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Scandinavia is almost wholly copied from a map in the Ulm edition of Ptolemy published in l482.(1) The author of the globe was well aware that the three northern kingdoms, since the Union of Calmar (1397), were ruled by the King of Denmark, for the standard of that kingdom flies at the mouth of the Elbe, at the westernmost point of Norway and on Iceland.
tenmark (E 59), Denmark and coppenhagen, with a miniature of the king.
nordwegê (E 63), Norway.
bergñ (E 64), Bergen, the well-known trading town.
thyle (E 63), an island on the coast of Norway (Telemarken) is undoubtedly meant to represent the Thule of Pytheas of Massilia, although that island is more correctly identified with Shetland, known to sailors (according to Caspar Peucer, b. 1525, d. 1602) as Thillensell. See Müllenhoff, `Deutsche Altertumskunde,' I.
ventland (E 65), venthelandt of the Ulm Ptolemy, perhaps "Witland (or Wintland) gens ydolatra" of Ranulf Higden's `Polychronicon.'(2)
groenlãd (E 70), grõnê .... Greenland, evidently the Greenland referred to in a Bull of Gregory IV. in 832, which G. Storm identifies with Angermanland.
wildt Lapplant (E 68 & 77), Savage Lapland.
.... slant (F 76).
venmarck (F 73), Finmark.
Sweden, ßuede (E 62), Sweden.
ßtackhalm, Stockholm.
ubßa (Jom only), Upsala?
vermelant (E 65), Wermland.
exosta (E 63), arosia of the Ulm Ptolemy.
olant (E 64), corrupt spelling for Finlant (Finland) and not Aland or Oeland.
gottland (E 67), gottia of the Ulm Ptolemy, now Gothland.
gotlant (E 60), the island still known by that name.
polen (E 53), Poland.
lemberg (E 52), actual lat. 42°48' N.
craccoru (E 50), actual lat. 50°4' N.
bromberg (E 51).
preißße (E 52), Pruße (E 54), Prussia, with the coat of arms of the Teutonic Knights.
tomic (E 53), perhaps torun, Thorn.
liflant (E 57), Livonia.
liven (F 60), Livs.
reußßen (E 53), Russia.
di moßcha (F 57), Moscow, actual lat. 55°45' N.
groß nogart (F 60), gehert den herzog von moscha (belongs to the Duke of Moscow). This is Novgorod, the famous emporium, hard pressed by Ivan the Great since 1478, and utterly destroyed by Ivan the Terrible 1579. Ghillany writes Negart, Jomard Neugart, both give the legend, which is still visible on the original, and a blank shield.
klein nogart (F 61), Little Novgorod, now Ivangorod, opposite Narwa on the Gulf of Finland.
ßmolenßka (E 52), Smolensk on the Dniepr.
done Fl. (F 53), the river Don, already known by that name to Friar John of Pian de Carpine, 1245. The river is named only on Jomard's facsimile.
Julien Cäsar's (F 55), Caesaris arae in European Sarmatia (Ptolemy, III., 5).
alena (F 55), Jom allac, not traceable on the original; perhaps the Alauni of Ptolemy, III., 5.
Sarmat Asie (F 55), Sarmatia asiatica (Ptol. V., c. 87), but actually in Europe.
Ungern (E 46), Hungary.
preßburg (E 49).
ßtulweißenburg.
ßibêburgê (E 48), Transylvania.
hermanßtadt (E 47).
zeng (E 45), on the Adriatic.
croat (E 46), Croatia.
walachei (E 46), Walachia.
buchareßt (E 46).
beßßarabia (E 48).
moldau (E 48), Moldavia, which during the reign of Stephen IV. (1456-64) included also Bukowina, Bessarabia, and part of Walachia, and was strong enough to inflict defeats upon Hungarians, Turks and Poles.
The Rhine and other rivers are roughly indicated, but the only river named is the donau (Danube, E 47), to the north of which the German Emperor is seated on his throne. There is no Imperial standard, the only flags being those of Flanders and of Denmark (at the mouth of the Elbe). There are six coats of arms, namely those of Westphalia, Saxony, Bavaria, of the Teutonic knights, Nuremberg and Mülhausen in the Elsass (a wheel argent in a red field). The town of Mülhausen is not named, and the coat of Bavaria occupies the site of Nuremberg (called Behaim on the globe), a forecast only realised in 1806, when that Franconian city was assigned to Bavaria.
A man, seated on a chair, may represent a Stuhlherr or Judge, of the Vehm, which from Westphalia had spread over all Germany.
fland (D 54), Flanders, along the flagstaff.
rißßel (D 53), the Flemish name for Lille.
holant (D 56), hollat (E 54), Holland.
frißlant (E 55), Friesland.
holßtein (E 56).
mecklenburg (E 54).
brandenburg (E 53).
pomer (E 54), Pomerania.
ßchleßia (E 54), Silesia.
lothring (D 52), and nancy (D 52).
franche Comte (D 51), and beßancon (D 49).
weßtphale (E 53).
