Ubi sunt "Hic sunt dracones"?

Let's Answer Some Questions! Q&A

 

 I. What does ”Hic sunt dracones” means?

  "Hic sunt dracones" is a latin phrase (translated as 'here are dragons') that means dangerous or unexplored territories, in imitation of a supposed medieval practice of putting dragons, sea serpents and other mythological creatures in uncharted areas of maps. Personally, I believe it was used as a warning sign to prevent explorers from venturing beyond the known world or as an off-limits sign.

 

II. How and when did the notion that old maps commonly bore the phrase "here be dragons" become established in popular belief?  

   Did a Shakespeare or a Byron put it into circulation?  It must at least pre-date the publication of Dorothy L. Sayers' short story "The Learned Adventure of the Dragon's Head" in Lord Peter Views the Body (London: Gollancz, 1928), in which a character refers to having seen "hic dracones" on an old map [spotted by both Andrew S. Cook and Benjamin Darius Weiss].  Does it pre-date the publication of the text of the LenoxGlobe in 1879?  Why dragons, and not one of the other terrifying creatures depicted on old maps?  We don't know.
    But I know that this legenday phrase gained attention from The Lenox Globe (1510) and that it might have been related to the Komodo dragons in the Indonesian islands, tales of which were quite common throughout East Asia. This phrase wasn't common on maps, contrary to the popular belief. Still, it wasn't rare for terrifying and amazing beasts to be mentioned or depicted on a map, of course for various reasons.
  Examples: The Carta Marina by Olaus Magnus (1490-1557), The Ebstorf Map, Ptolemy's world map.

III. How does this relate to fictional geography?

   Well, dragons are mythical creatures and fictional geography is the use of maps, text and imagery to create lands and territories to accompany works of fiction. I like to relate those two terms.

IV. In the end, what do you what to accomplish with this blog?

   I have a passion for cartography, so I want to showcase fictional maps. I believe that creating maps unshackled by reality, limited just by imagination, can produce fascinating results. Those maps have no boundaries, just art at its finest.