This map is a mappamundi that illustrates Beatus of Liebana’s Girona Codex, one of the most highly decorated manuscripts of his Commentary on the Apocalypse written in the eighth century. This codex was likely made at the monastery of San Salvador de Tábara in 975 CE and was donated to the Cathedral of Girona in 1078. It contains many widely varied introductory paintings, eighty one illustrations of the apocalypse and ten illustrations of the prophecy of Daniel from the Old Testament. This mappamundi is relatively characteristic of other Beatus mappamundi from the time. It displays Arabic influence in Spain through its use of opaque colors and other decorative elements reminiscent of the Arab world. The map is oriented with east at the top and has Adam and Eve enclosed in a square paradise at the top with the snake curling around the edge of the box. The world is encircled by a large ocean with depictions of fish drawn in a noticeably Islamic style. This Islamic influence points to a conflict in the tenth century on the Iberian peninsula between Muslim space and Christian space. Beatus sought to fight back against the spread of Islam by solidifying the Christian space within his maps. This Beatus mappamundi has the general shape of a TO map which was fairly common at the time, where Asia, Europe, and Africa are divided by different waterways, with Asia at the top, Europe on the bottom left, and Africa on the bottom right. However, this map (and other Beatus maps) differs because of the inclusion of a fourth continent on the right edge of the map, on the other side of the Red Sea. In this section of the map, Beatus informs the viewer that this continent is unknown because of the sun's heat but is inhabited by a race called the Antipodeans. Following the evangelical subject of the work the map appears in, the inclusion of this continent highlights the apostles' mission to bring Christianity to every corner of the earth. The mission of the apostles suggested in this map played a key part in reestablishing a comprehensive Christian realm. The map depicts many waterways in different shades of blue, the larger ones containing multiple islands, especially in the vertical dividing water in the center of the map. The map contains many yellow, tan, green, and gray mountains mostly concentrated in Asia. It also includes multiple countries and regions, but only in name and without any artistic representation. (Perry Hefferren-Harkless 2027)
The Girona Beatus Mappamundi, ca. 975, Museo de la Catedral, MS. 10, Girona, Spain
Códice de Girona. Barcelona: M. Moleiro Editor, 2003.
Special Collections, Carleton College, Northfield, MN
Rights for maps held by individual publishers and institutions. Thumbnails displayed constitute fair use.
Special Collections (Flat Files) ; ND3361.R52 B43 2003