Further research led me to an intriguing story about the lost colony of New Sweden (1638-1655). This small and short-lived colony was founded in 1638 on the banks of the Delaware river. Its roots were planted a year before in 1637, when the Thirty Years’ War (1618–1648) was raging in Europe, Sweden was a powerful empire and the former governor of New Netherland colony, Peter Minuit (c. 1580-1638), was completely fed up with his former employer. Minuit wanted revenge for being dismissed and sent back to the Netherlands in 1631.

He got his revenge by inciting the Swedes to establish a colony in North America. The Swedish Empire was keen on getting involved in the tobacco and fur trade. The crown also wanted to make it clear to everyone that Sweden was now one of the great powers of Europe. Minuit presented to the Swedish government a map showcasing the boundaries of other European colonies such as the Dutch and the English. Minuit showed the Swedes a huge area stretching from the Minquas Kill (present-day Christina River), up to Sankikan Kill (present-day Trenton, New Jersey), that wasn’t occupied by other European countries. This area and both banks of the Delaware River were decided to be settled as a colony of New Sweden. Minuit set sail for North America with a small group of settlers in late 1637 and arrived at the banks of the Delaware river in spring of 1638. In order for New Sweden to flourish it was crucial for the colony to have a good relationship with local Indigenous tribes. Back then several thousand members of the Lenapes were living in independent communities along the river and were regarded as the owners of the surrounding lands. Roughly the same number of Susquehannocks (also known as Minquas) lived further to the west in the Susquehanna Valley. Minuit and his group of settlers negotiated permission from the Lenape and Susquehannock sachems (North American Indigenous chiefs) to build a small fort at the mouth of the Minquas Kill. Both groups welcomed Swedish settlers as new trading partners. Settlers named the new fort Fort Christina to honour their young Queen Christina (1626-1689). Thus New Sweden was born. The colony sought trade and allegiance with its indigenous neighbours, building relatively peaceful, friendly relations with them. This was a unique situation, since colonies of European powers tended to have much more turbulent relationships with local neighbours culminating in violent conflicts disastrous for indigenous populations.

The Swedes had a much less cooperative relationship with the Dutch. The Dutch considered the whole Delaware River as their territory and were vexed to see the Swedes settle in it. However, they didn’t have enough troops to drive away the Swedes. New Sweden didn’t have much manpower either. The situation stayed somewhat the same for several years until the balance of power shifted in favour of the Dutch due to Sweden neglecting its colony between 1648 and 1654, while New Netherland received supplies and resources from its mother country. Still, New Sweden continued to expand under its heavy-handed governor Johan Printz (1643–1653). New plantations, forts, blockhouses and settlements were established. One of them was Tornio, known to the Lenape as Aronameck, which was founded in 1647.

The situation came to a head when Johan Risingh (1617–1672), the last governor of New Sweden, seized Fort Casimir from the Dutch. Peter Stuyvesant (c. 1612–1672), the governor of New Netherland, decided to get rid of the Swedish colony. He gathered troops and conquered New Sweden without bloodshed in 1655. Settlers of New Sweden continued to live as the Swedish Nation under Dutch rule, under which they were allowed to keep their own government, lands and Lutheran religion. They were also allowed to trade with local Indigenous tribes. Dutch rule came to an end less than a decade later when the English captured New Netherland in 1664.

Who were the settlers of New Sweden? Most of them were Swedes and Finns; a few were Dutch or German. Back then, Finland was the eastern part of the Swedish Empire. The Finns who left for New Sweden were not necessarily from modern-day Finland but were instead Forest Finns from central Sweden. Their traditional method of agriculture was slash-and-burn, a practice which had become a problem for the Swedish government. The crown had forbidden slash-and-burn, which was one of the reasons why sailing across the ocean became an appealing option.

