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.”

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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! ✊

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

It’s #MapMonsterMonday! Jodocus Hondius and Gerard Mercator’s c1630 map of Morocco features an owl-like fish, whose fins make it look like a fire breather. Great lion in the cartouche. This map is held by the National Library of Israel.

It’s #MapMonsterMonday! Abraham Ortelius’s c1579 map of Portugal hosts a disheveled creature, who is definitely not ready to start the week. The map also features a cartouche with three lion heads, also in varying states of alarm. This map is held by a private collector.

1/2 It’s #MapMonsterMonday! Giacomo Franco’s 1569 map of Cyprus features this amazingly detailed sea dragon. Another legendary creature (not shown) lurks in the northwest. The Chimera was said to inhabit the area around Mount Chimaera, near Antalya, Türkiye.

It’s #MapMonsterMonday! Matthäus Meria’s 1638 map of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and environs features a cetacean spouting toward some passing ships. This map is held by a private collector.

It’s #MapMonsterMonday! Baptista Boazio, Walter Bigges, and one Lt. Croftes’s 1589 map of St. Augustine, Florida, hosts this great fish known by many names: Dorado, dolphinfish, mahi-mahi. Mmm, tacos. It also features Francis Drake’s raid on the settlement. This is held by the Library of Congress.

It’s #MapMonsterMonday! Marco Boschini’s 1651 map of St. Theodoro, off of Crete, features this… sea owl showing its threat display to a passing ship. This map is held by Bibliothèque nationale de France.

It’s #MapMonsterMonday! André Thevet’s 1586 map of Rio de Janeiro features a trio of beaky-looking beasts prowling the waters of Guanabara Bay. This map is held by Bibliothèque nationale de France.

1/2 It’s #MapMonsterMonday! Willem Janszoon Blaeu’s 1635 map of Africa features a wide range of beasts: a hippocampus, a spouting whale, a shark, and several more challenging to identify. I like the two creatures seemingly having a laugh. This map is held by Northwestern University Library.

It’s #MapMonsterMonday! Willem Janszoon Blaeu and Johannes Willemszoon Blaeu’s 1614-17 map of the Americas holds a couple of fearsome creatures in the Pacific and a pair of seemingly uncertain beasts in the Atlantic. Interpret how you may. This map is held by the U. of Texas at Arlington Libraries.

It’s #MapMonsterMonday! Lucas Janz Waghenaer’s 1588 map of the northernmost tip of Jutland (note the compass orientations) features a great fish and a curious seal. This map is held by the Royal Museums Greenwich.

1/2 It’s #MapMonsterMonday! Jan Huygen van Linschoten’s 1638 map of East and Southeast Asia features a fascinating array of creatures: A pair of sea beasts in apparent conversation, a spouting creature watching a sea battle, a curious shark tailing a ship, and a whale simply minding its business.

It’s #MapMonsterMonday! Theodore de Bry’s 1599 map of the North Atlantic features this creature seemingly annoyed by the placement of the meridian. This is pre-Greenwich, so Null Island is still secret. Shhh! This map is held by the New York Public Library.

It’s #MapMonsterMonday! Gerard Mercator’s 1596 map of Brittany and Normandy features this creature, who’s not quite ready to face the week. This map is held by the Library of Congress.

It’s #MapMonsterMonday! Ever heard of the Null Island Beast? Of course not. I just made it up! Jodocus Hondius’s 1625 map of Guinea. The creature is very near to the 0, 0 coordinate that we jokingly call Null Island. Bonus inset of São Tomé. This map is held by a private collector.

It’s #MapMonsterMonday! Marco Boschini’s 1651 map of Castel Protessa (on Crete) features this great fish surveying the coast. This map is held by Bibliothèque nationale de France.

It’s #MapMonsterMonday! Abraham Ortelius’s 1655 map of Malta features this incredulous sea monster with some impressive fins. “I don’t remember these islands being here!” This map is held by the Malta Study Center at the Hill Museum and Manuscript Library in Minnesota.

Rod is my copilot.

1/2 It’s #MapMonsterMonday! Giacomo Gastaldi and Giovambattista Ramusio’s c1560 map of Southeast Asia holds several finned and scaled creatures. The turtle seems to be enjoying it all. This map is held by the National Library of Israel.

1/2 It’s #MapMonsterMonday! Abraham Ortelius’s 1582 map of Terceira in the Azores hosts an array of seagoing beasts, as well as a lion, who looks alarmed by his placement above the scale bar. This map is held by Bibliothèque nationale de France.

1/2 It’s #MapMonsterMonday! Gerardus Mercator’s c1695 map of the Caucasus and surrounding features a Black Sea monster, not to be confused with the Caspian Sea Monster (look that one up!). There’s also someone hiding at the top of the cartouche.

1/3It’s #MapMonsterMonday! Willem Blaeu’s 1649 map of the world has a lot going on. Some familiar creatures like sharks, billfish, dolphins, and whales are present, but other less identifiable beasts are plying the waters, as well. This map is held by the National and University Library of Slovenia.

It’s #MapMonsterMonday! Jodocus Hondius’s c1640 map of the Americas features a couple of beasts prowling the Pacific. Also interesting is the inset connecting Australia and Antarctica as one. This map is held by the Library of Congress.

It’s #MapMonsterMonday! Gerard Mercator’s 1695 map of Arabia was based on the much earlier work of Ptolemy and features this beauty of a sea dragon, lurking offshore. This map is held by a private collector.

It’s #MapMonsterMonday! Willem Janszoon Blaeu’s 1631 map of Malacca features a pair of sea beasts, as well as some interesting green man-like beings in the title and inset cartouches. This map is held by the National Library of Israel. 1/2

It’s #MapMonsterMonday! John Wolfe and Jan Huygen van Linschoten’s c1598 map of west and southern Africa features a leviathan throwing shade at a passing ship, a triton and siren frolicking in a lake, and some very large snakes. This map is held by a private collector.

It’s #MapMonsterMonday! Jan Janssonius’s c1660 map of Syria features a spouting dolphin, some cartouche creatures (I really need to find out their proper name, as I keep coming across them), and some scale bar cherubim. This map is held by the National Library of Israel.