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Whit Durham @canebrake.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

It's #MapMonsterMonday! Abraham Ortelius’s 1595-6 map of Utopia has a great leviathan lurking offshore and several creatures in one of the cartouches. This map is held by the King Baudouin Foundation in Brussels.

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Whit Durham @canebrake.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

It's #MapMonsterMonday! Johannes Janssonius’s c1658 map of Japan and surroundings features a grumpy sea monster (or is it Godzilla?) and some scale bar mer-cherubim. The map is fascinating, as it includes Korea as an island and the phantom island, Company’s Land. This map is held by the Rijksmuseum.

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Whit Durham @canebrake.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

It's #MapMonsterMonday! Lucas Janszoon Waghenaer’s 1584 map of part of the Norwegian coast features a sea dragon, one fish, clearly impressed by the compass, and a second trying to ignore the cartouche. This map is held by the National Library of Norway.

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Whit Durham @canebrake.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

It's #MapMonsterMonday! Cornelis de Jode’s 1593 map of Africa contains numerous sea monsters and reported geography of the interior, as well as depictions of some of the continent’s peoples. This map is held by Bibliothèque nationale de France.

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Whit Durham @canebrake.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

1/2 It's #MapMonsterMonday! This 1689 map of "New France" in eastern Canada and adjacent lands and colonies is the work of Coronelli, du Tralage, Nolin, and Baudrand. It features a couple of sea beasts, a clam shell housing scale bars, and a lake called Ontario.

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Whit Durham @canebrake.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

It’s #MapMonsterMonday! Abraham Ortelius’s 1608 map of Genoa features two sea monsters, a pair of griffins, and a horn-blowing lion with a crown. Impressive compass, too! This map is held in the David Rumsey Collection.

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Whit Durham @canebrake.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

It’s #MapMonsterMonday! Jodocus Hondius’s 1590-1602 map of the world hosts a pair of ferocious beasts and a flying fish. Note the European uncertainty about the poles and Australia at the time. This map is held by a private collector.

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Whit Durham @canebrake.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

It was spectacular. The clouds stayed away, unlike in Austin in 2024. Like diamond rings? Check out the third photo.

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Whit Durham @canebrake.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

It’s #MapMonsterMonday! Abraham Ortelius’s c1608 map of the Iberian Peninsula features a billfish, a dolphin, and a would-be Hercules holding up the cartouche. This map is held by the Folger Shakespeare Library in DC.

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Whit Durham @canebrake.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

It’s #MapMonsterMonday! Gerard Mercator’s 1600-1699 map of South America features a very spiny fish, a flying fish, a Patagonian giant, and some folks potentially exploring Antarctic waters. This map is held by the Bibliothèque nationale de France.

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Whit Durham @canebrake.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

It’s #MapMonsterMonday! John Speed’s 1676 map of Canaan hosts a trio of toothy sea beasts and attempts to locate and depict many Biblical scenes across the region and in an inset of Jerusalem. This map is held by the National Library of Israel.

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Whit Durham @canebrake.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

It’s #MapMonsterMonday! Abraham Ortelius’s 1824 map of ancient Sicily features a sea lion (with a mane), a whale, and a very angry dolphin. Beware. This map is held by Bibliothèque nationale de France.

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Whit Durham @canebrake.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

It’s #MapMonsterMonday! Tommaso Porcacchi’s 1572 map of Madagascar features a sea camel(?) and sea dragon (or serpent) frothing the waters. Cherubim adorn the cartouche. This map is held by the University of Texas at Arlington Libraries.

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Whit Durham @canebrake.bsky.social · 05/07/2026

It’s #MapMonsterMonday! Gerard Mercator’s c1698 map of Persia and Central Asia features this Caspian Sea monster (likely a sturgeon, not the Soviet Ekranoplan). There’s also a face at the bottom of the cartouche. This map is held by a private collector.

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Whit Durham @canebrake.bsky.social · 28/06/2026

It’s #MapMonsterMonday! Jan Baptista Vrients’s 1608 map of Genoa features a pair of sea beasts (one startled by the compass), and a siren with head plumage and braided tails. And how about those griffons? This map is held by a private collector.

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Whit Durham @canebrake.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

It’s #MapMonsterMonday! Tomaso Porcacchi’s 1620 map of Malta features a haggard merman just trying to keep it together, a merdog(?), and a couple of winged sea beasts. Harpies and a lion’s head adorn the cartouche. This map is held by the Gennadius Library in Athens.

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Whit Durham @canebrake.bsky.social · 14/06/2026

It’s #MapMonsterMonday! John Speed’s 1611 map of the Isles features an array of creatures, some representing Scotland, Ireland, and England. I’d like to think that sea dragon represents Wales. Also in attendance are some fish and several cherubim. This map is held by a private collector.

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Whit Durham @canebrake.bsky.social · 07/06/2026

It’s #MapMonsterMonday! Gerard Mercator and Andre Thevet’s 1569 map of western South America features a furry fish with a wolf-like head, what looks like a wolfman on all fours, and some Patagonian giants. This map is held by the Library of Congress.

