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As quoted in Wonders In The Sky - Unexplained Aerial Objects From Antiquity To Modern Times - and Their Impact on Human Culture, History, and Beliefs - Jacques Vallee and Chris Aubeck

1067, Northumbria, England

Fiery sign revolves, moves up and down "In this year, truly, several people saw a sign; in appearance it was fire: it flamed and burned fiercely in the air; it came near to the earth, and for a little time quite illuminated it; afterwards it revolved and ascended up on high, then descended into the bottom of the sea; in several places it burned woods and plains. No man knew with certainty what this divined, nor what this sign signified. In the country of the Northumbrians this fire showed itself; and in two seasons of one year were these demonstrations."

The original account, in Gaimar's History of the English (in Chronicles and Memorials of Great Britain and Ireland during the Middle Ages. London: Her Majesty's 76 Stationery Office, 1889, Kraus reprint, 1966) runs thus:

Many folks saw a sign
In likeness of fire it was,
In the air it greatly flamed and burned:
Towards the earth it approached,
For a little it quite lighted up.
Then it revolved above,
Then fell into the deep sea.
In many places it burnt woods and plains.

Source: C. E. Britton, A Meteorological Chronology to A.D. 1450 (London: H.M.S.O., 1937), 44. Britton comments: "Anglo-Saxon Chronicle gives the date of the return from Normandy as December 6 but does not mention the auroral appearances." Also mentioned by Geoffrey Gaimar in L Estoire des Engles solum la Translacion Maistre Geffri Gaimar, a 12th century manuscript.