1614 Munster Leaf: Barbarians Goths Huns Vandals
1614 Description of the Barbarians
from "Cosmographia" by Sebastian Münster
Visigoths, Ostrogoths, Huns, Vandals
One Woodcut Picture
Single authentic woodcut leaf from
"Cosmographia" by Sebastian Munster. German edition; Basel printing
house of Sebastian Heinrich-Petri 1614. Book V ("Von Deutschland"), pages
601/2
 Sebastian
Münster (1488-1552) was a German cartographer, cosmographer, and
Hebrew scholar whose Cosmographia (1544; "Cosmography") was the earliest
German description of the world and a major work
- after the Nuremberg Chronicle of 1493 - in the revival of
geographic thought in 16th-century Europe. Altogether, about 40 editions of the
Cosmographia appeared during 1544-1628.
Although other cosmographies predate Münster's, he is given
first place in historical discussions of this sort of publication, and
was a major influence on his subject for over 200 years.
In nearly all works about Münster, his Cosmographia is
given pride of place. Despite this, we still lack a detailed survey of
its contents from edition to edition, during the years 1544 to 1628, and
an account of its influence on a wide range of scientific disciplines.
Münster obtained the material for his book in three ways. He used
all available literary sources. He tried to obtain original manuscript
material for description of the countryside and of villages and towns.
Finally, he obtained further material on his travels (primarily in
south-west Germany, Switzerland, and Alsace). Cosmographia contained not
only the latest maps and views of many well-known cities, but included
an encyclopaedic amount of detail about the known - and unknown - world
and undoubtedly must have been one of the most widely read books of its
time. Aside from the well-known maps and views present in the
Cosmographia (including
the first separate printed map of the Western Hemisphere), the text
is thickly sprinkled with vigorous woodcuts:
portraits of kings and princes, costumes and occupations, habits and
customs, flora and fauna, monsters and horrors.
The 1614 and 1628 editions of Cosmographia are divided into nine books.
Nearly all the sections, especially those dealing with history, were enlarged.
Descriptions were extended, additional places included, errors rectified.
This authentic
leaf from the late edition of Cosmographia deals with
Europe during Barbarian invasions.
Page 601 is devoted to the Goths
- Germanic tribes
whose two branches, the Ostrogoths and the Visigoths, for centuries
harassed the Roman Empire.
Münster writes about the victory of the Visigoths
against the Roman emperor
Valens on the plains
outside Adrianople AD 378. He also talks about the reign of
Theodoric I who was killed in 451 fighting against
Attila in the Battle of the Catalaunian Plains. Theodoric I is the first
Visigothic leader who can properly be described as a monarch.
The last section on p. 601 talks about Rodericus (Rodrigo)
- the last Visigothic king of Spain, who died 711 during the Muslim invasion.
Page 602 (first section. "Von den Hunnen") describes the kingdom of the Huns
of Attila and the wars between the Huns and the Goths. The last section,
"Von den Wandalen,"
is on the Vandals and their North African kingdom.
The leaf contains
the woodcut picture of Roderick.
See scans for more details; click image to view larger version.
The page measures 8.6 x 13.25 inches.
Very wide margins suitable
for framing. Printed on laid paper.
The condition is good.
Imperfections:
browning, soiling and handling in margins (which can be trimmed, if needed).
The woodcut picture is in very good condition.
This is a remarkable historical document which
will look great with a mat and frame.
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This item is unconditionally guaranteed to be original and as described. We do not sell reproductions or
copies.
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I am a member of
the International Map Collectors' Society (IMCoS)
and
the Washington Map Society.
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