New Light on the Hereford Map

Datos Bibliográficos

ID5287005
AutoresG R Crone (autor de correspondencia)
Año1965
Volumen131
Número4
Páginas447
Fecha de publicación1965-12-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessNo
TipoARTICLE
RevistaGeographical Journal (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0016-7398 • E-ISSN: 1475-4959
EditorialJSTOR (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.2307/1792714
OpenAlexW2334199402
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas10

The mappa mundi in Hereford Cathedral has periodically attracted the attention of scholars since the occasion, 135 years ago, when it was discussed at the first meeting of the Royal Geographical Society. It has always been recognized that as a work of art embodying many aspects of religious and secular life in the Middle Ages it is of great interest and value. Its true worth as a cartographic monument, however, has only gained recognition gradually. Opinions of its interest as a map indeed have not been very high, if we except the work of the German scholar, K. Miller, at the turn of the last century. At first, terms such as 'curious' and 'grotesque' were applied to it. Even as acute a scholar as the late Sir Cyril Beazley could write of the 'monstrosities of Hereford and Ebstorf', and of their 'complete futility'. Regarding the names: Phillot found it difficult to account for the choice, and remarked that 'the general impression . . . is one of inaccuracy, carelessness and ignorance', and Edward Lynam, though generally more sympathetic, regards the topography as 'comically misshapen'. A. R. Hinks dismissed it rather summarily, calling it a diagram rather than a map, with 'places more or less in correct relation to their neighbours, but entirely out of scale, and no attempt at correct outline even in the Mediterranean, where the portolans are so accurate'. In a recent publication from Hereford, the writer describes the religious signi? ficance of the mappa mundi at some length, but dismisses its geographical value as negligible. This latter criticism partly arises from the fact that he apparently regards the map as the work solely of the early fourteenth century (Moir, 1964). In recent years there has been a change of attitude. This has resulted from the destruction of the only medieval world map to rival it in size and importance?the Ebstorf Map of c. 1240, which drew attention to the uniqueness of the survivor. Then in connection with the international bibliography of early maps before 1500, much work has recently been done in this field, and the important place which the Hereford Map occupies in medieval cartography has come to be recognized (Destombes, 1964). This paper is an attempt to extract all the information in regard to its compilation and history which the map can yield, and to demonstrate some of the conclusions which can be drawn from it. It has grown out of the monograph which accompanied the Society's collotype reproduction, very nearly full scale, published in 1953, and began largely as an attempt to determine why these particular townnames are found on the map. I deal first with some of the elements in the framework, outside the map proper. The most conspicuous feature is the very fine representation of the Last Judge? ment which surmounts the whole (Plate Ia). This theme is a late medieval develop? ment, and was popular especially in carvings in stone, of which there are numerous examples, e.g. at Rheims and V^zelay. I have not, however, been able to trace the 16

Geography · Geology · Historical Studies of British Isles