Maps

I have always found maps fascinating, and our household has a huge collection of atlases, map books and other cartographic paraphenalia. My original intent was to reproduce a map in the style of Ortelius or Speed, and I have made a start on the mapping of our local region from Lyttelton Harbour to the Ashley River, including shoreline profiles.

It's an interesting task, as we don't have any period maps of this region (some parts of our coastline have only just been updated from Cook's original soundings in the 1700s!).

That project saw me discover Timothy Pont, a young Scotsman who mapped a great deal of Scotland in the late 1500s, and I have been dithering ever since whether to do a manuscript and printed version based on his style and approach. I've amassed a number of books issued by the Royal Library of Scotland as part of their Pont Project, and they were kind enough to send newsletters halfway around the world to keep me informed of what the project was up to.

In addition, I have been thinking hard about the production side. I would like to do this electronically so that I can print out multiple copies, make changes and issue new editions, without the need to recourse to employing large numbers of engravers. It's a matter of deciding what is the best way to use these tools to achieve the effect I want.

In the meantime, I have assayed a variety of different map styles, and have decided to work my way through the various forms. I will be adding a local version of a mappa mundi, a roll map and a variety of others, as time permits.

Orbis Terrae Tripartus - a T-O Map

Amongst the earliest maps on record are ones termed T-O maps, named as such because they divided the world into a T-shape surrounded by a circle, or O.

Lucan map from Siebold. Click for larger pop-up.

T-O maps show three land masses, Europe, Asia and Africa, which are separated by the T formation representing the major water bodies and surrounded by the O of the Mare Oceanus, the huge ocean thought to encircle the world's nether regions. (Livingstone points out that the flat disk shape is merely convention and not reflective of the map-maker's belief in a flat earth; the T-O map simply represents the non-watery hemisphere where the important places lie.)

The T itself has three main sections. The upright of the T represents the Mediterranean, which separates Europe from Africa. The cross-bar of the T was typically held to represent the Red Sea or sometimes the Nile separating Asia from Africa (on the right) and the important waterways of the Black Sea, the Don or Tanais River and the Sea of Azov (on the left of the cross-bar). The orientation was traditionally shown with east at the top of the map, as this was thought to be the direction of Paradise. A number of T-O maps have Paradise noted at the top, with Jerusalem at the centre.

Many T-O map conventions were based on the work by St Isidore of Seville (600-636), the Etymologiarum sive Originum libri XX. The first known printed map in Europe is a T-O map, printed by Gunther Zainer in 1472, and they continued to be printed through until the 17th century as part of atlases and works of knowledge.

A T-O Map of Lochac. Click for larger pop-up. If you'd like a printable version, save this version.

My map is based closely on a T-O map taken from the 14th-century edition of the writing of Lucan, as it contains many of the common elements of a T-O map and a layout that makes it suitable for adapting to our part of the Known Worlde. I've added a number of legends relating to the areas, as was done with the Sallust T-O maps, and implied the political as well as physical relationships, as was done with the Byzantine-Oxford maps (Siebold).

The additional winds have been added, as the cross-quarter winds, such as the nor-westerly, are more prominent in these parts. There seems some sort of irony that the South Island is rendered in Latin as Insula Australia, with Insula Aquilonis for the North Island. The orientation of the map has been adjusted to present the standard T-O look while retaining the correct compass directions; thus occidens appears at the top of the map. Many period maps had variable orientations, so this is not a problem in reproducing this style of map. Both areas are, of course, surrounded by the world sea or Oceanus, so this makes it more accurate than the originals!

The commentary below the map has been adapted from a section in St Isidore's dealing with the possibility of land on the other side of the world:

Moreover beyond these three partes of the Worlde, on the other side of the Ocean, is said to be a large land masse in the Northern partes, which is unknowne to us because of the heat of the Sunne, within the bounds of which the Podes and varipus peoples are fabulously said to dwell.

The typeface is in JSL Ancient, as developed by Jeff Lee based on the transitional typefaces used in the latter part of the 1600s, and a close match for type used in period; JSL Blackletter has also been used. The text has been run through Lees' JSL Font Converter to produce the ligatures and special characters used at the time.

