Kites reach the Western World

Several forms of kites and windsocks appear in writings and drawings as far back as 105 A.D. when Roman soldiers used them as military banners, but flying kites on a line was unknown. In the thirteenth century, Marco Polo brought back tales of kites from China, but they were regarded as curiosities and had little impact on European culture.

     Polo, an Italian explorer who returned from China in 1295, wrote remarkably accurate accounts of the construction of kites, as well as how they were flown. The first known reference to kite flying in Europe appears in a manuscript about military technology, written in 1405. Another text, written in 1430, describes how to make a kite from parchment, and explains how to connect the flying line to different points on the kite in order for the kite to fly well in a variety of wind conditions. Two other books, written in 1589 and 1634 both recommend using kites to lift fireworks at night. An illustration of the town of Middelburg, Holland, made in 1618, shows children flying kites of the diamond shape so common today. In Europe, unlike Asia, kites were regarded simply as harmless toys for children to play with. In the following few centuries that view was to change dramatically.

     In the fifteenth century, Leonardo da Vinci experimented with kites as he became interested in flight and flying machines. His interest in kites may have led him to study clouds and air currents which led to the invention of the parachute and his drawing for a helicopter. He also developed a system for spanning a gorge with the help of a kite that would later be used to help build the bridge at Niagara Falls.

     After the Dutch established trade routes with the East Indies in the mid-sixteenth century, kites were established widely in Europe. The new Eastern styles changed Western views of kites, but kites were still regarded as a children’s toy although some scientists began using kites in experiments. For example, in 1749 in Scotland, Alexander Wilson conducted experiments using a train of kites to measure temperatures at various levels of the atmosphere.