Several researchers believe that the art of building log cabins came from the Forest Finns. Besides architecture, the short-lived colony of New Sweden influenced the culture of the area. Swedish and Finnish settlers often acted as mediators between English officials and the Lenapes. Traces of New Sweden can still be found today. For example, Gloria Dei Church (Old Swedes’ Church) in South Philadelphia is the oldest church building in Pennsylvania. The blue and yellow of Philadelphia’s flag pay homage to the early Swedish settlers of Pennsylvania.

And what happened to Tornio (or Torne, as it was also known) that I mentioned at the beginning? It lasted only until the fall of New Sweden in 1655 and disappeared into the mists of history. Where it once stood is now West Philadelphia. Finnish influence lasted much longer, though, and can be found in unexpected places. John Morton, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, had Finnish roots: his great-grandfather Mårten Mårtensson was a Finn.

My next post will take you back to the fascinating world of myths and legends.

Until then,

Piia

The Norwegian sea serpent

In the upper part of the map depicting the dangerous sea between Norway and Iceland a giant sea serpent coils around a helpless ship from Gothia. According to Olaus Magnus, the Norwegian sea serpent was a colossal one to two hundred feet long and twenty feet thick serpent dwelling in the rocky coast of Norway near Bergen. Its scales were razor-sharp and black, eyes flaming red and from the neck hung eighteen inches long hair. Norwegian sea serpent was a danger to sailors, crustaceans and even livestock on dry land, warned Olaus Magnus. He described how the giant sea monster slithered out from its cave during bright nights of summer to gorge on calves, pigs and sheep. Other times it chased crustaceans such as octopuses and lobsters through the waters to feast upon them. And when the wind died down it assaulted sailors onboard their ships. Towering upon ships like an enormous pillar it snatched men from the deck and gobbled them up.

Olaus Magnus considered the appearance of the Norwegian sea serpent to be an ill-omen for the state. According to him, if the sea serpent showed up, political upheaval would follow: princes would be driven into exile, they would die, or bloody wars would break out.

The giant sea serpent wasn’t an invention of Olaus Magnus. He based his description of the monster on Biblical passages and sailors’ tales. In the Bible in Job 41 a gargantuan sea monster known as Leviathan is described as a fierce, fire breathing beast whose mouth was full of ”fearsome teeth” and back covered by ”rows of shields tightly sealed together”. In Isaiah 27:1 Leviathan is depicted as ”the coiling serpent” and ”the monster of the sea”. Since Olaus Magnus was a clergyman it can be assumed that he was aware of these passages. Sailors, Olaus’ other source of information, described a 200 feet long gigantic sea monster lurking near the coasts of Norway. Researchers have tried to figure out what was the real animal behind the Norwegian sea serpent. They have suggested various different marine animals from seals to giant squids and whales to oarfish.

Pristers

Pristers, also known as spouters, were giant, aggressive whales populating the perilous waters of Carta Marina. Olaus Magnus recounted them as 300 feet long leviathans with ”forbidding nature” that were notorious for attacking and capsizing numerous ships. Pristers had two tubes or blowholes on top of their heads from which they could shoot torrents capable of sinking even the strongest ships. In Carta Marina you can see two pristers attacking a Lübeckian ship in this manner near the coast of Iceland.

Olaus Magnus based his description of pristers in whale sightings as well as classical and medieval writings. Following Dominican friar and encyclopedist, Vincent Of Beauvais (d. 1264), Olaus Magnus claims pristers being so immense in size that when they rose above the sea waves they resembled a massive pillar. He also quotes Strabo (c. 64 BCE - c. 20 CE), a Greek geographer living in Asia Minor and the writer of Geographica. In his book Strabo narrated how Nearchus, the commander of Alexander the Great’s (356 BCE - 323 BCE) fleet, came face to face with these giant whales. According to Strabo, pristers were able to cause enormous waves and while spouting water, they could create mist so dense that people onboard ships couldn’t see their hands in front of their faces. The third source depicting the ferocity of pristers referred to by Olaus Magnus was an Italian born chaplain and historian working in the court of Castile. He was Peter Martyr d’Anghiera (1457-1526), author of De Orbe Novo chronicling early years of Spanish exploration, conquest and colonization. In his writing Peter Martyr recounts a humongous monster, perhaps a fish, shattering a galleys rudder into pieces with one blow from its tail. He also narrates how a sea monster dragged an adult man sleeping on a beach into the sea and under the waves.

