Le Nord : revue internationale des Pays de Nord - 01.06.1944, Page 335

REVTJE LITTÉRAIRE
The Faeroese topographical maps
include a large amount of valuable
geographical material. In respect of
physiography the representation of
the terrain, which is extremely de-
tailed, should be brought into spe-
cial prominence. The difference of
altitude between the curves on cul-
tivated ground is 5 m., elsewhere 10
m., and thanks to the large scale
the cartographical picture thus may
be very expressive. By the clear di-
vision into cultivated and uncul-
tivated land a very strong effect is
obtained, and thus, by only view-
ing some of these maps, we are
greatly impressed by the particular
geographical conditions of the Faer-
oese community.
The reproduction of old maps is
technically an extremely difficult
task. In cases of manuscript maps
the state of preservation is often
defective or even bad, and it re-
quires great gentleness and indefa-
tigable care to obtain a satisfac-
tory effect. Therefore is should be
stated, with the greatest recognition
of the technical staff of the Geo-
detic Institute, that the reproduc-
tion has been so successful as is
perhaps possible by means of the
technique of the present day. Par-
ticularly there is good reason to
give prominence to the hitherto un-
published maps made by Johannes
295
Mejer. The colours, even the ground
of the paper, have been hit off with
such an accuracy that they are prac-
tically identical with the originals..
No kind of retouch has been made,
all small errors in drawing, dele-
tions, blots, etc., are included, thus
also written additions on the edges
of the maps.
Scientifically this series of carto-
graphical works constitute a very
significant advance, not only within
the study of the history of Danish
cartography, but also within the hi-
story of cartography in general. For
Danish cartography is not isolated,
the results always being due to in-
teraction between foreign and Da-
nish activity. Norlund with his
knowledge of early European carto-
graphy, probably unique in our
day, has been able to draw the
principal lines of development ex-
ceedingly clearly and shrewdly and
further has added a great many de-
tails to the picture of the develop-
ment. Publikationer fra Geodætisk
Institut thus is not only a new and
fundamental account of this impor-
tant aspect of Danish and Scandi-
navian cultural development, but
also a work of fundamental impor-
tance for the study of the carto-
graphy of Europe from the early
Middle Ages to the present day.
Niels Nielsen.