Cartographica Neerlandica Background for Ortelius Map No. 161

Title: ISLANDIA. [Iceland]. (Upper left:) "Priuilegio Imp. et Belgico decennali | A. Ortel. excud. 1585". [Depicted by Abraham Ortelius with an imperial and Belgian privilege for ten years, 1585]. (Cartouche bottom right corner:) ILLVSTRISS. AC POTENTISS. | REGI FREDERICO II DANIAE, | NORVEGIAE, SLAVORVM, GO:|THORVMQVE REGI, ETC. PRIN:|CIPI SVO CLEMENTISSIMO, | ANDREAS VELLEIVS | DESCRIBEB. ET DEDICABAT. [Drawn up and dedicated by Andreas Velleius to the illustrious and powerful Frederick the Second, king of the Danes, Norwegians, Slavs, Goths etc., his most merciful majesty]. (Centre top:) "Hola, altera sedes | episcopalis, cum | schola". [Hola, the other episcopal seat, with a school.] (Centre top:) "Sud eodem tecto | homines, canes, | sues, et oues". [Under the same roof humans, their dogs and sheep find protection.] (Centre:) "Fons cereuisialis, qui ali:|quando ob domini sui | auariti:am sedem mutauit". [A beer-like fountain, which at one time because of the avarice of its lord moved.] (Left centre:) "Hiatus terræ | fœtentes" [Here are terrible crevices in the earth.] (Centre:) "Skalholt sedes | episcopalis, cui | adiuncta est schola". [Skalholt, an episcopal seat, to which a school is connected.] (Centre right:) "Equorum | tanta hic | velocitas, vt | continuo cur:|su 20. milli:|aria con:|ficiant". [The speed of the horses here is such, that in their gallop they can cover 20 miles per hour.] (Centre right:) Hekla "perpetuis | damnata æstib. et ni:|uib. horrendo boatu | lapides evomit" [The Hekla, perpetually condemned to storms and snow, vomits stones under terrible noise.] (Lower centre:) "Fontes ferui:|dißini [Boiling hot springs.] "Fons commutans la:|nas nigras in | albas". [A spring which turns black wool into white wool.] "Fons commutans | lanas albas in | nigras" [A spring which turns white wool into black wool.] (Centre right:) "His notis distinguitur limes inter vtramque diocesim". [By this line the border between the two dioceses is indicated.] "Fodinæ sulphuræ | præstantißimæ". [Excellent sulphur mines.] "Vaccæ marinæ". [Sea cows.] "Corui, et falcones albi". [White crows and falcons.] "In hoc lacu est anguis | insolitæ magnitudinis, no:|xius incolis. apparet cum | memorabiles ingruunt mutationes". [In this lake there is a snake of unusual size, harmful to the inhabitants, appearing in memorable different shapes.] (Lower right:) "Astuta vulpe:|cularum vena:|tio, in nidis volu:|crum inuestigandis | atque diripiendis". [Here is clever hunting by foxes, that inspect birds nests and destroy them.]

Plate size: 341 x 497 mm
Scale: 1 : 1,700,000
Identification number: Ort 161 (Koeman/Meurer: 121, Karrow: 1/172, van der Krogt AN: 1250:31)

Occurrence in Theatrum editions and page number:

