The city of Cambridge has 19 sundials. There is even a book about them, 'Cambridge Sundials' by Alexis Brookes & Margaret Stanier, and a Cambridge Sundial Trail which you can walk around. This one, which has six faces, is above the Gate of Honour at Gonville & Caius College.
The obelisks of ancient Egypt from 3500 BC onwards were the first type of sundial, and the first instruments for telling the time. The Old Testament ( Isaiah 38:8 and II Kings 20:11) also describes a sundial, the Dial of Ahaz, from around 700 BC.
Sundials often have a motto inscribed beneath them:
'Let others tell of storms and showers; I mark only the sunny hours'
'Mach' es wie die Sonnenuhr: zähl' die heitren Stunden nur!' (Do like a sundial and count only the sunny hours!)
Je ne compte que les heures claires ! That's a French idea about sundials...
ReplyDeleteThis one is beautiful.
We have a sundial on our village church- and I love marking only the sunny hours :)
ReplyDeletethat is so nice ... marking only the sunny hours :)
ReplyDeleteIn our part of the world, that would often mean there was no time at all to mark :-( I'll towards your region to mark the sunny hours, eh?
ReplyDeletewhat a cool quote. I'll pass it on to a sun-loving friend who's going to love it too.
ReplyDeletebeen reading a bit about cambridge lately on a biography too. would love to go one day.
I always love your posts because I learn so much!
ReplyDeletethat's a good motto lo live by
ReplyDeletelike the quote, and i learned a lot, thanks
ReplyDeleteBut I like the stormy hours too. :)
ReplyDeleteLove the sunny view on time!
ReplyDelete(though sorry I'm late:)
I not only love the sundial, but the quote!! xo
ReplyDelete