Of America? a Medieval Map of the World, Which Century When One of Tbe ·Two Main It Is C1aimed " Records in Grapbic Form Greenlalíd Settlements Was Abandoned
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11 Only·· NOfSe Map of America? A medieval map of the world, which century when one of tbe ·two main it is c1aimed " records in grapbic form Greenlalíd settlements was abandoned. the only do¡;umented pre-Columbian dis Tbe last .recotrded tr.affic between covery of America" is inc1uded in a lceland and GreenLand was be,tween volume published on borh sides of tbe 1406 and 1410, amd in 'spite of archaeo Atlantic todav*. lt is also said to be the logical and other ev'¡dence of occasional only known éxample of medieval Norse contact, Mr. Ske1JtJon holds that by the cartography. mididfte of tbe fi,jiteenrth cen,tury "the The map was in a cali-bound volume detaüed ~'now!edge ,acaumulated by tbe abo containing a previously unknown Norsemen ,about t:he Jiands in t:he west account of Friar Jonn de Plano Carpini's bad .passed out of European ooulSCiolUS mission to the Mongols in 1245-47 (The lless ". Tartar Relation) acquired eight year~ It would be misleadring to tJhink of the ago from a private collection in Europe medieval Norseme.n s'ai1ing 'lInder con by MI. Laurence Witten, an antiquarian ditions similar to those of t'Orlay. CLima bookseller of New Haven. Connecticut. tologists were agreed tihat f,or tbe period When it was fi:rst examined by Mr. between A.D. 950 ,allid 1200 tÍlhere was Thomas E. M'arston, Cu~atÜ'f M'edie clea1' eviÍdence oí greater warmtb in lce oi Green~and. v'a,l Renais.s'ance LiteratllJre lat Yale, and land land But a deteáol1a Mr. AJeX'ander O. Yietor, Our,ator of triJan set [ni during tlhe tlhifiteCnltih century. Maips, Y'ale Unive~si!ty Libr131ry, vhey Mr. Skelton considers tbe outline of could not be sure Itbe map was authen G reenland in tbe Vinland Map lo be so tk. As MIL Mar,;ton writes: "Both accurate that it can only be tbe result of map and manuscript were slightly fi rst-hand knowledge' gained by sailing along the coasts before ice made this wormed, but tbe wo'rm holes were not impossible. The apparent precisio'n of tbe on thesame positions in the two parts. nor~hern .. Even mo.re discoTIcerting was the fact coastline malees bim wonder whetber rhe cartographer added a tbeore that the map bore the unex,pJ.ained tical north coast, or if in tact conditions words: 'Delineation of the first part, aUowed medieval Norsemen to antici the second pal't Qand) tbe third pa,rt o,f pate Peary's circumnavigation of tbe Speculum (mirror) '." Greenland. Early in 1958 Mr. Marston hap pened to order a manascript of part -BY WORD OF MOUTH by>t'tn:;rhtrte~ oí a o,rle e eta¡ e rawing of the west Dorninican friar Yincent of Beauwüs, coasts of Greenland leads tbe author to Which he bad noticed rn the catalogue oí believe tbat the original ,outline was a Loudon booksdler. This was the traced before tbe abandonment of the Speculum Historiale (Min'or ot'History). westem settlement in the first balf of tbe f('lurteenth century. WORMHOLE EVIDENC~ But w'hy should a cbal't be made? lf, Afier its arrival in New Haven, Mr. as a11 the evidence suggests, tbe Norse Witten discovered that the manuscript men sailed by astronomical observation, Nevertheles~, matcbed tbe map and the account of the tbey did not need maps. given their ability to work out tbeir visit to tbe Mongols. "Tbe hand was northitig by tJhe 'stars, "we are entitled the same, the watermarks of the paper to ma,ke tbe furtber inference tbat vhey were the same; and the worm boles could determine ·tbe 'approximate lati sbowed tbat the map had been at tbe tude of conspicuous coastal features'·. front of the volume and The Tartar To tbe west of Greenland is shown Relation at the back." Vinlanda lnsula. As the Norse voyages The mund-tnip of 8,000 miles from to Y'¡nland, He11uland, and Markland, Lyons to the court of tbe Mongols made variously identified as parts of wbat is by Carpini at tbe bidding of Pope now Newfoundland, or the Canadian lnnocent IV tbree years ajjter the and American mainlands, were over 100 Mongol tidal waveswept back from years before the writing of lcelandic Europe is already known from tbe history began in tbe twelfth century, it friar's own accounts. The Tartar is pointed out that this outline must be Relation. the Latin manuscript of which tJbe result of transmission by word of is repmduced, witb the text edited and moutb. "In the circumstances we oould transIated by MI. George D. Painter, expect from such a map no more than a Assistant Keeper of Printed Books in the general