In 1816, parts of Europe and North America experienced extraordinary cold, rain, crop failures, and even summer snow. The year later became known as the “Year Without a Summer.” One of the most important causes was the enormous eruption of Mount Tambora in Indonesia the previous year.
The climatic disruption affected harvests, food prices, migration, and, indirectly, one of the most famous novels in literary history.
Tambora erupted in 1815
Mount Tambora on the island of Sumbawa erupted catastrophically in April 1815, sending enormous amounts of material high into the atmosphere. It was one of the most powerful eruptions in recorded human history.
How could one volcano affect distant countries?
Particles and sulfur compounds in the upper atmosphere reduced some of the sunlight reaching Earth's surface. The following year brought unusually cold and wet conditions to many parts of the Northern Hemisphere.
Snow fell during what should have been summer
Parts of New England experienced snow in June. Across Europe, persistent cold and rain damaged crops and contributed to serious food shortages.
What does this have to do with Frankenstein?
During the gloomy summer of 1816, Mary Shelley, Percy Shelley, Lord Byron, and others were staying near Lake Geneva. Bad weather kept them indoors for long periods, and the group challenged one another to invent ghost stories. In that atmosphere, Mary Shelley began the story that became Frankenstein.
Natural events can influence culture
The volcano did not “write” the novel, of course. But the unusual climate helped create the dark setting and circumstances in which the idea emerged. It is a striking example of nature, society, and art intersecting.
The Year Without a Summer shows how an eruption on one island can affect weather, food, human movement, and even the history of literature thousands of kilometers away.