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Creatures

The map contains over 30 illustrations of creatures distributed in different areas of the world. Most of them were drew referring to Conrad Gessner’s Historia Animalium published in 16th Century.

Presented with annotations, some of the displayed creatures can be identified easily nowadays, e.g., crocodile. However, most of the creatures were created with combination of myth and reality, and thus neither we today nor the people in the 17th Century know if they exist, as in the following examples:

wolverine.png

Wolverine

東北國產 。”

“The insatiable and gluttonous wolverine emptying its stomach by squeezing itself between trees” (Uppsala University Library). 

Rhinoceros.png

Rhinoceros 鼻角

印度地產 不能 鋼鐵

Originated from India, Rhinoceros have the similar size of elephants, while their legs are a bit shorter……Before it fights with the elephant, it sharpens its sharp horn on the rocks, and then hits the elephant’s stomach and kills it.

Unicorn.png

Unicorn

印度國產 解毒

“Asia: Unicorn. With around 1.5 meter long horn that can be used as medicine (antibody). Unicorn can attack the lion because it is seen as the enemy” (Trainor, 2008, p83).

Siren.png

Mermaid 西

海洋西 (Latin: Siren),男女下半止血。”

“They have bodies like humans and tails like fish. Male and female’s tails and bones can be used to stop bleeding. Female ’s bones and tails work better” (Trainor, 2008, p99).