some 1587F103 (100 copies printed) (no text features known),
1590L4Addblank (100 copies printed) (identical in text and typesetting to 1592L but here without page number; last line, right aligned, in cursive script: "moles"; penultimate line, italic: "torum cymbas construunt. Pro his contra exportant Islandicum pannum, (vulgò VVatman) ingentes sulphuris effosi"; last line second text page: terra: KLOSTER, claustrum, monasterium: AUST, Oriens: WEST, Occidens: NORD, Septemtrio: SUYD, Meridies.),
1591G4Addblank (75 copies printed) (last line, left aligned, in Gothic script: dessen stucken ubersteigen offtmals die lenge viertzig ellen/darauf dieweysse beeren/umb fisch zue fangen sich setzen/etc.),
1592L98 (525 copies printed) (identical in text and typesetting to 1590L4Add but here with page number 98; last line, right aligned, in cursive script: "moles"; penultimate line, italic: "torum cymbas construunt. Pro his contra exportant Islandicum pannum, (vulgò VVatman) ingentes sulphuris effosi"; last line second text page: terra: KLOSTER, claustrum, monasterium: AUST, Oriens: WEST, Occidens: NORD, Septemtrio: SUYD, Meridies.) (Ruderman (2008) reports a copy without page number.),
1595L103 (500 copies printed) (last line, right aligned: his; penultinate line: team,cultros,calceos,mulierum vittas & pepla,pilcos,& ligna ex quibus ædes&piscatorum cymbas construunt. Pro ; last line second text page, centred: [normal script:]terra: [Gothic script:] kloster/[normal script:]claustrum: [Gothic script:] Aust/[normal script:] Oriens: [Gothic script:] West/ [normal script:] Occidens: [Gothic script:] Nord, [normal script] Septentrio: [Gothic script:] Suyd, [normal script:] Meridies.),
1598F103 or 104 (525 copies printed) (last line first text page, right aligned: quefois; one but last line, full width: vne montaigne appellee Hecla,soubs laquelle est vn feu qui brusle tousiours,mais la flamme ne se monstre sinon quel-),
1598/1610/1613D72 (100 copies printed) (last line, first text page, in Gothic script, centred like 6 lines above it: zijn belieuen. ; last line second page, centred: Leckt Hecla 'tfirmament met haer peckighe vlammen.),
1601L103 (200 copies printed) (last line first text page, right aligned: his ; one but last line: genteam,cultros,calceos, mulierum vittas & pepla,pileos,& ligna ex quibus ædes & piscatorum cymbas construunt. Pro ; last line second text page, [Gothic script:] ster/[normal script:]claustrum: [Gothic script:] Aust/[normal script:] Oriens: [Gothic script:] West/ [normal script:] Occidens: [Gothic script:] Nord/[normal script] Septentrio: [Gothic script:]Suyd/ [normal script:] Meridies: [Gothic script:] Fior/[normal script:] quator significat.),
1602G106 (250 copies printed) (last line, left aligned, in Gothic script like the entire text: weisse Beeren/vmb fisch zu fangen sich setzen/&c.),
1602S106 (250 copies printed) (last line first text page, right aligned: de las; last line second text page, Gothic script in front of slash: Suyd/Meridie: Fior/quiere dezir Quatro.),
1603L106 (300 copies printed) (text, but not page number and typesetting, identical to 1609/1612L; last line, right aligned, first text page: Islandi-; last line, left aligned, second text page: "Fior",/quatuor significat.),
1606E103 (300 copies printed) (one but last line, first text page, full width: Out of the East and North part of the iland, where there is great plenty of grasse,they transport into other countries,Mutton and Beefe,butter and/sometime),
1608/1612I115 (300 copies printed) (last line first text page, right aligned: melata, ; last line second text page, left aligned: "Suyd", Mezo di: "Fior", significa quattro.),
1609L/1612L116 (300 copies printed) (text, but not page number and typesetting, identical to 1603L; last line, right aligned, first text page: Islandi-; last line, left aligned, second text page: "Fior", quatuor significat.),
1609/1612/1641S116 (325 copies printed) (last line first text page, righ aligned: truenos, ; last line second text page, leftish centred: ra, monesterio: "aust", Orient: "VVest", Occidente: "Nord", Septentrion: "Suyd", Meridie: "Fior", quiere dezir quatro.).

Approximate number of copies printed: 4150.

States: 161.0 pre-print version without key letters for monster, of dubious existence, see below under remarks.
161.1: with key letters for monsters.

Cartographic sources: bishop Gudbrandur Thorlaksson (1542-1627) provided cartographic data to Anders Sörensen Vedel (1542-1616), sent to Ortelius, possibly via Heinrich von Ranzau (Meurer p. 260-261). Brandmair states that Vedel based himself directly on the Icelandic bishop Gudbrand.

Remarks: J. Boisseau in his Théâtre Géographique (1648) produced a close copy of this map, with a description rather than a dedication in the lower right. Christie's London reports in its catalogue (11 Nov. 1992) an early state without key letters for the sea monsters, and a description rather than a dedication at the lower right which may or may not refer to this map.

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