Abraham Ortelius, Islandia (Iceland), 1592

A famous map of Iceland by Abraham Ortelius, one of the great cartographers from the Golden Age of Dutch map making, and the first to produce a “modern atlas.” Images of strange sea creatures inhabit the surrounding waters — a mixture of actual marine life and legendary ones that were believed to exist at the time — making it one of the most sought-after Ortelius maps by collectors. The sea creatures are labeled according to a lettered key and described verso (see the key below). The map also shows polar bears on icebergs, sailing ships in the ocean, and Mount Hekla volcano erupting. Additional decorative details include an elaborate title cartouche, driftwood in the waters, and mountain ranges indicated by pictorial shaded renderings.

Ortelius’ Islandia is dedicated to Frederick II of Denmark by Andreas Velleius (Andreas Sørenson Vedel), a Danish historian of the period from whom Ortelius may have received the map. Historians have long dismissed the possibility that Ortelius actually designed the map, although the historical text on the back of the map is derived from his work. Instead, the scholarly consensus is that the map’s geographical content is based on a 1606 Iceland map that no longer exists by native Icelander, Gudbrandur Thorláksson, Bishop of Hólar. The Ortelius version depicts known settlements in Iceland — in many cases given a Danish form of name — possibly derived from Thorláksson’s map. Nonetheless, in Ortelius’ map the proportions of Iceland overall are not accurate and Iceland’s largest glacier in the then-unexplored center of the country is not shown.

Following is the map key which describes the marine life:

1. Is a fish which they commonly call Nahual. If any man eat of this fish, he dies presently. It hath a tooth in the forepart of his head, standing out seven cubits. This, divers have sold for the Unicorn’s horn. It is thought to be a good antidote and sovereign medicine against poison. This Monster is forty ells in length.
2. The Roider, a fish of a hundred and thirty ells in length, which hath no teeth. The flesh of it is very good meat, wholesome and toothsome. The fat of it is good against many diseases.
3. The Burchvalur, hath his head bigger than all the body beside. It hath many very strong teeth, whereof they make Chessmen or Tablemen. It is threescore cubits long.
4. The Hyena, the sea hog, a monstrous kind of fish, of which thou mayest read in the 21st book of Olaus Magnus.
5. Ziphius, (it may be he means Xiphius, the sword fish) a horrible sea monster, swallowing the black seal at one bite.
6. The English whale, thirty ells long: it hath no teeth, but the tongue of it is seven ells in length.
7. Hroshualur, that is as much to say as the Sea-horse, with a mane hanging down from his neck like a horse. It often does the fishermen great hurt and scare.
8. The greatest kind of Whales, which seldom shows itself; it is more like a little island, than a fish. It cannot follow or chase the smaller fishes, by reason of the huge greatness and weight of his body, yet he preys upon many, which he catches by a natural wile and subtlety which he uses for to get his food.
9. Skautuhvalur, this fish altogether full of gristles or bones; is somewhat like a ray or skate but an infinite deal bigger: when it appears, it is like an island, and with his fins overturns ships and boats.
10. Seanaut, sea cows, of colour gray: they sometimes come out of the sea and do feed upon the land many in a company together. They have a little bag hanging at their nose, by the help of which they live in the water: that being broken, they live altogether upon the land, and do accompany themselves with other kind.
11. Steipereidur, a most gentle and tame kind of whale; which for the defence of the fishermen fights against other Whales. It is forbidden by Proclamation that no man may kill or hurt this sort of Whale. It is in length a hundred cubits at the least.
12. Staukul, the Dutchmen call it Springval; he hath been seen to stand a whole day together upright upon his tail. It is so called of leaping or skipping. It is a very dangerous enemy to seamen and fishers; and greedily seeks after man’s flesh.
13. Rostunger, (which also is otherwise called a Rosmar,) is somewhat like a sea-calf: it goeth in the bottom of the sea upon four feet, but very short ones. His skin may scarcely be pierced with any weapon. He sleeps twelve hours together hanging by his two long teeth upon some rock or cliff. Each of his teeth are at the least an ell long, but the length of his whole body is fourteen ells long.
14. Spermaceti, parmacitty, or a base kind of amber, they commonly call it Hualambur.
15. Blocks and Trunks of tree by force of wind and violent tempest blown up by the roots from off the cliffs of Norway, tossed to and fro and passing through many storms at length are cast up, or do rest against this shore.
16. Huge and marvelous great heaps of ice brought hither with the tide from the frozen sea, making a great and terrible noise; some pieces of which oft times are forty cubits big; upon these in some places white bears do fit closely, watching the silly fish which here about do play and sport themselves.

 Flemish by birth, Abraham Ortelius (1527–1598) was so admired for his work that Philip II of Spain conferred upon him the title of “The King’s Cosmographer” in 1575, whereby his access to Spanish maps gave him the means to create a more complete image of the New World than had previously been disseminated. A brilliant thinker, Ortelius offered the very first theory of continental drift, published in Thesaurus Geographicus (1596). Gerardus Mercator and Ortelius were contemporaries and associates, close enough that history records it was through Mercator’s encouragement that Ortelius pursued the creation of his important atlas, first issued in 1570.

Refs.: Phillips, Atlases; van den Broecke, Ortelius Atlas Maps