Exceptionally rare: only six other examples 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]).

The map is also justly famous for its up-to-date cartography, including Sir Walter Raleigh's Lost Colony of Roanoke, and showing the results of the circumnavigations by 

.

In addition to being a revolutionary map for its advanced projection, it is one of the best-known and most mysterious of all maps, decorated with elaborate artwork and allegories with deep philosophical and ideological meaning. 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 the scene from a very rare print by Hieronymous Wierix after an original drawing by Maerten de Vos (see SC-E-1580c-WierixdeJode-ChristianKnight-

). 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.

Edward Wright (1561–1615) was an English mathematician and cartographer noted for his book ‘Certaine Errors in Navigation’ (1599), which for the first time explained the mathematical basis of the Mercator projection by building on the works of Pedro Nunes, and set out a reference table giving the linear scale multiplication factor as a function of latitude, calculated for each minute of arc up to a latitude of 75°. 

While Wright published his findings in 1599, his draft manuscript of had already been used by his friend Jodocus Hondius for the ‘Christian Knight map of the world. Hondius, however, employed Wright's calculations without asking permission. Although Hondius sent apologetic letters to his friend, Wright condemned Hondius's deceit and greed in the preface to ‘Certaine Errors’. He wryly commented: ‘But the way how this [Mercator projection] should be done, I learned neither of Mercator, nor of any man els. And in that point I wish I had beene as wise as he in keeping it more charily to myself’.

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. Mercator solved the problem of how to map the spherical Earth onto a flat sheet of paper, while keeping compass bearings as straight lines. The map is also well-known for its depiction of Roanoke, the first English colony in America. 

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 (see SC-E-1580c-WierixdeJode-ChristianKnight-

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

'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 projection was first used on a huge wall map made by Mercator, only three examples of which survive. 
However, Mercator's projection severely distorts and exaggerates the size of regions far from the equator, as the scale increases from the equator to the poles. Greenland takes as much area on the map as Africa, while in fact Africa is fifteen times greater. Antarctica appears the biggest continent, although it is actually the fifth in size. But the fact that lines of true bearing or course are straight lines outweighs these distortions.


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’.

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

The 'Christian Knight Map'