While dangerous, pristers were not invincible though. Following Strabo’s accounts Olaus Magnus instructs sailors to scare away the murderous monsters by making loud noises with for example shouts or trumpets. He quotes Strabo’s description how commander Nearchus directed his ship straight to the sea blocked by pristers. Nearchus’ trumpets terrified the beasts and sent them fleeing into the depths. Olaus Magnus illustrated this in Carta Marina by having a sailor onboard the Lübeckian ship hold a trumpet preparing to scare away the attacking pristers.

The island whale

Between the Norwegian sea serpent and pristers in Carta Marina is pictured an especially treacherous monster known as the island whale. Other names of this giant are the witch whale (trolval) and the devil’s whale (teufelval). Olaus Magnus depicted it as an enormous whale whose skin resembled ”sand on the seashore”. He continues the account by describing how the island whale often lifts its back up from the water. Sailors searching for an island to rest at see the sandy apparition. Thinking they have found what they seek, sailors anchor their ship, attach it with stakes and light fire in order to start cooking their meals. The island whale has been perfectly still until it feels the heat. The massive whale plummets rapidly under the waves. Poor sailors have only a few moments to make it back to the ship lest they drown. Even this wouldn’t necessarily save them. Olaus Magnus points out that unless the anchor breaks, the island whale takes not only men but also their ships to the depths with it.

This is exactly what’s portrayed happening in Carta Marina. In the map an English ship has anchored on the back of the island whale. Two unsuspecting sailors climbed on what they thought was dry land and lit fire. The Furious whale, feeling the heat, is facing the intruder.

Like the previous two sea monsters, the island whale wasn’t either created by Olaus Magnus. It is an ages old legend told by sailors and written about by famed names. Olaus Magnus drew from earlier works such as Hexameron, written by St. Ambrose (c. 339 – 397), Bishop of Milan. This prolific writer emphasized the gargantuan size of the island whale. According to St. Ambrose, island whales were not found in shallow waters but instead they swam in the middle of Atlantic Ocean where no land was on sight. St. Ambrose described island whales as very territorial and loving their homes ”as if it were their native country”.

The island whale was already described in the legend of St. Brendan the Navigator. St. Brendan’s legend can be found in the renowned Piri Reis map (1513). The map received its name from Piri Reis (born between 1465 and 1470, d. 1554), the Ottoman admiral and cartographer who had significant influence on the art and science of cartography. When looking at the Piri Reis map one can find St. Brendans legend gathered from the mappae mundi in the upper part of the map. The legend describes how St. Brendan, early Irish saint and legendary explorer, during his travels mistook a huge fish for dry land and made fire on its back. The heat of fire irritated the fish, making it plunge back under the water.

These three were not the only sea monsters of Carta Marina, merely the ones I wanted to introduce in this post. Together with other sea monsters such as the sea swine, the rosmarus and the ziphius they haunted the seas instilling fear in seafarers.

Safe travels and favorable winds,

Piia

Further reading:

Olaus Magnus (1555): A Description of the Northern Peoples Volume III.

Ulla Ehrensvärd (2006): Pohjolan kartan historia - myyteistä todellisuuteen. Also published in English as The History of the Nordic Map - From Myths to Reality.

Joseph Nigg (2013): Sea Monsters - A Voyage around the World’s Most Beguiling Map

Jerry Brotton (2014): Great Maps - The World’s Masterpieces Explored And Explained

It is only fitting that the journey starts with maps. Mappa Mythica is framed by two maps. Both of these maps have a special meaning to me.