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Whit Durham @canebrake.bsky.social · 01/06/2026

It’s #MapMonsterMonday! Abraham Ortelius’s 1606 map of Morocco, with a Congo inset, features a great cetacean bursting from the water. The cartouche features sphinxes, seraphim, cherubim, and lions. Full house! This image is from the Digital Bodleian at Oxford University.

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Whit Durham @canebrake.bsky.social · 24/05/2026

It’s #MapMonsterMonday! Jodocus Hondius’s 1606 map of Cyprus (and other islands) features a rather toothy fish with a swirling tail and an unhappy green man (or satyr, maybe) and a slightly bemused character adorn the scales. This map is held by Bibliothèque nationale de France.

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Whit Durham @canebrake.bsky.social · 17/05/2026

It’s #MapMonsterMonday! Gerard Mercator’s c1590 map of Iceland features a spouting behemoth, and check out that volcano, also spouting. This map is held by the National Library of Israel.

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Whit Durham @canebrake.bsky.social · 11/05/2026

It’s #MapMonsterMonday! Willem and Joanne Blaeu’s 1645 map of the Low Countries and part of Germany features some fearsome beasts waging their struggles against encroaching ships. Oh, and some seals beating a hasty retreat. This map is held by the University of California.

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Whit Durham @canebrake.bsky.social · 03/05/2026

It’s #MapMonsterMonday! André Thevet’s 1586 map of Villegagnon Island in Guanabara Bay features a mysterious marine creature, perhaps a dolphin. Also mysterious is the compass. Sea star? Cosmic horror? This map is held by Bibliothèque nationale de France.

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Whit Durham @canebrake.bsky.social · 27/04/2026

1/3 It’s #MapMonsterMonday! Gerard Mercator’s 1569 (reprinted here 1864) sheet five of his map of the world hosts many incredible creatures that defy description. This map is held by a the University of Pittsburgh.

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Whit Durham @canebrake.bsky.social · 19/04/2026

It’s #MapMonsterMonday! Willem Blaeu’s c1640 map of Türkiye features a couple of sea beasts, one making an approach toward the Bosporus and another plying the waters between Cyprus and the Levantine mainland. This map is held by a private collector.

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Whit Durham @canebrake.bsky.social · 12/04/2026

It’s #MapMonsterMonday! Abraham Ortelius’s 1598 map of Morocco features a feisty sea beast and a heavily adorned cartouche with cherubim, seraphim, and a pair of sphinxes, as well as three lion heads. This map is held by a private collector.

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Whit Durham @canebrake.bsky.social · 05/04/2026

1/3 It’s #MapMonsterMonday! I’ve posted this one a couple of times, but it’s the pride of my collection and it seems like a good time roll it out again. This is Michael Ramus’s 1969, “Myths, Maps, and Men. Merrill Lynch Salutes the Year of the Moon.”

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Whit Durham @canebrake.bsky.social · 30/03/2026

It’s #MapMonsterMonday! Abraham Ortelius’s 1572 map of the Western Hemisphere hosts a dolphinesque creature, but the real action is on the cartouche. It hosts a pair of winged lions and none other than Lord Catfish, himself. This map is held by a private collector.

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Whit Durham @canebrake.bsky.social · 22/03/2026

It’s #MapMonsterMonday! Sebastian Münster’s 1600 map of Italy hosts a couple of beasts: a sea dragon and possibly a turtle, both shocked that Monday is at hand. This map is held by Columbia University.

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Whit Durham @canebrake.bsky.social · 15/03/2026

It’s #MapMonsterMonday! Abraham Ortelius’s 1587 map of Portugal hosts what appears to be a shaggy sea dog plotting its revenge after bath day. Both cartouches have lions, though these have more of a simian look. This map is held by a private collector.

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Whit Durham @canebrake.bsky.social · 09/03/2026

It’s #MapMonsterMonday! Johannes Blaeu’s 1667 map of Terra di Lavoro features sea monsters who can’t believe it’s Monday. However, the scale bar mermaids are pointing out how the Earth and the heavens work. This map is held by the British Library.

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Whit Durham @canebrake.bsky.social · 02/03/2026

It’s #MapMonsterMonday! Gerard de Jode’s 1593 map of northern Europe features a trio of fanciful sea monsters that appear to be having a grand time frolicking among the ships. This map is held by a private collector.

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Whit Durham @canebrake.bsky.social · 22/02/2026

1/2 It’s #MapMonsterMonday! Jodocus Hondius and Petrus Kaerius’s 1606 map of Spain and Portugal features a couple of billfish and two others, none of whom can believe it’s Monday already. This map is held by a private collector.

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Whit Durham @canebrake.bsky.social · 15/02/2026

1/2 It’s #MapMonsterMonday! John Speed and Jodocus Hondius’s c1610-16 map of Lancashire features a mermaid gazing in her mirror while two sea beasts admire. Also of note is Pendle Hill, home of alleged witches and focus of the 1612 Pendle Witch Trials.

