Please, someone write a great paper on the history of sea monsters on maps!
What is going on here? Why are there monks in a boat rowing past a giant sea creature? There is a research topic here!
I love the images in this article:
Please, someone write a great paper on the history of sea monsters on maps!
What is going on here? Why are there monks in a boat rowing past a giant sea creature? There is a research topic here!
I love the images in this article:
That would make a great research project. If you find sea monsters intriguing, you will probably find the curious creatures in this medieval bestiary interesting as well: http://bestiary.ca/index.html
This post spawned from a conversation in Clio 1. The Art Historians in the class were all commenting how they hardly ever use maps, not even as art. Which made me bring up the artistic value of maps. I got a few strange looks when I said “not even for the sea creatures?!” So I had to post something about them. I do like the site!
Oh my gosh I really loved those maps in that article too! Honestly though, I really can’t speak about the art in those maps. The only time I learned about images like those on the maps was in a history course in undergrad when where we read, The Bestiary: A Book of Beasts by T.H. White.