Carta Marina
Title
Carta Marina
Alternative Title
Map of the Sea
Description
Olaus Magnus’ Carta Marina, published in 1539, is an impressively detailed map of Scandinavia, made of nine woodblock-printed panels in full color. It has thin, exact lines in black ink that outline both the land and water of the region. The seas–the Norwegian Sea, North Sea, and Baltic Sea–are emphasized, composing nearly half of the map. There are several wind roses with lines that extend and overlap across the face of the map. In the lower left corner, there is a description, and in the lower right corner, a legend. In addition to the precise rendering of the geography of the area, there are careful depictions of numerous animals, landscape features, and peoples that cover the land. The sea is full of ships and sea creatures. Labels in Latin script identify more than 900 locations, peoples, and creatures of the area.
Olaus Magnus was a Catholic archbishop in Sweden at the time of the Reformation. Both on diplomatic missions for the king and for the Pope, Olaus Magnus traveled widely and was very educated. As the Swedish church became Lutheran, he was exiled to Italy after refusing to join the new regime. His Carta Marina, published with the permission of the Pope, has a strong Counter-Reformation sentiment evident in its descriptions. It is also very patriotic to his home of Sweden, and asserts Sweden as a significant and modern nation, with a rich history in the origin of the Goths.
The Carta Marina was the most comprehensive map of Scandinavia at the time, as preceding maps like those of Ptolemy were largely vague regarding the Northern regions. While drawing inspiration from Ptolemaic geography, evident in his use of longitude and latitude lines, Olaus Magnus sought to establish a more accurate and educational depiction of the area. However, he was not necessarily a cartographer by profession, and aspects of his spatial representation, in particular the “graduation” of the map, are unclear. Supporting the educational purpose of this map, in a text conceived as a robust legend to the Carta Marina – Historia de gentibus septentrionalibus, or “Description of the Northern Peoples” – Olaus Magnus explores the ethnography, history, and natural history of Scandinavia in 22 books.
Olaus Magnus’ depiction of sea creatures and monsters is of note, as they are a very prominent feature of his articulation of the seas. These creatures both show fish as a major resource of the region, as well as reference classical and Northern monsters. This attention to sea monsters aids Olaus Magnus’ intention to depict the Northern region as full of wonders. (Lucy Watson 2026)
Olaus Magnus was a Catholic archbishop in Sweden at the time of the Reformation. Both on diplomatic missions for the king and for the Pope, Olaus Magnus traveled widely and was very educated. As the Swedish church became Lutheran, he was exiled to Italy after refusing to join the new regime. His Carta Marina, published with the permission of the Pope, has a strong Counter-Reformation sentiment evident in its descriptions. It is also very patriotic to his home of Sweden, and asserts Sweden as a significant and modern nation, with a rich history in the origin of the Goths.
The Carta Marina was the most comprehensive map of Scandinavia at the time, as preceding maps like those of Ptolemy were largely vague regarding the Northern regions. While drawing inspiration from Ptolemaic geography, evident in his use of longitude and latitude lines, Olaus Magnus sought to establish a more accurate and educational depiction of the area. However, he was not necessarily a cartographer by profession, and aspects of his spatial representation, in particular the “graduation” of the map, are unclear. Supporting the educational purpose of this map, in a text conceived as a robust legend to the Carta Marina – Historia de gentibus septentrionalibus, or “Description of the Northern Peoples” – Olaus Magnus explores the ethnography, history, and natural history of Scandinavia in 22 books.
Olaus Magnus’ depiction of sea creatures and monsters is of note, as they are a very prominent feature of his articulation of the seas. These creatures both show fish as a major resource of the region, as well as reference classical and Northern monsters. This attention to sea monsters aids Olaus Magnus’ intention to depict the Northern region as full of wonders. (Lucy Watson 2026)
Creator
Olaus Magnus
Format
Sheet map
Publisher
Nigg, Joe. Sea Monsters : A Voyage around the World’s Most Beguiling Map. Chicago ; The University of Chicago Press, 2013.
Date
1539
Medium
Wood cut
Contributor
Special Collections, Carleton College, Northfield, MN
Language
Latin
Type
Regional map
Spatial Coverage
Scandinavia
Finland, Norway, Sweden
References
Granlund, John. "The Carta Marina of Olaus Magnus." Imago Mundi 8, no. 1 (1951): 35-43.
Miekkavaara, Leena. "Unknown Europe: The mapping of the Northern countries by Olaus Magnus in 1539." Belgeo. Revue belge de géographie 3-4 (2008): 307-324.
Sandmo, Erling. “Dwellers of the Waves: Sea Monsters, Classical History, and Religion in Olaus Magnus’s Carta Marina.” Norsk Geografisk Tidsskrift 74, no. 4 (2020): 237–49.
Miekkavaara, Leena. "Unknown Europe: The mapping of the Northern countries by Olaus Magnus in 1539." Belgeo. Revue belge de géographie 3-4 (2008): 307-324.
Sandmo, Erling. “Dwellers of the Waves: Sea Monsters, Classical History, and Religion in Olaus Magnus’s Carta Marina.” Norsk Geografisk Tidsskrift 74, no. 4 (2020): 237–49.
Rights
Rights for maps held by individual publishers and institutions. Thumbnails displayed constitute fair use.
Collection
Citation
Olaus Magnus, “Carta Marina,” Mapping the World, accessed May 2, 2025, https://www.hist231.hist.sites.carleton.edu/items/show/78.