Story: Deep-sea creatures

16th-century depiction of the deep

16th-century depiction of the deep

In the absence of knowledge about life in the deep oceans, imagination and myth were rich alternatives. In the mid-16th century German cartographer Sebastian Münster created this woodcut incorporating elements of reality and fantasy. It was published in his work Cosmographia universalis. Modern-day exploration of the deep has revealed life forms just as bizarre.

Using this item

University of Otago Library, Special Collections, de Beer Collection
Reference: Sebastian Münster, Cosmographiae universalis lib. VI. Basel, 1559, pp. 852–853

All images & media in this story

How to cite this page:

Paddy Ryan, 'Deep-sea creatures - Exploration of the deep', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/artwork/5232/16th-century-depiction-of-the-deep (accessed 16 April 2024)

Story by Paddy Ryan, published 12 Jun 2006