Just a short Sunday post. Back in 1922 the American Geographic Society published the book Brasil and the Legendary Islands of the North Atlantic by William H. Babcock.
Babcock gives a sound, scientific view on each of these mythical islands, from Atlantis to St. Brendan's, and Brasil to Antilla, and the Seven-Cities Island.
Mayda
The island of Mayda, is a new one for me, and is, according to Babcock, very likely an early reference to America:
"Perhaps Nicolay and Zaltieri were right in thinking that Mayda was America, or at least was on the side of the Atlantic toward America. The latitude generally chosen by the maps would then call for Avalon Peninsula, Newfoundland, often supposed to be insular in early days; or perhaps for Cape Breton Island, the next salient land feature. But that is an uncertain reliance, for the observations of pre-Columbian navigators would surely be rather haphazard, and they might naturally judge by similarity of climate. This would justify them in supposing that a region really more southerly lay in the latitude of northern France — for example Cape Cod, which juts out conspicuously and is curved and almost insular. Or by going farther south, although nearer Europe, they might thus indicate the Bermudas, the main island of which is given a crescent form on several relatively late maps. But we must not lay too much stress on this last item, for divers other map islands were modeled on this plan. We may be justified, then, in saying that Mayda was probably west of the middle of the Atlantic and that Bermuda, Cape Cod, or Cape Breton is as likely a candidate for identification as we can name."
The book mentions Greenland and Markland, reported by the Vikings (who settled the first and visited the second, possibly New England), and the mysterious islands of Estotiland, Frisland, Icaria, and Drogio reported by the Zeno brothers. And also the coins and statue found on Corvo Island in the Azores. The final chapter is devoted to other vanished islands like Buss, Stokafixa, Grocland, Helluland, Daculi, Bra, Saintly Islands, and Islands of Demons.
Antilla
Interestingly, Babcock supports the idea that Antilla was actually the West Indies and America: "Antillia is Cuba; Reylla, Jamaica; Salvagio, or Satanaxio, Florida; I in Mar, one or more of the Bahamas. Early in the fifteenth century some Iberian navigator, probably Portuguese, visited these islands and made the report that resulted in the addition of these islands to divers maps. They, in turn, were among the inciting causes of the undertaking of Columbus."
Patagonian Monsters - Cryptozoology, Myths & legends in Patagonia Copyright 2009-2026 by Austin Whittall ©
No comments:
Post a Comment