The Cosmati pavement at the high altar of Westminster Abbey, one of the wonders of the medieval world. In these intricate shapes and swirls, Henry III sought to represent the creation of the universe as it emerges from a nebula-like center disc. He also devised a formula, based on the life expectancy of living creatures, both real and imagined, to determine the age. It’s based on a factor of 3, taken from the Trinity and because Henry himself was number three in his line.
It starts with a hedgerow, which lives for 3 years.
3 x 3 = 9 – life of a dog.
9 x 3 = 27 – life of a horse
27 x 3 = 81 – life of a man
81 x 3 = 243 – life of a stag
243 x 3 = 729 – life of a raven
729 x 3 = 2,178 – life of an eagle
2,178 x 3 = 6,561 – life of a sea serpent
and finally 6,561 x 3 = 19,683 years – life of the universe.
Henry had been on the throne for just over 19,000 days when a team of Italian craftsmen called the Cosmati installed the floor. A second formula was also inscribed in the pavement.
1000 + 200 + 12 + 60 – 4
This equals 1268, the year that the floor was created
Breaking the formula up:
1000 + 200 + 12 + 60 = 1272, the year that Henry died
60 – 4 = 56, the number of years of his reign
If this formula was also Henry’s work, then his belief in astrology really paid off.
