Transmitting acoustic phenomena and aural illusions: Examples from Athanasius Kircher’s Phonosophia anacamptica

This article continues the preliminary exploration of the sonic observations of Athanasius Kircher, namely, the first book of his Phonurgiæ Nova (1673), the Phonosophia anacamptica (Tronchin, Durvilli and Tarabusi). This book analyzes in particular sound propagation in enclosed spaces. In this work, Kircher also describes the statua citofonica, or ‘talking statue’, in relation to the magical effect created by aural illusion and the famous ancient Egyptian acoustical phenomenon and cultural sound-mark associated with the Colossus of Memnon, the famous lost sound phenomenon of the northern of the two colossi of Amenhotep III in the Theban Necropolis, near Luxor, Egypt, that reportedly emitted a sound with the first and final daily touch of sunlight at dawn and dusk. This article aims to describe, analyse and comment on the 17th century contributions of Athanasius Kircher by understanding his Phonosophia anacamptica and the contemporary intellectual context in which he worked. This article differs from our former work; for example, in this article, an earlier example of Francis Bacon’s methods of enquiry into acoustic phenomena illustrates differences with Kircher’s own line of inquiry. We show how Kircher accepts and embraces a Baroque fascination for the ‘marvellous world’ and the allegiance between science and magic, specifically with the mysterious magical affect of sound through the construction of interior listening strategies, or aural espionage, as in the Heidelberg Palace, the Villa Simonetta, and via talking statues such as the Colossus of Memnon.