A T in an O gives us the division of the world into three parts.
The upper part and the greatest empire take nearly the half of the world.
It is Asia; the vertical bar is the limit dividing the third from the second, Africa,
I say, from Europe; between them appear the Mediterranean Sea.
Leonardo Dati (1365 - 1424) in La Sfera (c.1420)

Back to top

Columbus Letter: De Insulis Novae Ad Regni Lochac

When our lands shifted fom the Kingdom of Caid to the Kingdom of Lochac, we had a number of events to commemorate this, including a feast based on Columbus' return from the New World. I provided the menu design for the feast and, as part of that, decided to do a map that fitted the theme. A quick flurry of research produced information on the Columbus Letter De Insulis inuentis: Concerning the Discovered Islands.

Woodcut from Columbus Letter

My local version of the Columbus woodcut. Click for larger pop-up.

The Basel edition of the letter includes a woodcut showing Columbus's arrival in the Caribbean, with the islands he named for his patrons represented in the background. These are often referred to as "the first cartographic images made by Europeans of the Old World", but are representative rather than actually map-like.

It was once believed that the woodcuts were copied from drawings made by Columbus himself, but the caravel is a direct copy from Bernhard von Breydenbach's Peregrinatio in Terram Sanctam: Voyage to the Holy Land (Mainz, 1486). They are thought to have been created by a Swiss artist for the Basel edition of the Columbus Letter.

I adapted the woodcut from the Basel Columbus Letter to tie in with our change of kingdoms from Caid to Lochac and the theme of the commemorating event celebrating Columbus return from the New World. Lack of time meant the production had to be a simplified line drawing; it will eventually be reworked as part of a series showing the evolution of maps. It shows the main lands and places of the Crescent Isles, and includes the Southern Cross on the sail.

I used this on the cover of the feast menu and then later adapted it as part of a reworked facsimile of the Basel edition, with the page layout based on the Osher Map Library's reproduction of the Basel edition (imprint Johann Bergmann, April 21st 1494; folios 29v-30r).

Title page from Columbus Letter, Osher Map Library.

The Lochac version. Click for larger pop-up. If you'd like a printable version, save this version.

The text of my work, noted below, follows very closely the letter by Christopher Columbus printed in the work, using the Osher translation from the Latin version, adapted as appropriate.The title has been changed to De Insulis Novae Ad Regni Lochac: Concerning the New Islands of the Kingdom of Lochac. Given Columbus' effusive reporting regarding the new lands, I thought it appropriate to follow suit, with the addition of a small anachronism identifiable to anyone who has seen the musical Camelot. One day I may assay a full version.

The typeface is in JSL Blackletter, as developed by typographer Jeff Lee from period examples; it closely matches the title font of the Basel printing. I chose to use it as the text typeface also because I wanted to keep within the same font family and I haven't been able to locate a suitable matching font with support for ligatures and special characters.

The Text of the De Insulis Novae Letter

Long has been the coming of the Orient islands, found far beyond the waves, unto the hands of their Sovereign Majesties of Lochac, passed from the hands of their most Generous Majesties of the Kingdom of Caid. In this place are found many islands inhabited by men without number, all of which now are taken possession for our most fortunate king, as proclaimed latterly by heralds and flying standards. No region now can add further to Lochac's great deeds.

To the greatest of these islands is given the name Insula Australia, wherein is to be found the most noble Barony of Southron Gaard, long held fast within these lands. Proceeding to the north along the coast for four days, there you will see another island distinct from this and called by its inhabitants Insula Aquilonis, wherein is the fair Barony of Ildhavn to the north, which is wet, and in the windy regions to the south is found the Shire of Darton. In all these islands there is no difference in the manners and language, but all understand each other mutually and so may speak with no little understanding with the subjects of mainland Lochac.

The islands appear very fertile and are surrounded by many very safe and wide harbors, not excelled by any others to be seen. Many great and salubrious rivers flow and there are also many very high mountains there. All these islands are very beautiful, and distinguished by various qualities; they are accessible, and full of a great variety of trees stretching up to the stars. The bellbird and various other birds without number sing throughout the year, the rain does not fall until after sundown, and there is surely no more congenial spot.

