Antillia

Antilia (Island of the Seven Cities ) is a mythical island to be from the Atlantic Ocean. It is thus one of the so-called phantom islands.

History and Legend

In the 15th century in Europe was a legend about a small island called Antilia, which should be inhabited by a Christian community, is widespread. This probably went back to an older Portuguese tradition from the time of the Moorish conquest of the Iberian Peninsula. It tells of six bishops, under the leadership of the Archbishop of Porto, Portugal from the Moors fleeing 714 or 734 ships left to colonize an island in the West. They founded there seven cities, for each of the bishops a.

For the first time, as far as known, the island of Antilia appears on the Pizzigano map of 1424. Clearly visible is also on the world map of the Dutchman Johannes Ruysch of 1508 west of the Azores and east of the American coast (south-east of Newfoundland ), ie approximately at the location of today's Bermuda.

Localizations and explanations

On the map of Piri Reis of 1513 is in Arabic script an island with ' antilia " refers to the island of Cuba is to the position behind suspected. The location Antilias to have been at about the 31 degree of latitude. According to one version of the origin of the name of the Great and Lesser Antilles this should be a derivation of the name Antilia.

Assumptions about a real existence of Antilia connect them to the Bermudas, as the Azores and the eastern islands of the West Indies including Hispaniola in 1508 are already represented on the Ruysch world map. Other interpretations assume that it actually existed in the Atlantic Islands, which are lost in the course of the earth. As evidence is led, among other things:

• Peaks of undersea mountains, which actually extend to just below the sea surface.
• Freshwater springs on the ocean floor, which are used for example by fishermen from the Azores using sophisticated bucket.
• Observations of volcanic layers at depths up to 3,600 meters, which can only have arisen over water.
• The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is one of the most tectonically active regions of the world.
• Even in historical times allegedly sighted islands that were later nowhere to be found. For example, a group of islands was discovered in 1762 by the ship Aurora. About the Aurora Islands reported until 1892 several sailors. After that, they were never seen again.

Other islands

More mythical or fictional islands of the Atlantic include: Atlantis, Brasil, the Brendaninseln, Isla Granda, the Thompsoninsel and the Chimney Islands.

Secret society

In the 16th century there was in England a secret society " Antilia ", the reforming of education and society devoted himself to prepare for the second coming of Christ. You also belonged to the "Great Intelligencer of Europe" Samuel Hartlib.