Cartographica Neerlandica Background for Ortelius Map No. 175

Title: PRESBITERI | IOHANNIS, SI:|VE, ABISSINO:|RVM IMPERII | DESCRIPTIO. [A representation of [the country of] Prester John, or the Empire of the Abessinians]. (Frame in upper left with 17 lines of text:) "Titulus Insignia Presbiteri Ioîs” | DAVID SVPREMVS MEORVM REGORVM, A | DEO VNICE DILECTVS, COLVMNA FIDEI, | ORTVS EX STIRPE IVDA, FILIVS DAVID, | FILIVS SALOMONIS, FILIVS COLVMNAE | SIONIS, FILIVS EX SEMINE IACOB, FILIVS | MANVS MARIAE,FILIVS NAHV SECVNDÛ | CARNEM,FILIVS SANCTORVM PETRI ET | PAVLI SECVNDVM GRATIAM;IMPERATOR | SVPERIORIS ET MAIORIS AETHIOPIAE,ET | AMPLISSIMORVM REGNORVM IVRISDIC:|TIONVM ET TERRARVM;REX GOAE,CAFFA:|TES,FATIGAR,ANGOTAE,BARV,BALIGVANZAE, | ADEAE,VANGVAE,GOIAMAE, VBI NILI FONTES, | AMARAE,BANGVAMEDRI,AMBEAE,VANGVCI, | TIGREMAHON,SABAIM PATRIAE REGINAE SA:|BAE,BARNAGASSI;ET DOMINVS VSQVE IN NV:|BIAM QVAE IN AEGYPTVM EXTENDITVR. [Honorary title of Prester John/King David is the highest of my Kings. [I, Presbyterius Ioannes], specially chosen by God, pillar of faith, born from the tribe of Judah, son of David, son of Salomo, son of the pillar of Zion, son from the seed of Jacob, son of the hand of Maria, son of Nahum's flesh, son of the holy Peter and Paul in mercy, emperor of upper and great Æthiopia, and of the legal grounds and countries of the most elevated kingdoms; king of Goa, Caffates, Fatigar, Angota, Baru, Balinguanza, Adea, Vangua, Goiama where the Nile has its sources, of Amara, Banguamedrum, Ambea, Vangucum, Tigremahon, of Saba, homeland of the Queen of Saba, of Barnagassum and Lord of all of Namibia, extending all the way to Egypt]. (Middle left:) "Insula S. Thomæ, Sacca:|ro ditiß. quod inde no:|men habet". [The isle of Saint Thomas is very rich in sugar, after which it has hence been named.] (Left centre:) "Hic Niger | fluuius se sub:|ter terram condens, | post 60. milliaria de:|nuo in lacum emergit". [Here the river Niger disappears underground, and after 60 miles finally emerges in the lake.] (Left centre:) "Reg. Damute. hic | effoditur aurum in | magna copia". [The kingdom of Damute. Here gold is mined in great quantities]. (Centre:) NVBIA "Regnum | olim Christianum, hodie | vero nullã fere religionem | colunt. Regio est auro di:|tiß. atque ebore: Sac:|cari & fru:|menti | feracis:|sima, Precipua | vrbs est Dangala, cuius inco:|læ sunt ditißimi, & cum | Aegypti mercatorib. nego:|ciantur: in ea maxima | Sandali & zibetti copia; | domus sunt cretaceæ, | stramineisque | tectis". [Nubia was once a Christian kingdom, but now they do not apply themselves to religion at all. The region is very rich in gold and ivory, and yields sugar and fruits in great abundance. Its main city is Dangala, whose inhabitants are very wealthy and they trade with Egyptian merchants. Here they make many shoes and bags. Their houses are covered with chalk and straw.] (Centre:) "Bagamidri | hic argenti | fodinæ sunt". [Bagamidri. Here are silver mines.] (Lower centre:) "Amara mons, hic Presbiteri | Iohannis filij in custodia à | præsidijs detinetur". [Mount Amara, Here the sons of Prester John were held captive by rulers.] (Lower left centre:) "Cafates. hic | Amasones | habitare dicût". [Cafates. Here they say that the Amazones live.] (Lower left:) "Zaire | lacus. | Tritones et | syrenes in hoc | lacu sunt". [Lake Zaire. In this lake are sea gods and sirens.] (Bottom centre:) "Lunæ montes, hinc Austrum versus Africa veterib. incognita fuit". [The Mountains of the Moon. From here southwards Africa was unknown to the ancients]. (Upper right:) "Medina Talnabi, vbi Mahumetis | sepulcrum magna frequentia visitur". [Medina Talnabi, where the grave of Mohammed is visited by multitudes]. (Upper right:) "Mechia, patria | Mahumetis." [Mecca, the native town of Mohammed.] (Upper right:) "Ex Arabia Felice Thus ad | nos defertur; quod hic, & | non alibi nascitur. Incolæ sua | lingua Louan vocant". [From Arabia Felix they bring incense which grows here and nowhere else. The inhabitants in their language call it Lovan.] (Middle right:) "Zocotera insula; quæ olim Dioscoriada | Hinc optima aloe, que inde Zocotori:|na appellatur, ad nos vehitur. Incolæ | eam Catecomar vocant Turci, Persæ et | Arabes Cebar; Hispani Acebar; et Lu:|sitani Azeure nominant; vti author | est Garcias ab Horto in sua aro:|matum historia". [The isle of Zocotra, once called Dioscoriada. From here they export to us excellent aloe, which for this reason is called Zocotorina. The inhabitants call it Catecomar, the Turks, Persians and Arabs call it Cebar, the Spanish Acebar, and the Portuguese call it Azeure, according to Garcias ab Horto in his History of Spices].

