Why are Medieval Maps so Weird?

The Hereford Map and other Mappae Mundi are ridiculous looking world maps. They're often used to poke fun of Medieval Europeans. But they were made with a very specific purpose in mind, at a time when the shape of the world was known. So, why do they exist?

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Country Outlines of Hereford Map based on outlines done by Rick Western
https://omniatlas.com/blogs/stray-map...

Interactively Explore the Hereford Map:
https://www.themappamundi.co.uk/mappa...

Clickable Version of Hereford Map:
https://historiacartarum.org/omeka/ne...

For a deeper understanding of the Hereford Map, check out David Woodward's full chapter on Mappaemundi:
https://press.uchicago.edu/books/HOC/...

Woodward's chapter is part of a larger series, all available online on the History of Cartography:
https://press.uchicago.edu/books/HOC/...

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0:00 - How people used to Imagine the World
0:29 - Understanding the Hereford Map
1:00 - The History of Mappae Mundi
2:11 - The Stories of the Hereford Map
3:48 - The Purpose of World Maps in the Medieval Ages

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Thank you to all of those who shared their images and sound effects under a Creative Commons License:

"Ambience, London Waterloo Train Station.wav" by InspectorJ (www.jshaw.co.uk) of Freesound.org