Mayda
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mayda is the name of a non-existent island that has been shown on several published maps at various points in history. It was most often represented as having the shape of a sickle and its position has varied widely over time. Early maps drew the island west of Brittany and southwest of Ireland. Later it moved towards the Americas (Newfoundland, Bermuda, West Indies). Its last appearance, in 1906, was on a Rand McNally map. It is believed that its existence solely served to fill empty spaces on maps.[citation needed]
Mayda also appeared being called: Asmayda, Asmaida, Mayde and Mayd. The name has sometimes been said to be of Arabic origin. It appears as Asmaidas on a map of the New World accompanying Waldseemüller's 1513 edition of Ptolemy.
[edit] Appearances on maps
- Pizigani map (1367) as Brazir
- Catalan map of 1375 as Mam
- Pinelli map of 1384 as Jonzele/I.Onzele
- Bianco world map (1448) as Bentusla
- Waldseemüller map (1513) as Asmaidas
- Prunes map (1553) as Mayda
- Nicolay map (1560) as I man orbolunda
[edit] Possible modern location
In August 22, 1948, the freighter Scientific American made soundings at a position due west of Brittany and found land 20 fathoms down, with a diameter of about 28 miles. This was confirmed by the American freighter Southland two days later, showing a roughly crescent-shaped piece of land.[1]
[edit] References
- ^ No Longer on the Map: Discovering Places that Never Were, Raymond H. Ramsay, New York 1972 ISBN 0670514330 pg 220
- The Great Deep. The Sea and its thresholds, James Hamilton-Paterson
- Legendary islands of the Atlantic: a study in medieval geography, William H Babcock, New York 1922 (American Geographical Society research series; 8)
- "The Problem of Mayda, an Island Appearing on Medieval Maps", William H Babcock, Geographical Review, Vol. 9, No. 4 (Apr-Jun, 1920), pp.335–346
- No Longer on the Map: Discovering Places that Never Were, Raymond H Ramsay, New York 1972 ISBN 0670514330