Plate size: 375 x 435 mm
Scale: 1 : 15,000,000
Identification number: Ort 175 (Koeman/Meurer: 69, Karrow: 1/105, vdKrogt: 8730:31)

Occurrence in Theatrum editions and page number:
1571D1Add/1573D52.A. (150 copies printed) (last line, in Gothic script, centred like 9 lines above it: in zijn uniuersale caerte.),
1573G1Add/1573G52.A. (150 copies printed) (last line, centred like 4 lines above it: catorem in seiner vniversal oder gemein Landtaffel.),
1573L1Add52.A. (100 copies printed) (identical to 1573L version A, but with different page number; last line, centred: bum Nauarchum in sua epistola Asiatica, & Gerardum Mercatorem in sua vniuersali tabula.),
1573L(A)68 (40 copies printed) (version A is identical to 1573L1Add, but with different page number; 14th line from the bottom ends with: Alua- ; last line, centred: bum Nauarchum in sua epistola Asiatica, & Gerardum Mercatorem in sua vniuersali tabula.),
1573L(B)68 (40 copies printed) (14th line from the bottom ends with : Al- ; last line, centred: bum Nauarchum in sua epistola Asiatica, & Gerardum Mercatorem in sua vniuersali tabula.),
1574F1Add/1574F52.A. (125 copies printed) (last line, centred like 2 lines above it: Gerard Mercator en sa Carte Vniverselle.),
1574L68 (175 copies printed) (large page number, 11 mm; last line, non-italic, centred: bum Nauarchum in sua epistola Asiatica,& Gerardum Mercatorê in sua vniversali tabula.),
1575L68 or 69 (100 copies printed) (small page number, 7 mm; last line, italic like the entire text, centred like the line above it: "Asiatica,& Gerardum Mercatorem in sua vniversali tabula". ; another variant: non-italic like the entire text, large page number, last line, centred: bum Nauarchum in sua epistola Asiatica,& Gerardum Mercatorê in sua vniversali tabula.),
1579L(A)89 (250 copies printed) (last line, centred: bum Nauarchum in sua epistola Asiatica,& Gerardum Mercatorem in sua vniversali tabula.),
1579L(B)89 (250 copies printed) (last line, in cursive script as is the entire text, left aligned: "bum Nauarchum in sua epistola Asiatica,& Gerardum Mercatorem in sua vniversali tabula".),
1580/1589G89 (350 copies printed) (last line, left aligned, partly in Gothic script: "hardum Mercatorem"/in seiner general Tafel.),
1581F89 A. (400 copies printed) (last line, left aligned: il s'est retiré en Afriq, voyez Iaques Nauarche en son epitre Asiatique, & Gerard Mercator en sa Carte Universelle.),
1584L99 (750 copies printed) (last line, left aligned, in italic script like the entire text: "bum Nauarchum in sua epistola Asiatica,& Gerardum Mercatorem in sua vniversali tabula."),
1587F99 (250 copies printed) (last line, left aligned: sa Carte Vniverselle.),
1588S99 (300 copies printed) (last line, left aligned: ca,hallaras en Iacob Nauarcho en su Epistola Asiatica;y en la tabla vniversal de Gerardo Mercator.),
1592L107 (525 copies printed) (last line, left aligned, in cursive script like the entire text: "bum Nauarchum in sua epistola Asiatica, & Gerardum Mercatorem in sua vniversali Tabula".),
1595L113 (500 copies printed) (3rd line from the bottom ends: qua ; last line, left aligned: Vide Iacob, Nauarchum in sua epistola Asiatica,& Gerard. Mercatorem in sua vniversali Tabula.),
