Map Myths

The tragic story behind the phantom Willoughby's Land in the Barents Sea is a remarkable episode in early explorations of the Northeast Passage. After sighting land at 72°N in 1553, did Sir Hugh Willoughby and his crew accidentally poison themselves when forced to overwinter in the Arctic?

The brigantine Telemaque experienced a frightening encounter with a rock shoal on 6 February 1786 south of the Cape of Good Hope. Around 6 a.m., an alarm was raised, and passengers and crew alike observed an 'extraordinary ripling and commotion' in the sea.

Subsequent questioning of the passengers by William Petrie revealed they were adamant that they had not been deceived, for example, by the shade of a cloud. archive.org/details/bim_...

The brigantine Telemaque experienced a frightening encounter with a rock shoal on 6 February 1786 south of the Cape of Good Hope. Around 6 a.m., an alarm was raised, and passengers and crew alike observed an 'extraordinary ripling and commotion' in the sea.

A remarkable tale of survival lies behind these inconspicuous islands of Santi and Rustene, which occupy the seas north of Norway and south of the ‘land of pygmies' on Mercator's 1569 world map. It's a story so powerful that it is still celebrated in Norway and Italy today.

The shipwrecked sailors remained alive in the collective memory of Røst, and so when the 500-year anniversary of the shipwreck was approaching in 1932, locals and Italians organised to erect a monument on Sandøya to commemorate the lost Venetians.

A remarkable tale of survival lies behind these inconspicuous islands of Santi and Rustene, which occupy the seas north of Norway and south of the ‘land of pygmies' on Mercator's 1569 world map. It's a story so powerful that it is still celebrated in Norway and Italy today.

The fantastic story of Querini and his travels was thus known to European cartographers, including Fra Mauro, who cited him explicitly in the cartouche of one of the most detailed world maps of the Middle Ages, published a few decades after Querini’s return.

A remarkable tale of survival lies behind these inconspicuous islands of Santi and Rustene, which occupy the seas north of Norway and south of the ‘land of pygmies' on Mercator's 1569 world map. It's a story so powerful that it is still celebrated in Norway and Italy today.

After several days clinging to life on this uninhabited island, local fishermen came to their rescue and brought them to their homes on the nearby island of Røst. The locals provided food and shelter during the hostile winter months. After 100 days on Røst, the Venetians began their journey home.

A remarkable tale of survival lies behind these inconspicuous islands of Santi and Rustene, which occupy the seas north of Norway and south of the ‘land of pygmies' on Mercator's 1569 world map. It's a story so powerful that it is still celebrated in Norway and Italy today.

Pietro Querini set sail from Crete in 1431 with a cargo of wine, olive oil and other valuable goods, intending to reach buyers in Flanders. The journey went spectacularly off course though. Violent storms in the Atlantic ultimately forced the crew to abandon ship in two lifeboats.

A remarkable tale of survival lies behind these inconspicuous islands of Santi and Rustene, which occupy the seas north of Norway and south of the ‘land of pygmies' on Mercator's 1569 world map. It's a story so powerful that it is still celebrated in Norway and Italy today.

The roc (or rukh) was a legendary bird of prey that Marco Polo described as 'so strong that it will seize an elephant in its talons and carry him high into the air and drop him so that he is smashed to pieces'.

The tragic story behind the phantom Willoughby's Land in the Barents Sea is a remarkable episode in early explorations of the Northeast Passage. After sighting land at 72°N in 1553, did Sir Hugh Willoughby and his crew accidentally poison themselves when forced to overwinter in the Arctic?

Following the discovery of Svalbard in 1596 by the Dutch, the Muscovy Company claimed that Willoughby’s Land and Svalbard were one and the same. Svalbard was thus English. This cartographic fiction formed the basis for the royal monopoly charter on whaling granted to the company in 1613.

The tragic story behind the phantom Willoughby's Land in the Barents Sea is a remarkable episode in early explorations of the Northeast Passage. After sighting land at 72°N in 1553, did Sir Hugh Willoughby and his crew accidentally poison themselves when forced to overwinter in the Arctic?

Gerardus Mercator writing in his 1595 atlas stated: Only two habitations in the extreme North, namely in Greenland, are known to us, Alba (11°W, 74°45'N) and St Thomas monastery (16°W 75°12'N).

When the Christian king of this isle fell sick and was on his deathbed, St. Thomas of Canterbury appeared to him in a vision, instructing the king to build a church dedicated to him. As soon as the first stone was laid, the king's illness lifted.

Gerardus Mercator writing in his 1595 atlas stated: Only two habitations in the extreme North, namely in Greenland, are known to us, Alba (11°W, 74°45'N) and St Thomas monastery (16°W 75°12'N).

When Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania) was discovered in 1642 by Abel Tasman, it appeared on contemporary maps as an isolated coastline. Its insular nature would not be confirmed for another 150 years.

When more of the Australian coastline became charted, particularly following Captain Cook's visit to the east coast in 1770, cartographers became increasingly confident that Van Diemen's Land was connected to its larger neighbour.

A lighthouse built on the Baltic island of Märket ended up redrawing an international border. In 1885, when Finland was part of the Russian Empire, a much-needed lighthouse was planned - the treacherous island had contributed to the sinking of eight ships in 1873 alone.

The Finnish architect Georg Schreck managed to build the lighthouse on the highest point of the island; it just so happened to be on the Swedish side. Yet, the lighthouse was never considered Swedish, nor administered from Sweden.

The legend of Prester John goes back to the mid-12th century, and tells of a Christian king of enormous wealth and power. His kingdom was initially thought to lie in Asia. The idea that it could lie in Africa emerged once Europeans began to learn about the real Christian kingdom of Ethiopia.

Muhammad Al-Idrisi's world map from 1154 is one of the most advanced of its time, drawn for the Norman king of Sicily, Roger II. To ensure its accuracy, 15 years were spent examining existing maps and interviewing travellers. Note that south is at the top of the map.