African Islands, including Madagascar (68).When it appears, it is like an island, and with its fins it overturns boats and ships. It is somewhat like a shark or skite, but infinitely bigger. This fish is fully covered with bristles or bones. It cannot follow or chase smaller fish because of its huge size and the weight of its body, yet it preys on many, which it catches by natural cunning and subtlety which it applies to get its food. It is more like a small island than like a fish. The largest kind of Whale, which seldom shows itself. It often causes great hurt and scare to fishermen. HROSHUALUR, that is to say as much as Sea horse, with manes hanging down from its neck like a horse. It has no teeth, but its tongue is seven ells in length. Ziphius, a horrible sea monster that swallows a black seal in one bite.į. The Hyena or sea hog is a monstrous kind of fish about which you may read in the 21st book of Olaus Magnus.Į. It has many very strong teeth, of which they make chess pieces. The BURCHVALUR has a head bigger than its entire body. The flesh of it is very good meat, wholesome and tasty. the Roider is a fish of one hundred and thirty ells in length, which has no teeth. It is thought to be a good antidote and powerful medicine against poison. Divers have sold it as the Unicorn's horn. It has a tooth in the front part of its head standing out seven cubites. If anyone eats of this fish, he will die immediately. The sea monsters are identified wih letters, which are keyed to the explanation on the verso, which provides as follows (translated to English):Ī. While a privilege for the map was granted in 1585, the map first appeared in the 1587 French edition of Ortelius' Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, the first modern Atlas of the World, first issued in 1570 and expanded thereafter until 1612. While no map of Iceland by Thorlaksson survives, there is other circumstantial evidence, including a list of churches and fjords which was available and perhaps prepared by Thorlakson, which were almost certainly used in preparing the map. It is known that Thorlaksson made a map of the region in 1606. The map is a vast improvement over all prior maps of Iceland and it is believed therefore that it could only have been drawn by an Icelander, most likely Gudbrandur Thorlaksson, Bishop of Holar, who studied mathematics and astronomy in Copenhagen. However, it is almost certain that Vedel was not the maker of the map and simply transmitted the map to Ortelius, without mentioning its source. Andreas Sorensen Vedel (1542-1616) was an important Danish historian of the period who prepared, but apparently never published a treatise on history of Denmarke, which he had intended to illustrate with maps. The dedication in the lower right corner notes that the map is drawn up and dedicated by Andreas Velleius to the Illustrious and powerful Frederic the Second, King of the Danes, Norwegians, Slavs, Goths etc., his most merciful Majesty. Others are traceable to Olaus Magnus's Carta Marina of 1539, although they were probably derived directly from Munster's Cosmographia of 1545 and most notably Munster's chart of the Sea and Land Creatures. Brendan, a sixth century Irish missionary who, according to legend, journeyed to Iceland and whose name is associated with a mythical island of the same name. Some of the more purely fanciful images may derive from tales of St. The map illustrates a remarkable array of the legendary and mythical sea monsters and creatures of the 15th and 16th Century, along with early depictions of the sea horse, manta ray, walrus and whale. While the map is far from accurate, it depicts first time a meaningful depiction of all known settlements in Iceland and many other points of interest, including a number of glaciers. The map includes over 200 place names, primarily Danish in origin and many of which are likely misread from the original map, owing to the different writing style employed in Iceland during the period. Along part of the coastline, Polar Bears can be seen floating on icebergs. The map depicts Iceland in remarkable detail, including its mountains, fjords, glaciers and a graphic depiction of Mount Hekla erupting in a fiery explosion of flames and volcanic material. African Islands, including Madagascar (68)įine example of Ortelius' classic map of Iceland, one of the most decorative atlas maps of all time and the first relatively accurate map of Iceland from indigenous sources.
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