A lapidary, or, The history of pretious [sic] stones with cautions for the undeceiving of all those that deal with pretious [sic] stones / by Thomas Nicols ...

CHAP. LXV. Of the Ceraunia.

[Description of the stone.] THe Ceraunia saith Boetius, is a stone which usually is found five fingers long and three fin∣gers broad, like a wedge; it is of colour like the Be∣lemnites, but it is not striatus, it hath no such lines as the Belemnites have. If these stones be great they have usually round holes in them, about the bignesse of a mans thumbe, as there are (saith Boetius) in a mallet.

Of its names.

It hath its name Ceraunia from the Greek word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, which signifieth fulmen or lightning, and this name it hath because it is supposed to fall from heaven with the lightening. In Germane it is called Straalhamer, Donerstein, Schlegel, Donnerkeil, Stral∣pfeil, Stral stein, and Gros-krottenstein. In Italian Sa∣getta.

Its kinds.

These stones are smooth stones, they are some∣times found round and sometimes long: sometimes in the forms of a wedge, dish, mallet, or plow-share, or of an ax, and in divers other forms. Of these,

Some are white and pellucid. Some brown. Some black. Some reddish.

It is reported of this stone that it doth secure those that wear it, and their houses from lightning; and procures rest & sleep; and that it maketh men preva∣lent over their enemies, and conquerours in warres. See Boetius C. de Ceraunia.