ABSTRACT
Until the mid-1550s the Arctic was an unknown place for most Europeans. This chapter examines how the northern polar region and Arctic waters were depicted in early modern maps, particularly during the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. It analyses the maps in the context of visual culture and European expansion, which was characteristic of the period. Mapping was an integral part of the early modern European state-building process and colonialism. Maps were much more than pieces of geographical information in the early modern world. With the help of three case studies, the chapter discusses how the polar region was visualised. It focuses on three aspects: the mythical Arctic, northern exploration and human-animal relations. The early modern period was a time of increased interest in active exploration and mapping of all corners of the world.
