Psalter world map

As London Psalter (English Psalter world map ) refers to a medieval world map, which was found in a Psalter. This mappa mundi is now in the British Library in London.

Especially on this card is the wealth of detail, although it is only about 9.5 cm high. The origination date is to be set in 1260. The author is unknown. Brincken According to Anna- Dorothee von she looks like a small version of the Ebstorfer world map.

General

As a typical mappa mundi, the London Psalter, the geographical and historical knowledge not only represents, but also in a healing context. Jesus himself appears in the east of the map, which means " above ", because the world map of medieval Europe were mostly always faces east, not north oriented. With the right hand, Jesus gives his blessing, in his left hand he holds a small globe, they share the two horizontal lines in the three known continents of Europe, Africa and Asia, where the latter has been traditionally regarded as as great as the other two continents.

Contrary to mistaken belief states otherwise, the medieval science was well aware that the Earth is a sphere, not a flat disc. Maps authors and the unknown author of the London Psalter presented for reasons of expediency is only the part that was accessible to the people. Other continents have been accepted, as they should be necessary for the balance of the earth, but they were not accessible because of the world ocean and the heat around the equator. Thus the known world appears surrounded with islands here than from the ocean.

Center: The Holy Land

The navel of the world, the center of classic mappa mundi, is Jerusalem, so the importance of this city is exposed to the history of salvation. The Holy Land is particularly large and rich in detail reproduced. In the Sea of ​​Galilee to recognize a fish and thus a reference to the occupation of the Apostle Peter.

East: Paradise

In the east of the map, so above, five rivers flowing in paradise. The author namely the four mentioned in the literature rivers added ( including the Tigris ) the Ganges. In paradise, Adam and Eve are seen, separated by a tree.

South of the Paradise ( right) are two trees, the sun and the moon tree mentioned in a story about the Great Alexander.

Northeast

On a mountain, stands next to the armenie, the Noah's Ark is located. To the north (left) you will see a gate, with the Alexander wild tribes has locked up behind a mountain range.

North West: Europe

Europe is relatively well mapped. A large room take the slightly misshapen Italy with Rome, and especially ancient Greece with a grecia and Macedonia, home of Alexander. Mountain ranges provide the the Apennines and the Alps dar. Dalmatia is abundant away from the coast.

Mediterranean Sea and the Nile Delta

In the Mediterranean, Europe and Africa separated from each other, swim some islands. sicilia is out by the label and on the dreieickigen form recognizable, was known for the island. Compared to Sicily is the range of the delta of the Nile.

To the west of the map section ( below) is a city icon with cartago, the destroyed by the Romans.

South: monsters

On some old maps of the world of the fourth continent in the southern hemisphere is indicated in the south with a strip of land. There, the so-called antipode are then located usually represented as monsters. These are on the London Psalter - as in others - as it slipped to the southern edge of Africa.

In the middle of the map section you can see the lettering Egyptus, and the Red Sea ( actually painted red) has a kind of land bridge to the north ( left ) on. The idea of the way through the Red Sea as it is Moses went near.

Behind a Mountain, east (above ) of Egypt, is only known by name Ethiopia, near which the source of the Nile to see - she was discovered by Europeans until the 19th century.