Only six examples of this map are recorded today: William L. Clements Library, Ann Arbor (Maps 8-C-19); The British Library, London (Maps 188.k.1 [5]); The Royal Geographical Society, London (264 H 14 [4]); Germanisches Nationalmuseum, Nuremberg (Qu. 4 H 2229)1; Holkham Hall, Wells-next-the-Sea, (Innys Collection); Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften, Vienna (Woldan Collection [K-V(Bl):WE 49]).

In addition to being a revolutionary map for its advanced projection, this map is also famous for its up-to-date cartography, including Sir Walter Raleigh's Lost Colony of Roanoke, Virginia, and showing the results of the circumnavigations by 

 engraved copperplate map of the world on a Mercator projection illustrated with allegorical figures.

An extraordinary work, the so-called ‘Christian Knight Map’ is at the same time a piece of royal propaganda, an exceptional advance in mapmaking, and an exquisite example of copperplate engraving by the master Jodocus Hondius. This is the first map on 

's projection to be printed after the death of the projection’s inventor. Thus, it is an extremely important piece of cartography.

A dominant aspect of the map is its philosophical allegories: the Christian Knight and the King (who is not identified) fighting the Rulers of Darkness: Vanity, Sin, Carnal Weakness, the Devil and Death. This fantastical scene was inspired by a broadside illustration called 'The Christian Soldier's Spiritual Struggle', which was engraved by Hieronymous Wierix and published by 

 in 1580. John Milton is known to have owned an example of this map, inspiring him in his writing of ‘Paradise Lost’.

The 'Christian Knight' map of the world is the first map on 

's projection to be produced after the great geographer's death. Mercator's projection is one of the great intellectual inventions of cartography, solving the ancient problem of how to map the spherical Earth onto a flat sheet of paper, while preserving the bearings of the compass as straight lines. 

The elaborate decorations referencing allegories with deep philosophical and ideological meaning add to the mystery of this map. The scenes at the foot of the map show the Christian Knight fighting the rulers of darkness: Vanity, Sin, Carnal Weakness, the Devil, and Death. Jodocus Hondius derived this scene from a very rare print by Hieronymous Wierix after an original drawing by Maerten de Vos. It has been argued that the portrait is that of Henry IV of France and that the purpose behind the map’s production was to rally Protestants in England and throughout Europe to the side of Henry IV at the moment of crisis in his struggle against Spain and the Catholic powers of Europe.

The 'Christian Knight' map of the world is the first map on Mercator's projection to be produced after the great geographer's death. The map is legendary for its deep philosophical allegories, with the Christian Knight and King fighting the Rulers of Darkness. The map is famous for the depiction of Roanoke, the first English colony in America. John Milton is known to have owned an example of this map, inspiring him in his writing of 'Paradise Lost'.

The 'Christian Knight Map'