Medieval and Renaissance map scholar, Chet Van Duzer, backed by the British Library as publisher, have teamed up to produce a spectacular new book, Sea Monsters on Medieval and Renaissance Maps, a topic, oddly enough, for which there is little by way of real precedent. Whales on the medieval maps were drawn as hybrids, often appearing to be a cross between wolves and birds with tusks and waterspouts. Chet Van Duzer's "Sea Monsters on Medieval and Renaissance Maps" (British Library, 2013) charts the evolution of the mythical creatures that … Just above it, labelled with the Letter “C”, is a large whale attacking a ship. In this caption of Olaus Magnus’s 1539 Carta Marina two whales attack a ship. The subject is important not only in the history of cartography, art, and zoological illustration, but also in the history of the geography of the marvelous and Western concep Ruth … However, many of the monsters drawn on these 15th and 16th century maps were not only for show – cartographers often referenced nautical reports of sea monsters when they created their maps. Sea Monsters on Medieval and Renaissance Maps by Chet Van Duzer. St. Brendan's ship on the back of a whale. If you’re searching for an old map from a specific era or region of the world, just email or call us at 615-472-1980. These types of interactions between men and creatures of the sea are common in the Carta Marina. The earliest map in our collection depicts France and was printed in 1592. The Latin version of Ptolemy’s Geography, known as the Madrid Manuscript, is one of the rare maps found with unrealistic, terrifying sea monsters. One of the more intriguing monsters on this sheet is the the large sea serpent in the lower left corner, which is seen destroying a sailing ship. Medieval maps pictured whales as dangerous sea monsters whereas, nowadays they are observed as peaceful mammals. It sells for $950 unframed. Book Description Publication Date: June 15, 2013 From dragons and serpents to many-armed beasts that preyed on ships and sailors alike, sea monsters have terrified mariners across all ages and cultures and have become the subject of many tall tales from the sea. Photo: British Library and the University of Chicago Press. Chet Van Duzer's "Sea Monsters on Medieval and Renaissance Maps" (British Library, 2013) charts the evolution of the mythical creatures that adorned atlases from the 10th century through the 17th century. This book will become the sea monster authority by default. "Here be dragons" (hic sunt dracones in Latin) means dangerous or unexplored territories, in imitation of a medieval practice of putting illustrations of dragons, sea monsters and other mythological creatures on uncharted areas of maps where potential dangers were thought to exist. Sea Monsters on Medieval and Renaissance Maps is a generously illustrated book that should charm many readers, from the young to anyone who likes monsters, but it is also of interest and relevance to historians and other lovers of cartography. From by Chet Van Duzer and published by the British Library: 'Sea Monsters on Medieval and Renaissance Maps' ( CC BY 2.0 ) The Kraken was also made it into the first edition of Systema Naturae [1735], a taxonomic classification of living organisms by the Swedish botanist, physician, and zoologist Carolus Linnaeus. Strange Sea monsters on medieval maps: whales. Sea Monsters on Medieval and Renaissance Maps The sea monsters on medieval and Renaissance maps are one of their most visually engaging elements, and yet they have never before been carefully studied. By Maryanne Grebenstein — While “Monsters Invade Medieval Maps!” seems like a headline you’d see in the media, there was, in fact, a period during the Middle Ages when cartographers unleashed their imaginations on maps, inviting all sorts of sea monsters into the portions representing the oceans. This is now discordant to our time! Medieval cartographers treated their craft like an art, and added fanciful decoration to many of their maps in the form of sea creatures and monsters. Cartographers used the beastly art to illustrate mysterious, unexplored regions of the globe and the possible dangers of seafaring. We have in our own collection a map of Spain from 1634 ($800 unframed) depicting a sea monster of unusual size.
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