History of the compass. Great Inventions of Ancient China

Chinese compass lopan

The creation of such a compass is attributed to the legendary and semi-mythical Yellow Emperor, who lived in the third millennium BC. According to mythology, this public figure was a great inventor who gave the people many useful things: a system of 3 cycles and periods, a calendar, earthly branches and heavenly trunks and much more. Among his innovations we can also include the lopan, with which the following story is connected.

Besides his interest in inventions, the emperor was a great warrior. He managed to conquer many kingdoms. However, it happened one day that the king who fought against him mastered the art of magic, which he used. A strong fog was sent to the army of the Yellow Emperor, in which it was impossible to choose the right direction.

But even here our great warrior was not at a loss. He was also an excellent wizard and with the help of his power he was able to turn to the Goddess of the Ninth Heaven, who taught him many arts. It was from her that the emperor received instructions to make lopan, detailed instructions for production and use. Since then, we can all use this unique tool, which not only helps us find the cardinal directions, but is also an excellent device in the arsenal of the science of Feng Shui. And, by the way, that war with the king was won!

Device

Compass sectors lopan

At first glance, lopan can be confusing due to its complexity. Even in a simplified form without detailed instructions It's not clear how to work with it. In order to study this subtle science, let's consider what parts it consists of and how to control them.

Meanings of circles and sectors of lopan

In the center of the lopan there is a so-called “heavenly pond”, in which there is an extremely sensitive arrow. It is surrounded by the "early sky" Bagua ring, which has protective functions. Next come the circles, which contain the most ancient formulas of Feng Shui. There are 36 of them in total. They are divided by rays into 24 segments. Each of them carries information about the object in question. The inner rings of the lopan have 8 Trigrams and indications of the cardinal directions. Then there are circles representing the Heavenly trunks and Earthly branches. Trunks are called the personification of the Yin and Yang manifestations of the 5 elements. The latter are also represented by 4 animals:

• Black turtle - north;
• Crimson Phoenix - south;
• Green dragon - east;
• White Tiger - West;
• Yellow dragon – occupies the center.

The branches relate to the earthly forces, represented by the following 12 animals: ox, tiger, rat, dog, monkey, horse, snake, dragon, rabbit, pig, rooster and goat (sheep).

The outer circle has 360° markings. There are various modifications of lopan - from the most complex to the simplified. There are also variations created over time. Today, you can put a regular compass in the center of the device or use special tables that replace the trap. However, the importance of the compass itself is very great.

Its 3 main varieties, known in Taiwan and China:

1. Compass of Three Ages.
2. Compass of Three Combinations.
3. Combined option.

Lopan trigrams have their own interpretations. In simplified form they can be described as follows:

1. 3 solid stripes - metal, northwest, sky, old man.
2. 1 continuous between 2 intermittent - Water, north, middle-aged man, winter, ears.
3. 1 solid above and 2 intermittent below it - earth, northeast, younger son, mountain, hands.
4. 1 solid under 2 broken ones - tree, east, eldest son, spring, legs, thunder.
5. 1 intermittent under 2 solid – tree, southeast, eldest daughter, wind, buttocks.
6. 1 broken between 2 solid – fire, south, elderly woman, summer, eyes.
7. All intermittent - earth, southwest, stomach, old woman.
8. 1 broken over 2 solid – metal, west, girl, autumn, mouth.

However, 8 sectors are not enough; there are 3 more sections for each of them. There are 24 subsections in total, which are called “mountains”. Each of these “mountains” occupies a sector of 15°. The compass should be crossed at right angles by 2 nylon threads and form a cross exactly in the middle of the “sky pond”.

Compass burst: how to use?

To determine the direction you need to follow these instructions:

1. You need to hold the flap horizontally, the arrow should turn freely.
2. Direct the nylon thread towards the object in a straight line.
3. Rotate the round panel until the magnetic needle and the red diameter of the “sky pond” coincide.
4. Under the thread there will be symbols and inscriptions, from which you can find out the direction.

When using lopan, a distinction is made between the Mountain and Facial directions. To understand this, imagine any building as a person sitting cross-legged and looking out at the view. Typically, the front direction refers to the facade of the building, and the mountain direction refers to the rear. For Feng Shui, these directions are extremely important, which is why masters work with them.

What should you consider when taking compass readings?

Lopan compass in feng shui

In its operation, the lopan compass may encounter various interferences that need to be taken into account:

1. Electromagnetic interference causes the needle to constantly rotate.
2. Metal objects in close proximity.
3. Difficulty of a different kind - Chinese. In most models of lopans, the inscriptions are in the form of hieroglyphs. Here you need to either find a model in English, or simply memorize the meanings of the symbols, or put a circle of directions and meanings on top of the copper plate that is understandable to you and meets the requirements of Feng Shui.

Oh, you can write a book. We only presented short review his. In the future, we will show you how to work with it using a specific example.

The lopan compass is a tool that has come down to us from the depths of thousands of years. It can be used by all people interested in the science of Feng Shui.

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 the suggestion of Lomonosov, observatories were created for systematic study magnetic field Earth 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.

