Henry VII (1500 CE) Map of Antarctica

Harte, this is an excellent observation and interpretation, whether the map be fake/ a copy of an older map / whatever (see my reply just before yours came through). If the map is indeed based on some ancient map, the presence of people on Antarctica concurs with what seems to have been a popular medieval belief, that Terra Australis had in ancient times been inhabited by a world domineering nation. This prompted Bishop Joseph Hall to write a book in which he mocked this belief (see www.riaanbooysen.com... for more details). The map shown below shows Terra Australis disproportionately large with respect to the rest of the world, making fun of that popular belief.

reply to post by Riaan


Howdy Riaan

Yes I do remember you posting here earlier, or more correctly I remember your website.

If the map is indeed based on some ancient map, the presence of people on Antarctica concurs with what seems to have been a popular medieval belief, that Terra Australis had in ancient times been inhabited by a world domineering nation. This prompted Bishop Joseph Hall to write a book in which he mocked this belief

It would appear more likely that he was wrote a satire about Utopian societies, as noted below.

The earliest imaginary utopia, or rather dystopia, set in Terra Australis incognita, is Bishop Hall's Mundus alter et idem. The protagonist traveller Mercurius Britannicus' society is far from ideal. Hall's Terra Australis incognita is intended to satirize perfect moral commonwealths. By satirizing the status quo in England, Hall presents a vision whereby the English Renaissance will ultimately produce a degenerate society that is simply up-sidedown: another world and yet the same. But while Hall does not yearn for a past golden age, nor an age of innocence, he does nevertheless believe that present Renaissance England is the equivalent of Sodom and Gomorrah. Hall is at once seeking moderation in all things and is attempting to demolish man's pride in himself and his accomplishments.

The link

Again he was mocking utopian literature and not the idea of people in the Antarctic. He simply used the TAI myth as a vehicle to run his ideas out, much like Plato did with Atlantis.

No Australia is the great unknown southern contienet ie Terra Australis.

I doubt they knew about Antartica.