ABSTRACT

Early 16th century knowledge of Europe’s northern regions was fragmentary and incomplete; reliable observations were few, contemporary written sources were scarce, and maps of the far north were mainly compilations of word-of-mouth knowledge and imprecise ancient geographical descriptions. Enhanced maps resulted from the emerging depiction of an extensive White Sea in mid-16th century. Areas farther east and north were still largely unknown. A debated issue was the existence of the North Pole continent, depicted on many 16th century maps. In the 1590s, new discoveries were made by Dutch explorers, principally through the Barentsz expeditions, searching for a shorter route to Asia, referred to as the Northeast Passage. The article analyses maps made before, during and after the Dutch voyages and illuminates different stages in the development of 16th century knowledge of the European North. Although unsuccessful, the search for the Northeast Passage contributed to an expansion of the known world and more accurate mapping of the far north. The expeditions were the first to depict Spitsbergen and Bear Island on maps and proved that Novaya Zemlya was not part of a North Pole continent. By the end of the century, the image of the European North had been totally reshaped.

摘要

16世纪初，对欧洲北部地区的了解是零碎的和不完整的。可靠的观察很少，当代书面资料稀少，远北地区的地图主要是口碑知识的汇编和不精确的古代地理描述。增强的地图源于16世纪中叶对广阔的白海的描绘。远东和北远的地区仍然未知。一个争论不休的问题是北极大陆的存在，在许多16世纪的地图上都有描绘。在1590年代，荷兰探险家主要是通过Barentsz探险队发现了新的发现，以寻找通往亚洲的更短路线，即东北通道。本文分析了之前制作的地图，在荷兰航行期间和之后，并阐明了16世纪欧洲北部知识发展的不同阶段。尽管没有成功，但搜寻东北航道有助于扩大已知世界，并更精确地绘制远北地区。这次探险是第一个在地图上描绘斯匹次卑尔根岛和熊岛的探险活动，并证明了Novaya Zemlya不属于北极大陆。到本世纪末，欧洲北部的形象已完全重塑。