Including a Fine 16th-century Engraved Map of Scandinavia
With Nearly 500 Woodcuts of Nordic Marvels in the Text
Earliest Illustrations of Skiing
The first Italian edition of this classic work on the Nordic countries. Translated from the original Latin edition published at Rome in 1555. The beautiful, engraved map (which appeared as a woodcut in the first Latin edition) shows Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Iceland and parts of the Baltic countries as well as a bit of Scotland and England. The wonderful woodcut illustrations which grace the text depict all manner of northern customs, trades and occupations, animals and monsters, dueling, hunting, and everyday activities such as swimming, horse racing, skiing, and other sports. The illustrations of skiing are believed to be the earliest published views of the sport. Several of the woodcuts are maps.
It is the most remarkable work published on Scandinavia, full of curious matter, embracing manners, customs, occupations, weapons, legends, myths and superstitions; a detailed description of the birds, animals and fish, and interspersed with historical anecdotes and some quaint stories - Cox.
The work is included in catalogues of early Americana by bibliographic authorities due to the content relating to Greenland, traditionally considered part of North America, at least geologically, if culturally linked to Denmark.
Bill Ginsberg describes the copperplate map of the present 1565 edition:
Comparing it with the map from the first edition shows it to be a very close copy. However, the use of copper instead of wood imparts a sense of refinement that is absent in the 1554/55 model. The book's style, elegance, and legibility distinguish it from the other folio editions of this work - Printed Maps of Scandinavia, page 89.
Olaus Magnus (1490 - 1557) was a Nordic historian renowned for Pohjoisten kansojen historia [A History of the Nordic Peoples] and as the creator of a famous nine-sheet map, Carta marina, closely connected with the same. He was a highly learned clergyman who is often referred to as the last Roman Catholic bishop of Swedish Finland. In reality he did not attend to his bishop vocation for even as long as a day, because King Gustav had changed Sweden into a land of Lutheranism and could not approve a Catholic bishop appointed by the Pope. Olaus Magnus lived in exile for the rest of his life and died in Rome.
From 1518 to 1519, Olaus Magnus made a journey across Sweden. During his trek, he collected information connected with nature as well as the people and their habits, which serve as the foundation of his works. Pohjoisten kansojen historia [A History of the Nordic Peoples], which was first published in 1555, also incorporates fanciful descriptions of past events, tales of legendary kings and queens, and the like. Scenes show dragons, witches, Laplanders hunting on skis, giants, wizards, mining, viking women, wars, attacks on castles, defending the coasts of Iceland, King Hake and his war against Denmark and King Sigar, and all manner of guns and weapons used by Nordic peoples.
Rarity
Nice complete examples with the map present are quite rare in the market.