indication of the ooasts in ques Britisb Museum, c~mplements Carpini's tion and of tbeir' most con8picuous own version. features," But the prime interest inevitably shifts The Yinland Map la180 carries state from the section of the map illustrating ments that c:haUen.ge traditional versions tbe Carpini mission to the outlines of of tbe Norse disoovery of Arnetica. The Greenland and Vinland, tbe name be fourteentb-century Tale oi 'the Greel/ lieved to have been given by Leif Erics landers gives tlhe credit to Bjarni Her son at the opening of the eleventh jolis<son; the Saga oi Eirik the Red -century to a land wbere vines grew some awards the bonour to Leif Ericsson. where west of GreenJand. According to tlhe Vinland Map, Bjarni (no other name is given) and Leif Eiriks Mos:t of tibe Vin'1and rnap, says Mr. son disco.vered Yinland togetber. How R. A. Skelton, who is superintendent of ever, Mr. Skehon po'¡nts out, the two t)le Map Room at the British' Museum, ac,counts may thave become merged in has stron affini'e with a circula rl of:!"'b «:v.'Ion_' :U""","~~""":I1 _ Dorcinoi;~~' f,;i~r 'Vin~~~t~f'B~;~';,~¡~, 1he detaHed drawing oí the west coasts of GreenIand leads the author to WlhicJ1lhe fiad noticOO in the catalogue oí believe that the original outline was a London bo,okse11er. This was the traced before the abandonment of the Speculum Historiale (Mirror of History)o western settlement in the first half oI the f"urteenth century. WORMHOLE---- EVIDENCE But why should a "ha!"t be made? lf, After its arrival in New Haven, Mr. as a11 tihe evidence suggests, the Norse Witten discovered that the manuscript men sailed by astronomical observation, matched the map and the account of the they did not need maps. Nevertheless, given their abi'lity to work out their visit to the Mongols. "The hand. was northing by the stars, "we are entidOO the same, the watermarks of the paper to ma,ke the further inference that t'hey were the same; and the worm holes could determine the ,approximate lati showed that the map had been at the tude of conspieuons coastal features ". front of the volJme and The Tartar To the west of Greenland is shown Relation at the backo" Vinlanda lnsulao As the Norse voyages . The round-tni,p of 8,000 miles from to V~n1and, Helluland, and Markland, Lyons to tihe court of the Mongols made variously identified as parts of what is by Carpini at the bidding of Pope now Newfoundland, or the Canadian Innocent IV three years a:fiter the and American mainlands, were over 100 Mongol tidal wave swept back from years before the writing of !celandic Eumpe . is already known from the history began in the twelfth century, it friar's own accountso The Tartar is pointed out that this outline must be Relation. t'he Latin manuscript of which Vhe result of transrmssion by word of is reproduced, with the text edited and moutho "In the circumstances we oouId translated by MI. George Do Painter, expect from suoh a map no more than a Assistant Keeper of Printed Books in the general indication of the coasts in ques British Museum, complements Carpini's tion and of their' most conspicuous own version. features." . But the prime ifiterest inevitably slúfts The Vinland Map lalso car'ries ¡¡tate from the section of the map illustrating ments tobat dhaUenge traditional versious the Carpini mission to the outlines oi of the N OIse discovery of America. The Greenla,nd and Virul:and, fue name be fourteenth-eentury Tale 01 'the Green lievOO to have been given by Leif Erics landers gives tlhe credit to BJami Her son at the opening of the ellfventh jolfsson; the Saga 01 Eirik the Red , century to a land where vines grew some awards the honour to Leif Ericsson. where west of Greenland. Aocording to the Vinland Map, Bjarni (no other name is given) and Leif Eiriks Mo,S!t of the Vin'1and map, says Mr. son disc'o.vered Vinland together. How R. Ao SkeIton, who is superintendent of ever, MI. Skehon polÍnts out, the two 1Jle Map Room at the British' Museum, aocounts may have become mergOO in has strong affinities with a circular world othe map's version. map in the 1436 atlas of Andrea Bianco Marciil-n~- • • • o • • le -"'---'B*Sl:;E AS' SOURCE 1 at Velllceo Both, tor example, place . .0 Mount Sinai and Basra in Africa The prov1s~onal concluslOn reached 13 o . o that the map 1S based on two prototypes, . Whatever the ongm of the common that for the Old World presumably forms ,anderrof:S, Wlheuher the C3:rto dating from the late fourteenth or early grapher. of the Vmland Map took them fifthteenth century, while the Atlantic from Blanco or fr,?ffi a c,?mmon proto parrt may date from the thirteenth Qr type.