ßachße (E 51), and dreßte (E 52), Saxony and Dresden.
ßtraßpurg (D 50), and baßel (D 48).
behaim (E 49), occupies the site of Nuremberg.
hof (E 50).
beirn (E 49), Bavaria.
augßpurg (E 48).
münchen (E 47).
behmê (E 46), Böhmen, Bohemia.
prag (E 51).
mehrê (E 50), Mähren, Moravia.
olmitz (E 50), and brünn (E 50).
oeßterreich (E 49), Austria.
wien (E 48), Vienna.
linz (E 47).
Jnßpruck (E 46).
trießt (E 45).
Zwitz (D 48), ßchwitz (E 49), Schwitz, Switzerland.
gotthart (D 46), the Pass of St. Gotthard.
frankreich (D 50), France.
paris (D 50), with coat of arms of the city. Actual lat. 48°50' N.
picardia (D 53), Picardy.
amiens (D 52).
artois (D 51).
calis (D 52), Calais.
Havre de grace is shown on the Paris facsimile, although the town was only founded in 1517. No name is now to be traced on the original, but perhaps Roan (Rouen) stood there once.
caen (D 51).
britania (D 49), bretagna (D 50), Brittany.
breßt (D 50).
reñes (D 49).
nantes (D 48).
Off Britania lies the island of Jerßei (D 49), one of the Channel Islands.
poitou (D 48).
angerß (D 47).
saintange (D 46).
bordeau (D 46), actual lat. 44°50' N.
limoges (D 47).
toloßa (D 45), Toulouse.
montpellier (D 44).
poitiers (D 49).
orleanß (D 49).
clermont (D 47).
lyon (D 47).
dauphine (D 46), Dauphiné.
delphina (D 43). Delphinatus is the Latin name for the Dauphiné, but the name on the globe as well as the flag, point to Marseilles, although that ancient port never formed part of the Dauphiné. The flag seems to be a combination of the flags of Provence, Toulon and Marseille.
konikr. portogallia (D 42), Kingdom of Portugal, with Royal Standard.
lisbon (D 40), actual lat. 38°42' N.
setubal (D 40).
algarve (D 30).
alentejo (D 41).
minho (D 42).
hißpania (D 43 and 45), with a Royal Standard of Castile and Leon.
Castilla (D 41), caßtello (D 38), Castile.
soria (D 43).
salamanca (D 41).
galicia (D 45), with the Royal Standard of Leon and Castile.
Santiago (D 43), the famous place of pilgrimage, Santiago de Compostella, with an image of the saint off the coast.
asturia (D 44).
vißcaia (D 44), Biscay.
navarra (D 44).
murzia (D 40).
andalußia (D 40).
sevilla(D 39).
cales, cadiz (D 38), Cales, evidently a corruption of Gades, the ancient name of this famous town. The Royal Standard of Leon and Castile rises at the entrance to the Strait, that of Portugal facing it on the African shore.
granada, granata (D 38), with the old Moorish flag of Granada (a pomegranate in red). Granada was captured from the Moors 1492.
arago (D 41 and 43), with the red and gold flag of Aragon.
catalonia (D 43).
valencia (D 41).
ibißa (D 39), maiorca and minorca (D 40), the Balearic Islands.
Jtalia (E 43), Italy.
rom (E 41), with two saints (Peter and Paul) kneeling off the coast.
neapel (E 41), Naples.
calabria (E 39).
taranto (E 40).
chiela (E 42), Chieti ? (between Bari and Brindisi).
loreto (E 43), the famous place of pilgrimage.
florenß (E 43), Florence.
venedig (E 45), with the winged lion of St. Mark of Venice.
lombardj, Lombardia (D 43).
mailant (E 44), Milan.
genua (E 43), Genoa.
nizza (D 43), Nice.
pimond (D 44), Piemont.
saffoia (D 45), Savoy.
corßica (D 40).
sardinia (D 37), with the flag of Genoa.
Silcija, ßicilia (E 36 and 38), with the Royal Flag of Sicily.
maßßina (E 39), Messina.
ßiracußa (E 37), Syracuse.
Malta has been forgotten, as on the maps of Giovanni Leardo (Santarem, Essai, III., 440) and of Waldseemüller, 1507.
pola (E 45).
Zara (E 44).
ragußa (E 43).
rißana (E 43), the modern Rissano, on the Gulf of Cattaro.
albania (E 44).
scutaria (E 42).
palogea (E 41), on Jomard's facsimile only. It may be identical with A. Benincasa's Palormi, the modern Palermo.
Johania (E 39), Yanina.
The island of corfu (E 40) is shown on the original, but it is named only by Jom and Ghil.
morea (E 35).
corint (E 36).
livadia (E 37).
lepanto (E 38).
macedonia (E 40), with coat of arms (three crowns in red).
philippi, placed beneath, is meant for a town of that name founded by Philip II., which flourished until destroyed by the Turks. Its ruins are still known as Filibe.
krichenlant (E 42), Greece, in the place of Thrace or Rum-ili, the country of the Byzantine Greeks.
constantinopoli (E 42), Constantinople. Above it rise two flags, the one red with five stars, the other green with a crescent and three stars. Constantinople was captured by the Turks in 1453.
adrianopla (E 44).
