This article is about a phrase used on maps. For other uses, see Here be dragons (disambiguation)

Phrase used on maps to indicate uncharted areas

The text 'Hic Sunt Dracones' on the Hunt–Lenox Globe , dating from 1504

"Here be dragons" (hic sunt dracones in Latin) means dangerous or unexplored territories, in imitation of a medieval practice of putting illustrations of dragons, sea monsters and other mythological creatures on uncharted areas of maps where potential dangers were thought to exist.[1][2]

History [ edit ]

Although several early maps, such as the Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, have illustrations of mythological creatures for decoration, the phrase itself is an anachronism.[3] The only known historical use of this phrase is in the Latin form "HC SVNT DRACONES" (i.e. hic sunt dracones, here are dragons) on the Hunt-Lenox Globe (c. 1503–07). Earlier maps contain a variety of references to mythical and real creatures, but the Lenox Globe is the only known surviving map to bear this phrase. The term appeared on the Lenox Globe around the east coast of Asia, and might be related to the Komodo dragons in the Indonesian islands, tales of which were quite common throughout East Asia.

As geographers, Sosius , crowd into the edges of their maps parts of the world which they do not know about, adding notes in the margin to the effect, that beyond this lies nothing but sandy deserts full of wild beasts, unapproachable bogs, Scythian ice, or a frozen sea, so, in this work of mine, in which I have compared the lives of the greatest men with one another, after passing through those periods which probable reasoning can reach to and real history find a footing in, I might very well say of those that are farther off, beyond this there is nothing but prodigies and fictions, the only inhabitants are the poets and inventors of fables; there is no credit, or certainty any farther. Plutarch, Parallel Lives (1st century)

The classical phrase used by ancient Roman and Medieval cartographers was HIC SVNT LEONES (literally, "here are lions") when denoting unknown territories on maps.[4]





Dragons on maps [ edit ]

Dragons appear on a few other historical maps:





Other creatures on maps [ edit ]

See also [ edit ]

Mappa mundi – Medieval European map of the world

Terra incognita – 'Unknown land', area not mapped by cartographers

Terra pericolosa – Italian phrase for "dangerous land", used in cartography

References [ edit ]

Notes

Bibliography