Literature and art have long been considered a road map to the human soul, to the history of different societies and cultures through time.  This is also true of the world map, it was a means for people to communicate about much more than the geography of an area.  The old maps of the time of Ptolemy, were also venues to record data, scripture and legends.  This kind of mystery, and of human participation is missed out on in today’s world of Google Maps and Mapquest.  Which is truly a shame.

There were three sections or zones that were depicted by the early map-makers, or the cartographers.  The heavenly world, or the world of God was always superimposed over the three continents.  There was a divine sense to it all, to the experience and to the observations of the world.  When the math of Ptolemy was translated in the fifteenth century to the Latin language this had a great impact and influence on the Renaissance map-makers.

It was during this time that the maps began to reflect the true geography and topography, and began to move away from the the divine.  The maps began to reflect the physical reality of the the planet, the world, globe and skies combined.  Ptolemy knew that the world was a sphere, and he recognized the difficultly in representing this on a one dimensional map.  He worked endlessly to rectify this, but within just one hundred after his death, all of his research was over-looked and forgotten.

Later, these cartographers from the Renaissance period began to adopt his ideas, in the way that they went about “organizing” space.  When the first world explorers headed out from Europe, they used these early versions of his maps, which gave them a perspective on the size of the earth, the framework of the geography, and also the limitations.  The newer maps of the Renaissance cartographers provided some answers, and thus the world was discovered anew.

The Maps of Ptolemy is a post from: The Map Seeker

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In our global society, where travel is jet-powered and information moves at the speed of light, it can be hard to imagine life in any other way. Modern day adventurers, such as Steve Fossett, have broken records to fly around the world, nonstop, in a little over two days. Spending two months on any kind of journey today seems completely outlandish, but there was a time when that was the norm for adventurers.

Each year in October, we celebrate Columbus Day in the USA. We know now that Columbus wasn’t the first man to step on American soil – he didn’t “discover” America – but he was brave enough to endure the unknown to achieve his goals. His determination and resolve to make the journey are perhaps what is most inspiring and worth celebrating today. What better reason would you need to discover some of history’s most fervent explorers?

Around the World – Or Bust!

Ferdinand Magellan was granted ships by the Emperor of Spain for an exhibition to find new routes to the exotic lands rich in spices. If successful, Spain would profit greatly from the new routes. Magellan believed he could find these routes by traveling west and the journey would take his ships and crew around the globe. It is documented as the first time anyone circumnavigated the globe. Tragically, although Magellan is often credited as the first person to travel the globe, he did not live to complete the voyage.

The Dragon Pirate of England

Failure plagued many who tried to replicate the success of Magellan’s world tour. It wasn’t until Sir Francis Drake successfully circumnavigated the globe from 1577 to 1580 that confidence was restored. The sea captain was a privateer sailing for England and tales of his successful tactics earned him the nickname “Draco” (or Dragon) by his Spanish adversaries of the time. Through strength, determination, and a stroke of luck Sir Francis Drake sailed his own route around the world.

The Navigator

Unlike Magellan and Drake before him, Thomas Cavendish set sail with a complete intent to travel across the globe. Cavendish began the landmark journey in 1586. During the voyage, Cavendish encountered numerous enemy ships and successfully seized them as prizes. Taking a cutthroat approach he would burn any loot or ships that he was not able to keep with him. The excursion around the globe made Cavendish both wealthy and famous, but it was not enough for him. He attempted to make a second world tour, but passed on due to unknown causes in the process.

The Top 3 Sailors Who Mapped Our Globe is a post from: The Map Seeker

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