ßuffey (E 43), Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria.
candia (E 35), with the flag of Genoa, although the island had been bought by the Venetians in 1204, and was held by them until 1669, when the capital, after a memorable siege, surrendered to the Turks.
Long before the close of the fifteenth century Ivan III. of Muscovy had thrown off the yoke of the Tartars.
As early as 1473 he had entered into an alliance, defensive and offensive, with Mengli Girei, the Khan of the Crimean Tartars (1469 -1515). This alliance was mainly directed against the predatory Golden Horde, and it was not broken off when Kaffa fell into the hands of the Turks, and Mengli Girei became a feudatory of the Ottoman Empire.
Sarai, the flourishing capital of the Golden Horde, the Zavolshskiyi of the Russians (i.e., those beyond the Volga), was plundered by the Russians in 1480, and totally destroyed, soon after, by Ibak or Ivak Khan of the Sheiban Horde of Tyumen or Sibir. In 1481 this same Ivak inflicted a disastrous defeat upon the Golden Horde, in the course of which Kuchuk Mohamed or Ahmed lost his life. The sons of Ahmed-Seyed Ahmed, Murtaza and Sheikh Ahmed-then assumed the rule over three sections of the tribe, whilst a cousin-Abdul Kerim- established himself at Citracen (Astrakhan). The Nogai, a section of whom was established to the west of the Dniepr whilst the bulk held the region of the rivers Yaik (Ural) and Yemba (Emba) far to the east, still owned allegiance to the chiefs of Kipchak.
Kazan was taken in 1487 by the Russians, who carried off Ali or Ilham Khan a prisoner, and installed in his stead Mohamed Amin, a stepson of Mengli Girei, who was their protégé.
Lastly there was the Sheiban Horde, of Tyumen, Sibir or Turan, under Ivak, in close alliance with Russia.
On the history of these Tartar tribes see Karamzin, `Geschichte d. Russischen Reiches,' Riga, 1820-23; Hammer-Purgstall, `Gesch. d. Goldenen Horde,' Pest, 1840; Howorth, `History of the Mongols,' London, II., 1880.
dißer kaißer võ tartaria heißt macoc (Jom and Ghil: mawe) (F 53).
This Emperor of Tartary is called Macoc (Mawe).
This legend evidently refers to the Crimean Tartars, but no Macoc or Mawe is mentioned among their Khans. It may, however, refer to Iwak, the Khan of the Sherban Horde of Tyumen, who defeated Kuchuk Mohammed Khan of the Golden Horde or Kipchak in 1480 (Hammer-Purgstall, p. 401).
caffa (F 48), with a Turkish flag, the famous emporium founded by the Venetians on the ruins of Theodosia (1262); vainly besieged by Berke or Janibeg Khan, the Jambec of the Catalan Map (1344), but captured by the Osmanli (1479).
dißer kaißer võ tartaria heißt sobolijki der ißt faßt mechtig und krigt dê herzog von der moßcha (F 50).
This Emperor of Tartary is called Sobolijki; he is very powerful and makes war upon the Duke of Muscovy.
This legend refers to the Golden Horde, which up to 1480 frequently invaded Muscowy and enforced the payment of tribute. Instead of Sobolijki should be read Zavolzhskiyi, the "Transvolgan."
sara (F 48), Sarai, the famous capital of the Golden Horde, founded by Batu Khan on the Lower Volga, about 1250, but destroyed in 1480. Its extensive ruins still exist near the village Selitronoie. Another Sarai-Sarai al Jedid, the new Sarai-stood higher up on the Volga, near Tsaref, and is supposed to have been founded by Berke or Janibeg (1342-57). See F. M. Schmidt, `Zeitschrift f. Erdkunde,' XX., 1885, pp. 233-43.
Jom and Ghil omit Sarai, and inscribe Senta in its place.
d. kaiser ofter | schuckt | genat | in der | gat[stat?]za | zara in | tata | ria (G 53).
This Emperor called ofter schuckt ...... in the town of Zara (Sarai) in Tartary.
According to Jomard this legend reads as follows :
D. Kaiser | oger sohmert | genannt | in vergot | Zardius | tartaria.
Ghillany has :
Kaiser | ufer | schuert | in ver | gat zaraia | in tartar | ia.
Room is left for a miniature. Zara is evidently Sarai (see above), destroyed in 1480. As to the name of the "Emperor" I can offer no suggestion.
(1) On the origines of this map see Nordenskiöld's Facsimile Atlas, PP. 49, 54, 66. back
(2) Ranulf Higden (Hyggeden) was a learned Benedictine in the Abbey of St. Werburgh, in the County of Chester, where he died, 1363 (see K. Miller, `Die ältesten Weltkarten,' II., III., 1895). back
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Last modified: Thu Feb 5 23:49:26 CET 2004