Therefore let the king and queen, and their most fortunate subjects, and all other countries of the Known Worlde, give thanks for so great a gift.

Notes

Some excerpts from the edition of Columbus's letter entitled De Insulis inuentis, imprint Johann Bergmann, dated April 21st, 1494, in the possession of Osher Map Library, addressed to the most invincible King of Spain, from Christopher Columbus, Admiral of the Ocean Fleet:

Because my undertakings have attained success, I know that it will be pleasing to you: these I have determined to relate, so that you may be made acquainted with everything done and discovered in this our voyage. On the thirty-third day after I departed from Cadiz, I came to the Indian sea, where I found many islands inhabited by men without number, of all which I took possession for our most fortunate king, with proclaiming heralds and flying standards, no one objecting. To the first of these I gave the name of the blessed Saviour, on whose aid relying I had reached this as well as the other islands. But the Indians call it Guanahany. I also called each one of the others by a new name. For I ordered one island to be called Santa Maria of the Conception, another Fernandina, another Isabella, another Juana, and so on with the rest.

As soon as we had arrived at that island which I have just now said was called Juana, I proceeded along its coast towards the west for some distance; I found it so large and without perceptible end, that I believed it to be not an island, but the continental country of Cathay; seeing, however, no towns or cities situated on the sea-coast, but only some villages and rude farms, with whose inhabitants I was unable to converse, because as soon as they saw us they took flight.

And the said Juana and the other islands there appear very fertile. This island is surrounded by many very safe and wide harbors, not excelled by any others that I have ever seen. Many great and salubrious rivers flow through it. There are also many very high mountains there. All these islands are very beautiful, and distinguished by various qualities; they are accessible, and full of a great variety of trees stretching up to the stars; the leaves of which I believe are never shed, for I saw them as green and flourishing as they are usually in Spain in the month of May; some of them were blossoming, some were bearing fruit, some were in other conditions; each one was thriving in its own way. The nightingale and various other birds without number were singing, in the month of November, when I was exploring them.

There are besides in the said island Juana seven or eight kinds of palm trees, which far excel ours in height and beauty, just as all the other trees, herbs, and fruits do. There are also excellent pine trees, vast plains and meadows, a variety of birds, a variety of honey, and a variety of metals, excepting iron. In the one which was called Hispana, as we said above, there are great and beautiful mountains, vast fields, groves, fertile plains, very suitable for planting and cultivating, and for the building of houses. The convenience of the harbors in this island, and the remarkable number of rivers contributing to the healthfulness of man, exceed belief, unless one has seen them. The trees, pasturage, and fruits of this island differ greatly from those of Juana. This Hispana, moreover, abounds in different kinds of spices, in gold, and in metals. On this island, indeed, and on all the others which I have seen, and of which I have knowledge, the inhabitants of both sexes go always naked, just as they came into the world, except some of the women, who use a covering of a leaf or some foliage, or a cotton cloth, which they make themselves for that purpose.

In all these island there is no difference in the appearance of the people, nor in the manners and language, but all understand each other mutually; a fact that is very important for the end which I suppose to be earnestly desired by our most illustrious king, that is, their conversion to the holy religion of Christ, to which in truth, as far as I can perceive, they are very ready and favorably inclined.

In all these islands, as I have understood, each man is content with only one wife, except the princes or kings, who are permitted to have twenty. The women appear to work more than the men. I was not able to find out surely whether they have individual property, for I saw that one man had the duty of distributing to the others, especially refreshments, food, and things of that kind. I found no monstrosities among them, as very many supposed, but men of great reverence, and friendly. Nor are they black like the Ethiopians. They have straight hair, hanging down. They do not remain where the solar rays send out the heat, for the strength of the sun is very great here, because it is distant from the equinoctial line, as it seems, only twenty-six degrees. On the tops of the mountains too the cold is severe, but the Indians, however, moderate it, partly by being accustomed to the place, and partly by the help of very hot victuals, of which they eat frequently and immoderately.

Back to top