The first prototype of the compass is believed to have appeared during the Han Dynasty (202 BC - 220 AD), when the Chinese began using magnetic iron ore oriented north-south. True, it was not used for navigation, but for fortune telling. In the ancient text "Lunheng", written in the 1st century AD, in chapter 52, the ancient compass is described as follows: "This instrument resembles a spoon, and when placed on a plate, its handle will point to the south."

The description of a magnetic compass for determining the cardinal directions was first outlined in the Chinese manuscript “Wujing Zongyao” of 1044. The compass worked on the principle of residual magnetization from heated steel or iron bars, which were cast in the shape of a fish. The latter were placed in a bowl of water, and weak magnetic forces appeared as a result of induction and residual magnetization. The manuscript mentions that this device was used as a heading indicator paired with a mechanical “chariot that points south.”

A more advanced compass design was proposed by the already mentioned Chinese scientist Shen Ko. In his “Notes on the Brook of Dreams” (1088), he described in detail the magnetic declination, that is, the deviation from the direction of true north, and the design of a magnetic compass with a needle. The use of a compass for navigation was first proposed by Zhu Yu in the book “Table Talks in Ningzhou” (1119).

Compass: history and features of the invention.

Everyone knows that a good compass is designed for orientation in space. It is used by tourists and athletes, researchers and scientists. Like other unique things, this item was invented by the Chinese, namely Hen Fei-tzu, a famous philosopher and traveler. This is a generally accepted historical fact, but scientists are still arguing about the date of its appearance.

Every schoolchild knows how to use a compass, but previously this required organizing a whole ritual - laying out the elements on a flat surface iron ore, which were precisely lined up in a north-south direction. The compass began to acquire new parts as the need arose to use an unusual device. The inhabitants of ancient China needed to accurately navigate in space. After all, it was through this country that the routes of the Great silk road, and the Chinese were active participants in extensive trade relations.

Modern magnetic compass appearance doesn't even remotely resemble ancient invention. Initially, the device for orientation in space was an almost shapeless piece of ore, which was attached to some kind of base. The directions of the cardinal points could be found out by lowering it into the water. This is exactly how the invention was described in books of the 11th century. The price for such a compass was high, so it was only available high-ranking officials and military leaders. The Chinese's desire for everything beautiful and rational contributed to the further improvement of the compass. The first compass needles looked like thick needles and were made of iron ore and minerals that had magnetic properties. Similar devices were used by travelers and traders in the 12th century AD.

In the 14th century, new compass models were introduced to the world by the Italian explorer F. Gioia, who mounted a magnetic pointer on a pin perpendicularly attached to the base (a piece of wood). Only in the 16th century. the device was placed in a special gimbal, this allowed the compass to operate flawlessly even in rocky conditions on the ship. Currently, anyone can purchase an electronic compass. Recall kind words Chinese soothsayers and, with the help of a precise device, arrange pieces of furniture according to “feng shui”, a love for which, by the way, was instilled in us by the inhabitants of the same country.

Feng Shui uses a compass to measure “directional energy.” It is believed that Chinese magnetic compass arose 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.

The history of the invention of the compass goes back a long way. The first description of a compass was made in the 3rd century BC by the Chinese philosopher Hen Fei-tzu. It was a pouring spoon made of magnetite with a narrow handle, shaped like a ball. It was installed on a plate made of copper and wood, on which the zodiac signs were marked. In this case, the handle was suspended and could rotate in a circle. The spoon was set in motion, and it always pointed south when it stopped. This was the very first compass in the world.

In the middle of the 11th century, a floating needle was made from an artificial magnet in China. Most often it took the form of a fish. She was lowered into the water where she floated. The fish's head always pointed south. At the same time, a scientist from China Shen Gua came up with several versions of the compass. He magnetized a sewing needle and used wax to attach it to a hanging thread of silk. It was a more accurate compass because the resistance encountered when turning was reduced. In another version, he suggested putting this needle on a hairpin. Based on his experiments, the inventor Shen Gua noticed that the arrow pointed south with a slight deviation. He was able to explain this by the difference between the magnetic and geographical meridians. Later, scientists learned to calculate this deviation for different parts China. In the 11th century, many Chinese ships had floating compasses. They were placed on the bow of the ship so that the captain could always look at his readings.

In the 12th century, the Chinese invention was used by the Arabs, and in the 13th century by the Europeans. In Europe, the Italians were the first to learn about the compass, then the Spaniards, the French, and then the British and Germans. Then the compass was a cork and a magnetized needle floating in a container of water. Soon, to protect it from the wind, they began to cover it with glass.

At the beginning of the 14th century, a magnetized arrow was installed on a circle of paper, and after some time the Italian Flavio Gioia divided the circle into 16 parts, and then into 32 sectors. In the middle of the 16th century, the arrow was fixed on a gimbal to reduce the influence of pitching, and a century later in the history of the compass, the appearance of a rotating ruler was noted, which increased the accuracy of the readings. The compass became the first navigation device for finding a way on the open sea. This allowed sailors to go on long voyages across the ocean.