(Latin for Marine map and description of the Northern lands; commonly abbreviated ) is the first map of the Nordic countries to give details and place names, created by Swedish ecclesiastic Olaus Magnus and initially published in 1539. Only two earlier maps of the Nordic countries are known, those of Jacob Ziegler (Strasbourg, 1532) and Claudius Clavus (15th century).

The map is centred on Scandia, which is shown in the largest size text on the map and placed on the middle of Sweden. The map covers the Nordic lands of "Svecia" (Svealand) and "Gothia" (Götaland) (both areas in Sweden), "Norvegia" (Norway), Dania (Denmark), "Fare" (Faroe Islands), Islandia (Iceland), Finlandia (Finland), Lituania (Lithuania), Livonia (Estonia and Latvia), and "pars" (parts of) "Scotie" (Scotland; including Orkney and Shetland) and "Anglie" (England). The map is framed with longitudes and latitudes running from 55° to the Arctic Circle. The sea is filled with numerous animals, many recognisable, including various whales and walrus.

The map is 1.70 m wide by 1.25 m tall, and was printed in black and white from nine 55 × 40 cm woodcut blocks sequenced from west to east and north to south, and identified in the centre with the letters A to I.

History

thumb|Carta Marina on display at [[Carolina Rediviva.]]

The map was created in Rome during 1527–39 by Olaus Magnus (1490–1557), who arrived on a diplomatic visit for the Swedish government and stayed on, likely because his brother Johannes Magnus became involved in a religious feud with King Gustav I of Sweden.

To construct the map, Magnus drew from a variety of ancient sources including Ptolemy's map in Geographia, and contemporary sources such as the work of Astronomer Jacob Ziegler. In addition to cartographic sources, Magnus also relied on the descriptions of sailors and his own observations.

It took 12 years to make and the first copies were printed in 1539 in Venice.

See also

  • Anders Bure, founder of Swedish cartography
  • Martin Waldseemüller, who had created an earlier similar map of the world in 1516 with the same title
  • Sea Swine, a mythical creature featured in the

Notes

References

  • "Geografiens och de geografiska upptäckternas historia / Geography and The Geographical Voyager's history" (1899)
  • "Carta marina et descriptio : the commentary by Olaus Magnus to Map of the Scandinavian countries 1539", Provisional ed. (1988)

Digital copies of the first known 'München' original

Digital copies of the second known 'Uppsala' original

  • "University of Minnesota Carta Marina" - Unknown colored reproduction of the Uppsala original, in jpeg images. The site contains more information on early printing process.

Digital copies of modifications and adaptations

  • Carta Marina, Lafreris edition 1572 at the World Digital Library (Antoine Lafréry's (1512 - 1577) edition from 1572 digitized by the National Library of Sweden in Stockholm. Colored afterwards.