The Hereford World Map is the world’s oldest surviving map of the world; it was made in 1300, during the beginning of the Renaissance in Europe. There was a wider range of influences on mapping during the later medieval period. With an increase in exploration, Europe began to evolve into an international continent; widespread travel can be seen by the influences of the Islamic world on architecture. While map making in China had flourished in the 11th C, mapping was beginning to evolve in Europe. By around 1400 there was a peak in map making in Europe. There is evidence of the influence of Roman mapping on medieval maps in Europe. The Medieval world maps but together information from Roman sources to make the world maps in the middle ages known as the mappa mundi, meaning cloth of the world. These were cloth maps, and the name mappa mundi was widely used for them. These world maps were understood by historians as an attempt to show where countries were located, quite often they were not just geographical representations but they were also stories of the world. As knowledge of map making increased during the Renaissance, was a move for wider representations of information on maps. The map became a source of information on the animals and history of the different countries. This can be seen in The Hereford World Map, a map that gives a geometrical representation of the locations of the known countries of the world and also acted as an encyclopaedia of information on various types of animals and where in the world they came from.
The Hereford World Map was once looked down on as being “inaccurate” and a “monstrosity” but today it is regarded as “a work of art embodying many aspects of religious and secular life in the Mid...
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...rent to modern scientific maps; it drew on a number of sources mentioned above, such as art, the writings of Pliny, the influence of Roman mapping, and the beliefs and superstitions of the medieval world. The Map is an insight into medieval world, and acts as an encyclopaedia charting different historical events within. The Hereford Map is also an art work demonstrating that a map is not just a geographical representation of an area but that it can give a huge amount of historical insight
Works Cited
1. G.R. Crone, 1965, “New Light on the Hereford Map”, The Geographical Journal, Vol. 131, No. 4 (Dec., 1965), The Royal Geographical Society (The Institute of British Geographers), URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1792714.
2. The Beauty of Maps, (2010- ), BBC series, Part 1, Medieval Maps: Mapping the Medieval Mind.
3. Class notes from The History of Cartography.
Now that we’ve made our way through the journey of Ken Jennings’ incredible book I feel as if it’s important for me to try to sway you to become more involved in geography. It’s a truly fascinating subject and can take you places you never thought you could ever visit. If you don’t want to leave your home, at least buy an atlas, map, or visit Google Earth. You never know what you could discover in your journey. If you don’t think maps or an atlas is your thing, you never know if you never try. Jennings created a journey, for me I would have never cared to take had it not been assigned as a college class assignment, but now I’m so glad I did. Jennings shined a different light on geocaching, and map hunting. He made it fun, interesting, and overall thrilling.
Matthew, Donald , ‘Durham and the Anglo-Norman world’ Rollason David, Harvey Margaret and Prestwich Michael ‘Anglo-Norman Durham 1093-1193’, (Boydell 1994) pp1-25
Until the 1950s, Atlases were mostly comprised of maps that simply show space and place. However in 1953, the World Geo-Graphic Atlas, published by Walter Paepcke’s Container Corporation of America (CCA) with Herbert Bayer, changed people’s notion of what maps look like and what information they contain. Bayer believed, that maps were “a record of time and perhaps even a tool of prognostication.” By the use of Isotypes (International System of Typographic Picture Education), Bayer created an atlas that is universal, therefore allowed viewers to understand complex data more clearly and easily.
Burns, William E."Britain in the Late Middle Ages, 1272–1529." A Brief History of Great Britain, Brief History. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2010. Modern World History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?
become complex and variegated” because there existed a “global” aspect in Europe. Rubin thinks that it is important to realize that Europe was not regionally isolated during that period. “Medieval Europeans were travelers” and when they returned home they shared their “tales, experience and expertise.” This vast travel was possible because there was a “modicum of safety... on the road and in public spaces.” It is from within this milieu that missionaries were able to travel and so “the figure of Mary accompanied [them and their] initiatives of reform and renewal.” Because of these insights, Rubin thinks that “historians of medieval Europe may [need] to develop a practice that is
"The Experiences of Life in Early Modern Europe, 1500-1650." Civilization in the West. Pearson Education, 1995-2010. Web. 29 Apr. 2014. .
Near the Normandy coast of northern France, the village of Bayeux houses a remarkable treasure. The Bayeux Tapestry may be found in its own museum in the former Great Seminary of Bayeux. Also known as the Tapestry of Queen Matilda or the Cloth of the Conquest. This tapestry is unusual. Because it is a very long, narrow strip of linen measuring 70 meters by 50 centimeters. Or about 220 feet long. And only 20 inches tall. The tapestry is actually an embroidery of William the Conqueror's invasion and conquest of England in 1066. It consists of 51 scenes with over 1,500 figures. Including warriors, horses, other animals, ships, castles, weapons, and other objects. Latin words are embroidered on the scenes. To explain what is taking place at each
Michael Pierre, Martha Prosper. The Human Story: Europe in the Middle Ages. New Jersey: Silver Burdett Press Inc., 1988.
words that help capture what is medieval art. The artists behind these pieces of artwork
“In the middle ages, Europe knew less about the earth than did some of the ancients, for the commercial decline of Rome brought about the contraction of geographical knowledge.” [Pohl 6]. During this time period, men began to disregard authority and learned to rely directly on their own investigations. This is the seed that brought about men like Columbus and Vespucci. The period of the Renaissance is the fertile ground that brought about changes in the world of inquiry and scientific achievement in Europe. “This new spirit of inquiry received its chief impetus from the invention of the printing press whose importance outweighed even the greatest political event of the time.”[Pohl 9]. Printing led to the overthrow of authority and allowed the men of the period to come into immediate contact with each ...
‘Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire’, written by J.K. Rowling, is an excellent example of a modern novel that uses medieval influences extensively. Many of the novel’s characters are based on medieval ideas and superstitions. The settings in the book resemble old medieval towns as well as castles. The book is also full of medieval imagery such as knights in armour, carriages etc. Whilst there is no time travel involved in the novel, the medieval period is used to such an effect that the reader is encouraged to ignore the fact that the book is set in the present.
York: Facts on File, Inc., 2005. Ancient and Medieval History Online. Facts on File, Inc.
...reader, “the space on which all the quotations that make up a writing are inscribed without any of them being lost” (1325), should discover the meaning of the text for themselves by playing with the work.
The Medieval time period was an important era for the growth of culture throughout the entire world. We owe many innovations used in design, architecture and overall style to the works of the many artists that flourished in the middle ages. Each of the four periods of development were unique to one another, yet followed an overlying religious theme that defined the medieval times. The advancements made during that time were able to influence to the 800 years of art that lead up to present day, and still remain visually and architecturally beautiful.
Rice, Eugene E. and Anthony Grafton. The Foundations of Early Modern Europe, 1460-1559. 2nd. ed. New York: W. W. Norton and Co., 1994.