1975 Copy of Carta Marina (Scandinavia)1539 by Olaus Magnus
$80
Price incl. GST (15%) $10.43
In stock: 1 available
Product Details
Brand: Historic Maps
This a 1975 paper copy of the 1539 Map
Black & white, edges are showing some wear and tear, foxing in varius places but overall map is in excellent condition for its age.
The Carta Marina is a monumental wall map of Scandinavia created by the Swedish Catholic ecclesiastic Olaus Magnus and published in 1539 in Venice. Measuring 125 by 170 centimetres and printed from nine large woodcell blocks, it is widely celebrated as the first detailed and geographically recognizable map of the Nordic region.
Key Characteristics & Significance
- Geographical Accuracy: For its time, the map was highly accurate. Magnus spent 12 years (1527–1539) gathering data from his own travels, contemporary researchers like Jacob Ziegler, and first-hand accounts from sailors and fishermen.
- Famous Sea Monsters: The map is renowned for its fantastical marine life filling the North Atlantic and Baltic seas. Olaus Magnus used a lettered key to detail creatures like giant sea serpents, island-sized whales, and a "Sow Whale". Modern biologists view these as early, folklore-blended attempts to record real animals like the giant oarfish and walruses.
- Cultural Vignettes: Beyond coastlines, it features rich illustrations detailing the daily lives, winter hunting traditions, and conflicts of the northern peoples. Olaus later wrote a massive companion encyclopedia in 1555 titled Historia de gentibus septentrionalibus (A Description of the Northern Peoples) to expand on these scenes.
- Historical Loss and Rediscovery: After 1574, the original map was feared completely lost to history. It wasn't until 1886 that a copy was rediscovered at the Bavarian State Library in Munich. A second original copy surfaced in Switzerland in 1961 and was purchased by the Uppsala University Library in Sweden.
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1975 Copy of Carta Marina (Scandinavia)1539 by Olaus Magnus
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