1598F114 (525 copies printed) (last line, left aligned: son epistre Asiatique,& Gerard Mercator en sa Carte Vniverselle.),
1598/1610/1613D82 (100 copies printed) (last line, in Gothic script except for the name, centred like 5 lines above it: "catorem" in zijn universale Caerte.),
1601L113 (200 copies printed) (3rd line from the bottom ends: ra- ; last line, left aligned: vide Iacob.Nauarchum in sua epistola Asiatica,& Gerard.Mercatorem in sua vniversali Tabula.),
1602G116 (250 copies printed) (last line, left aligned, in Gothic script like the entire text: seiner general Tafel.),
1602S116. (250 copies printed) (last line, left aligned: ca,hallaras en Iacob Nauarcho en su Epistola Asiatica; y en la tabla vniuersal de Gerardo Mercator.),
1603L116 (300 copies printed) (text, but not typesetting and page number, identical to 1609/1612L; last line, left aligned: vide Iacob. Nauarchum in sua epistola Asiatica, & Gerard.Mercatorem in sua vniversali Tabula.),
1606E113 (300 copies printed) (last line, left aligned: "Africa", read "Iohn Nauarchus" in his "Epistola Asiatica", and "Gerard Mercator" in his Vniversall Mappe.),
1608/1612I125 (300 copies printed) (last line, left aligned: gansi Iacopo Nauarco nella sua lettera dell'Asia, & Gherardo Mercatore nelle sua tauola vniversale.),
1609/1612L126 (300 copies printed) (text, but not typesetting and page number, identical to 1603L; last line, left aligned: vide Iacob. Nauarchum in sua epistola Asiatica, & Gerard Mercatorem in sua vniversali Tabula.),
1609/1612/1641S126 (325 copies printed) (last line, left aligned: ca, hallaras en Iacob Nauarcho en su Epistola Asiatica; y en la tabla vniversal de Gerardo Mercator.).

Approximate number of copies printed: 7300.

States: 175.1 as described.
175.2: from 1587 onwards, all coastline hatching is extended from about 3 to about 6 mm. The ship in the lower left corner has a vessel attached to its mast. In the first state this vessel has vertical hatching. Now, this is changed to horizontal hatching. The frame around the map first had curved oval hatching around its oval ornaments. Now, these ornamental curves have been changed to straight lines running in the direction of the frame itself.
Note that since the sea was not re-engraved, the waves fade away and becomes fainter progressively in later editions, until the sea is almost without engraving.

Cartographic sources: Ortelius designed this map himself, using geographical information from Gastaldi's 1564 eight-sheet wall map of Africa, and introduced texts in it from [partly] unknown sources (Meurer p. 151).

References: W. Bodenstein "Ortelius' Maps of Africa", p. 185-208 in: Van den Broecke, van der Krogt and Meurer (eds.) "Abraham Ortelius and the First Atlas", HES Publishers, 1998.

Remarks: Priest John is a mythical king with a long cartographic history, who was supposed to provide a stronghold against the Barbarians, and to be an ally for crusaders. His kingdom was originally surmised to have been located in India (for instance by Waldseemüller in 1507), but was later placed in Africa (Gemma Frisius-Ptolemæus 1522).

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