Cartographer Olaus Magnus created the Carta Marina while staying in Rome, between the years 1527 and 1539. However, Magnus was originally from Sweden, and chose to depict the Nordic countries in his map. The Carta Marina was one of the most precise depictions of any part of Europe at the time—although its portrayal of the oceans was not quite as accurate.
The northern seas on the map are filled to the brim with all kinds of aquatic monsters. Some maps of the era depicted dragons to metaphorically indicate uncertainties or dangers in a region. But the Carta Marina’s mythological sea creatures were thought to really exist at the time Magnus drew them. He even identified each creature in the map’s key. You can take a closer look at some of them below.
Source: Atlas Obscura
Source: Atlas Obscura
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