Mappa mundi
A mappa mundi is any medieval European map of the world. Such maps range in size and complexity from simple schematic maps or less across to elaborate wall maps, the largest of which was in diameter. The term derives from the Medieval Latin words mappa and mundi.
Approximately 1,100 mappae mundi are known to have survived from the Middle Ages. Of these some 900 are found illustrating manuscripts and the remainder exist as stand-alone documents.
Types of ''mappae mundi''
Extant mappae mundi come in several distinct varieties, including:- Zonal or Macrobian maps
- Tripartite or "T-O" maps
- Quadripartite maps
- complex maps
Zonal maps
Zonal maps are pictures of the East Hemisphere. Their purpose was to illustrate the concept that the world is a sphere with five climate zones:- The northern frigid zone
- the northern temperate zone
- the equatorial tropical zone
- the southern temperate zone
- the southern frigid zone
Tripartite or T-O maps
, unlike zonal maps, illustrate only the habitable portion of the world known in Roman and medieval times. The landmass was illustrated as a circle divided into three portions by a "T". These three divisions were the continents of Asia, Africa and Europe. The popularity of the Macrobian maps and the combination of T-O style continents on some of the larger Macrobian spheres illustrate that Earth's sphericity continued to be understood among scholars during the Middle Ages.Quadripartite or Beatus maps
Quadripartite maps represent a sort of amalgam of the zonal and T-O maps by illustrating the three known continents separated by an equatorial ocean from a fourth unknown land, often called Antipodes. Fourteen large quadripartite maps are found illustrating different manuscripts of Beatus of Liébana's popular Commentary on the Apocalypse of St John. These "Beatus maps" are believed to derive from a single original which was used to illustrate the missions of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ.Complex maps
The "complex" or "great" world maps are the most famous mappae mundi. Although most employ a modified T-O scheme, they are considerably more detailed than their smaller T-O cousins. These maps show coastal details, mountains, rivers, cities, towns and provinces. Some include figures and stories from history, the Bible and classical mythology. Also shown on some maps are exotic plants, beasts and races known to medieval scholars only through Roman and Greek texts. Prior to its destruction in World War II, the Ebstorf map at across was the largest surviving mappa mundi. Today that honour is held by the surviving centre portion of the Hereford map which is 147 cm across and 175 cm top to bottom. Other important maps in this group are the Cotton or Anglo-Saxon map, the Psalter map and the Henry of Mainz map. The somewhat later mappae mundi that accompany the popular Polychronicon of Ranulf Higden should probably be viewed as degenerate forms of the earlier complex maps.Complex mappae mundi include:
| Name | Date | MS locations | Dimensions |
| The Albi or Merovingian map | c. 730 | Médiathèque Pierre-Amalric, Albi | |
| The so-called Vatican map of Isidore of Seville | 776 | B.A. V. Lat. 6018, fol. 64 v.–65 r. | |
| The Anglo-Saxon or Cotton map | c. 1025–1050 | British Library, Cotton Tiberius B.v, fol. 56v | |
| The map of Theodulf of Orleans | 11th century | B.A.V., Reg. Lat. 123, fol. 143 v.–144 r. | |
| The Sawley map | 1190-1210 | Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, MS 66, pt. 1 | |
| The Vercelli Map | c. 1219 | ||
| The Ebstorf map | c. 1235 | ||
| The Psalter map | 13th century | ||
| The Hereford map | c. 1300 | ||
| The Borgia Map | early 15th century | ||
| The Fra Mauro map | 1459–60 |
Purpose of ''mappae mundi''
To modern eyes, mappae mundi can look superficially primitive and inaccurate. However, mappae mundi were never meant to be used as navigational charts and they make no pretence of showing the relative areas of land and water. Rather, mappae mundi were schematic and were meant to illustrate different principles. The simplest mappae mundi were diagrams meant to preserve and illustrate classical learning easily. The zonal maps should be viewed as a kind of teaching aid—easily reproduced and designed to reinforce the idea of the Earth's sphericity and climate zones. T-O maps were designed to schematically illustrate the three land masses of the world as it was known to the Romans and their medieval European heirs.The larger mappae mundi have the space and detail to illustrate further concepts, such as the cardinal directions, distant lands, Bible stories, history, mythology, flora, fauna and exotic races. In their fullest form, such as the Ebstorf and Hereford maps, they become minor encyclopedias of medieval knowledge.
, about 1235.
In her study, Brigitte Englisch shows that the medieval world maps both from their concept and in their concrete practice are founded on a systematically geometric projection of the known world. The basis of this projection, however, is not geographical surveying but the harmonious order of God’s creation. Using regular geometric forms like circles and triangles which are also regarded as religiously perfect, they created a coherent planispheric system. This quite basically presents the known world in its real geographic appearance which is visible in the so-called Vatican Map of Isidor, the world maps of Beatus of Liebana’s Commentary on the Apocalypse of St John'', the Anglo-Saxon Map, the Sawley map, the Psalter map, or the large mappae mundi of the 13th century.