and a lopan compass. By the way, we still use his work today.

The appearance of the compass is connected with an interesting story. And it all started like this: the great inventor was a brave warrior, he conquered many lands and kingdoms. But one day he met a serious opponent who mastered the art of magic. He sent a thick fog to the brave army of the Yellow Emperor, which was supposed to completely disorient the warriors. But the leader of the great people was not at a loss; he turned to the goddess of the Ninth Heaven and asked her for help. And he received an order from the great teacher to make a lopan compass, with clear instructions and directions for its manufacture. The Yellow Emperor carried out God's will and eventually won the decisive battle.

Since then, the whole world has been using a wonderful invention that allows not only to determine the cardinal directions, but also has become an indispensable device in the arsenal of the science of Feng Shui.

Characteristics of the structure of the lopan compass

Externally given useful device It is a large square with a round rotating disk on its base. In the middle there is a capsule with a magnetized arrow.

At first glance, lopan is represented by many unusual elements:

• signs;
• numbers;
• drawings.

It seems that the compass is unusually difficult to operate. But that's not true. You just need to understand its structure.

So, the center of the compass is represented by a magnetic needle, called the “heavenly pond”. There are 36 circles from it, broken by rays into 24 segments. Those located closer to the center carry information in trigrams about the cardinal directions. The far circles represent the Heavenly trunks and Earthly branches. The first contain the forces of yin and yang, and the second are related to earthly forces and are represented by 12 animals.

How to use the compass?

The Lopan compass is a very easy-to-use thing; today it is indispensable in the science of Feng Shui, as it carries comprehensive information about the space around us.

To correctly determine the direction, follow simple rules:

The compass should only be placed horizontally. The arrow should rotate freely around its axis.

Point the nylon thread at the item of interest.

We remember which symbols were under the thread, and from them we learn the direction and characteristics of the object.

Lopan is a compass in Feng Shui that has several advantages; it carries a lot of information, but, unlike a traditional compass, there are also disadvantages when using it:

• Nearby electrical noise distorts the measurement result.
• Steel objects disorient the magnetic needle.
• The inconvenience is Chinese. Deciphering hieroglyphs takes a lot of time. It is better to look for English-language compass models.

You can write a lot about how to use the lopan compass. We provided short review and a description of the popular science tool Feng Shui.

The Chinese compass lopan has come to us from time immemorial. His age is estimated at thousands of years, but at the same time he has not lost the interest of people involved in the science of Feng Shui today.

Feng Shui uses a compass to measure “directional energy.” It is believed that the Chinese magnetic compass originated at the dawn of Chinese civilization. Ancient legends say that the warrior Goddess of the Nine Heavens gave the Yellow Emperor Huang Di, the first ruler of a unified China, a compass to help him defeat his enemies.

Another version of the story testifies to the special invention of Huang Di - a compass cart, which brought victory to the emperor’s troops. One way or another, Lo Pan is the most important tool for a Feng Shui practitioner.

For its long and glorious history Lo Pan was repeatedly reworked, refined and improved in accordance with the latest discoveries in the field of earth's topography, techniques and movement of energy flow. A common practice of ancient and modern Feng Shui masters is to develop their own Lo Pan and add their personal formulas to it, and then pass them on to their students. But this always happens within the framework of the basic principles of Feng Shui. There are two standard types of Lo Pan - San He and San Yuan, developed taking into account the formulas of these two schools of Feng Shui. The third standard of Luo Pan is Zhu He, which combines the most important information Luo Pan San He and San Yuan.

Chinese compass Lo Pan.

Lo Pan has the same task as a regular compass, to determine the direction. However, it also has several very important differences. A regular compass shows four or eight directions. The 360-degree circle of Lo Pan is divided into 24 sectors. This number is formed if each of the eight directions (45° sectors) is divided into three more segments (15° each): 8x3 = 24. This is a very significant point in classical Feng Shui, and this ring in Lo Pan is called the 24 Horus ring ( has nothing to do with real mountains, it’s just a term).

The most ancient traditions and the most skilled Lo Pan masters in Taiwan and Hong Kong. The complexity and beauty of an authentic device leaves many feng shui newbies in awe. Lo Pan frame is usually made from valuable species wood, on its rotating metal plate are engraved Chinese characters, compass divisions and feng shui formulas. In the center of the instrument there is an arrow, this is the compass itself. In the past, the compass needle floated in water, but nowadays water is not used.

Typically, Lo Pan has from 7 to 36 graduated rings, depending on the model and system in which the device is used. Lo Pan sizes range from 10 to 30 cm, with the standard being around 25 cm. Given how many non-Asians are interested in learning classical Feng Shui, some Lo Pan now include rings with English inscriptions to help beginners. However, most practitioners choose to learn the Chinese characters related to Feng Shui and Lo Pan in order to establish a true connection with this ancient knowledge. On the other hand, it is a beautiful and impressive instrument, a true work of art, and it is truly worth the few hundred dollars it costs.

Lo Pan San Yuan, used in the Flying Stars and Xuan Kong methods, can be easily identified by the 64 hexagrams of the I Ching ring. There is only one 24 Horus ring in it. The first ring of this Lo Pan is always the sequence of the Ba Gua trigrams of the Later Heaven. Lo Pan San He, used within the framework of the formulas of the San He school, can be distinguished by the three rings of the 24 Mountains. These rings are used to measure the energy of directions, mountains and water, since each of these elements has a different energy from the others. The three rings also symbolize the concept of Three Harmonies developed by this school.

Luo Pan Zhong He (sometimes pronounced Zhong He, Zhong He or Chun He) is the result of combining the San He and San Yuan compasses. This is a great tool for the practitioner using both systems. Although some of the rings had to be removed to maintain the size, all the main rings are present. For Feng Shui masters and practitioners, an extraordinary tool called Lo Pan is a real “Universe in the palm of your hand.” If you want to get more information about Lo Pan and its history, we recommend that you consult Stephen Skinner's book “The Feng Shui Compass Guide” - this is the most comprehensive book on this topic.