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Whit Durham @canebrake.bsky.social · 08/02/2026

1/2 It’s #MapMonsterMonday! Lucas Janszoon Waghenaer’s 1590 map of the French coast along the Bay of Biscay features an array of sea beasts and either a green man or lion in the cartouche. This map is held by Bibliothéque nationale de France.

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Whit Durham @canebrake.bsky.social · 01/02/2026

1/2 It’s #MapMonsterMonday! Joan Blaeu’s 1667 map of Sønderborg features a couple of spouting cetaceans, as well as some creatures’ faces peeking out from the cartouches. This map is held by the British Library.

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Whit Durham @canebrake.bsky.social · 26/01/2026

1/2 It’s #MapMonsterMonday! Johannes Janssonius’s 1650 map of southern Sweden and northeastern Denmark features a trio of sea beasts. Several cherubim around the cartouches, as well. This map is held by Bibliothèque nationale de France.

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Whit Durham @canebrake.bsky.social · 19/01/2026

It’s #MapMonsterMonday! Gerard Mercator and Henricus Hondius’s 1639-42 of Denmark hosts a leviathan creeping up behind a sea turtle, a sea serpent showing off its fangs, and two sea monsters engaged in a splash fight. This map is held by a private collector.

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Whit Durham @canebrake.bsky.social · 11/01/2026

It’s #MapMonsterMonday! Abraham Ortelius’s 1574 map of the Persian Empire features a harpy and a cartouche with snakes taunting lion heads. This map is held by a private collector. ایران ازادی! ✊

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Whit Durham @canebrake.bsky.social · 04/01/2026

1/2 It’s #MapMonsterMonday! John Speed’s 1610 map of Scotland features a billfish, a dolphin, a fish with spiky faceplates, and something akin to an aquatic lion. And how about that compass?! This map is held by a private collector.

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Whit Durham @canebrake.bsky.social · 28/12/2025

1/2 It’s #MapMonsterMonday! Jodocus Hondius’s c1595 double hemisphere world map featuring Drake’s voyages features a couple of beasts, plus a merman blowing a horn. This map is held by the US Library of Congress.

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Whit Durham @canebrake.bsky.social · 21/12/2025

It’s #MapMonsterMonday! Abraham Ortelius’s 1584 map of Flanders features a spiky-finned fish who’s not ready for Monday. And look at that rad compass! This map is held by a private collector.

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Whit Durham @canebrake.bsky.social · 14/12/2025

1/2 It’s #MapMonsterMonday! Gerard de Jode’s 1593 map of South America features quite an array: a sea wolf, a plesiosaur-like bird-fish, a hippocampus, flying fish, and Patagonian giants. There’s a lot more to analyze on this one, but I’ll just stick to (mostly) sea creatures.

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Whit Durham @canebrake.bsky.social · 07/12/2025

It’s #MapMonsterMonday! Cornelius de Jode’s 1593 map of the western coast of North America was among the first to depict the area. It also features a couple of stellar sea beasts, a sea unicorn (hippocampuscorn?) and a snarly-looking sea dragon. This map is held by a private collector.

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Whit Durham @canebrake.bsky.social · 30/11/2025

t’s #MapMonsterMonday! Jodocus Hondius’s c1610 map of India and Southeast Asia features this spiky-finned beast prowling the Bay of Bengal. This map is held by a private collector

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Whit Durham @canebrake.bsky.social · 23/11/2025

1/2 It’s #MapMonsterMonday! Giacomo Gastaldi’s 1570 map of Asia Minor features several Seuss-like creatures plying the waters of the Black and Mediterranean seas. This map is held by a private collector.

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Whit Durham @canebrake.bsky.social · 17/11/2025

It’s #MapMonsterMonday! Giacomo Gastaldi’s 1564 map of north and west Africa features s pair of creatures, one I like to call the Null Island Leviathan and the other is obviously a sea pug. Also featured are the mythical Kong Mountains, running along the west African coast. Basil University Library.

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Whit Durham @canebrake.bsky.social · 09/11/2025

1/2 It’s #MapMonsterMonday! Tomasso Porcacchi’s 1572 map of Scotland features a huge fish with a frilly tail, a couple of dolphins, a sturgeon that looks like a sea turtle, and cherubim on the cartouche. And how about that compass! This map is held by a private collector.

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Whit Durham @canebrake.bsky.social · 03/11/2025

1/2 It’s #MapMonsterMonday! Marco Boschini’s 1646 map of Dalmatia and Albania features several sea monsters, mermen, and cherubim. Quite a panorama! This map is held by Bibliothèque nationale de France.

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Whit Durham @canebrake.bsky.social · 26/10/2025

1/2 It’s #MapMonsterMonday! Willem Janszoon Blaeu’s 1646 map of Asia has quite a few creatures, land and sea. My favorite is the Abyssinian dragon conferring with the snakes and the monitor lizard. Mermaids bookend a cartouche. This map is held by a private collector.

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