It was May 2024 and I had been living in Southern Finland for a bit over a decade. I went to see Karttoja, Kaukomaita ja kuviteltuja maailmoja (Maps, Distant Lands and Imagined Worlds) exhibition in Museokeskus Taika, Hyvinkää with my friends. I was immediately captivated by the beauty of incredibly detailed maps on display there. On closer inspection I found something very familiar in them: my hometown Tornio.

In the logo of Mappa Mythica you see part of Adrian Veen’s map Nativus Sueciae adiacentiumque regnorum typus (1613) centered on Tornio. I took a photograph of this map in the exhibition.

Veen’s map depicts Scandinavia and parts of Russia. It was engraved by Jodocus Hondius Jr. and published in Amsterdam in 1613. The map was dedicated to Gustavus Adolphus (Gustav II Adolf, 1594–1632), king of Sweden who turned Sweden into one of the great European powers of the time. Gustavus Adolphus also planted the seeds of Finnish land surveying by assigning Andreas Bure (1571–1646) to map areas that would later become Finland. Back in those days Finland was the eastern part of the kingdom of Sweden.

Veen’s map has been described as the best map of Scandinavia during its own time. It is also a beautiful display of skill with elegant details including Sweden’s coat of arms standing between two lions and a ship sailing at full sail.

Nativus Sueciae adiacentiumque regnorum typus wasn’t the first map where Tornio was depicted. You can also find it in an older map: Olaus Magnus’ Carta Marina (1539).

The banner of Mappa Mythica is a piece from this map centered on Tornio and surrounding areas.

Carta Marina is the first map depicting Nordic countries more or less correctly. It also shows Baltic countries, Greenland and parts of British Isles and Russia. Carta Marina was printed on nine sheets in Venice in 1539. It was a huge map measuring about 170 x 125 cm. This ambitious project took twelve years to be completed by its cartographer.

The cartographer of the map was Olaus Magnus (1490–1557). He was a Swedish diplomat, cartographer, writer and Catholic clergyman. He was a learned man and traveled widely. In 1518–1519 he traveled in Sweden, Norway and Northern Finland. During his travels he observed salmon fishing in Tornio, which he described later as a prosperous region. Olaus Magnus continued his journey up the Tornio river all the way to Pello. He stood on the shore of the same river along which I grew up and charted previously unknown areas that now frame Mappa Mythica.

His travels helped him to chart the shores of Nordic countries more accurately than anyone before him (even though accuracy of inlands left much to be desired). His other sources for Carta Marina included earlier cartography, literature and tales of sailors.

Olaus Magnus didn’t create his map in Sweden. His good relationship with King Gustav I Vasa (1496-1560) soured during the Reformation when Sweden chose to embrace the Lutheran form of Christianity. Catholic Olaus Magnus didn’t have a place in Sweden anymore. He was exiled and his property in Sweden confiscated in 1530. Pope Paul III appointed him as the next Catholic Archbishop of Uppsala following the death of his brother, the also exiled previous archbishop Johannes Magnus (1488-1544). Thus Olaus Magnus became known as the last Catholic Archbishop of Uppsala, even though he was archbishop in name only. Due to the Reformation he wasn’t able to perform his duties or set foot in Sweden again.

Carta Marina, with its astonishingly detailed depictions of folk culture and fierce sea monsters, was the authority for cartographers seeking to map the North European seas for the next fifty years. The existence of some of the sea monsters came into question a hundred years later. But why was Carta Marina filled with sea monsters? Unlike in many other maps of the time, they were not only for decoration. Their task was to teach and warn sailors of dangerous waters during times when many lives were lost at sea.

Thus Carta Marina stands at the intersection of myth and reality where medieval spirituality meets empiricism of the Renaissance. And here stands also Mappa Mythica, field journal of the cartographer of mythologies. We begin our journey from the intersection of myths and reality, fantastic and mundane. You can expect posts and notes from the field journal twice a month from today onwards. Once again, welcome to Mappa Mythica.

Hic svnt dracones — here be dragons.

Piia