There are many signs of the harsh frosts to come, but the surest is clouds that form fiery rings or even columns about the setting sun, making a kind of phantom city, or blazing pyramid-shaped rays that rise from the sun into the heavens…

There are many signs of the harsh frosts to come, but the surest is clouds that form fiery rings or even columns about the setting sun, making a kind of phantom city, or blazing pyramid-shaped rays that rise from the sun into the heavens. And when these fiery crimson tones gradually fade and dissolve into the darkness of the night, then the dreadful cold sets in.

There are many other signs of a severe frost approaching: glowing flakes of soot fly up from the hearths, steam rises over springs and pools, pigs and piglets burrow into the straw, cocks crow and geese cackle earlier than usual, magpies rush from the forest to human dwellings, water birds cry without ceasing, forest birds fly noisily about, and the ice cracks with a thunderous din.

Thus, from the frost the eyes of animals become inflamed and their fur bristles; wild beasts in search of food rush to human dwellings; polar wolves sometimes lose the power of sight; wolves attack other animals, and even one another, more fiercely than usual; wolves gather in huge packs to find food; the fur of all animals grows thicker and more beautiful; fish beneath the ice suffocate unless a hole is cut; the combs of cocks, as well as the beaks and webbing of geese, turn white; hares, foxes and ermines change their colouring; vessels of copper, glass and clay crack; battle-axes, carpenters' axes and saws break; dried-out and living trees split with a loud crack; damp clothing grows hard as iron; lips, fingers and nostrils that touch iron leave their skin upon it; men warm the bit with their breath so as not to injure the horse's mouth; all seeds cast into the earth become more fruitful; certain apples and pears ripen by the winter solstice; Ethiopians, taken captive or otherwise brought here, live but a short time; nails are easily drawn from walls, doors and window frames; out of doors, stones and vessels of clay and glass become covered with cracks; shoes and boots of greased leather shrink and harden.

Olaus Magnus, "A Description of the Northern Peoples", 1555