Monsters in cartography


Sources and influences

Mercator’s terrestrial globe is illustrated with eleven sea monsters, seven of which were taken from Olaus Magnus’ Carta marina. There is also a terrestrial creature in the South American region.

Olaus Magnus (1539) Gerardus Mercator (1541) Sebastian Münster (1544) Abrahm Ortelius (1577)
Gonzalo Fernandez de Oviedo (1535) Gerardus Mercator (1541)
Martin Waldseemüller (1513) Gerardus Mercator (1541)
Unknown origin Gerardus Mercator (1541)
Comparative table of monsters
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  • Bestiary : when a territory was uncharted, cartography gave pride of place to the imagination. Allegorical beasts of all kinds were depicted, including hybrid monsters and exotic creatures.
  • Duzer, van C. (2014) Sea Monsters on Medieval and Renaissance Maps, London : The British Library.
  • Nigg, Joseph (2013) Sea Monsters. A voyage around the world’s most beguiling Map, Chicago & London : The University of Chicago Press.