22 replies to this topic

[Taranaich]

Another distraction of mine when I should be getting on with Uni work: I decided to make my own map of the Hyborian Age, using (well, directly lifting) elements of Dale Rippke's maps of the Blue East and Black Kingdoms, and Howard's original map. I think it looks fairly reasonable.



It's not 100% accurate, but I think it gives a general feel to the world. It's also slightly offset for aesthetic reasons, it's approximately 15 degrees counter-clockwise from a traditional north=up/south=down perspective. I didn't add cities because, frankly, I didn't know where to put most of them. I'll probably add them and some landmarks of note like Kuthchemes, Yimsha, Xapur and so forth.

[PainBrush]

That is a pretty darn good map , I especially like the way the rivers are more visible & offset from the borders . At least as good as any other Hyboria maps I've seen & better than most , especially those old ones from the Lancer/Ace ( & for your side of the globe the Sphere ones I think ) paperbacks . Probably just a personal quirk , it doesn't seem to interest anyone else at all , but I still always imagine the lands south of stygia ( the ones Howard didn't add to his maps except for arrows pointing down or whatever ) - as being much larger . Kind of like a 'Gondwana' in later stages of breaking apart & sinking & rising & moving . In real geography , the days 'before' Hyboria would exist , from a lot of different things I've read whats now Africa was mostly all Jungle rather than desert like now & was the largest or 2nd continent as they're defined today , & so it doesn't seem like it would be actually smaller or shaped much differently in the Hyborean age , or partially submerged . ( & so not included on maps )

( - notice I didn't mention anything 'Pangaeic' )


hmm , I only just now noticed I use 'Hyborian' & 'Hyborean' interchangeably , I'll have to pay attention in the future as i type..........

Edited by PAINBRUSH, 02 April 2007 - 10:02 PM.

[deuce]

Nice work, Taranaich!

[Taranaich]

Probably just a personal quirk , it doesn't seem to interest anyone else at all , but I still always imagine the lands south of stygia ( the ones Howard didn't add to his maps except for arrows pointing down or whatever ) - as being much larger . Kind of like a 'Gondwana' in later stages of breaking apart & sinking & rising & moving . In real geography , the days 'before' Hyboria would exist , from a lot of different things I've read whats now Africa was mostly all Jungle rather than desert like now & was the largest or 2nd continent as they're defined today , & so it doesn't seem like it would be actually smaller or shaped much differently in the Hyborean age , or partially submerged . ( & so not included on maps )

I think this is because I based the map on a Mercator projection, and I suspect Howard did as well. It's a very common method, but tends to inflate high latitudes quite a bit:



It's useful as a political or economic tool, but it gives the impression that Greenland has the same land area as Africa when it's only about a 10th the size. I think this should be taken into account with my map, as it deceptively shows the Nordheim and the northern Hyborian kingdoms as larger than they probably would be.

Another problem with my map is that Dale seems to have based his map on the Winkel Tripel or maybe Robinson projection, meaning that it's a bit warped. Then again, I'm not a cartographer by trade, so I guess I could be cut a little slack.

[Axerules]

Nice work! Thanks.

I will use it in RPG sessions, it's more faithful to REH's writings than the Mongoose maps. Does somebody know if Dale Rippke will also make a complete one available on his website ?

Edited by Axerules, 14 November 2007 - 02:48 AM.

[Kortoso]

Since the Hyborian map does not show the whole wide world, the projection is not that critical, as long as relative sizes are not distorted.

Excellent map! I would stick with one font or maybe two. You don't want your map to be mistaken for a ransom note.

[PainBrush]

I think this is because I based the map on a Mercator projection, and I suspect Howard did as well. It's a very common method, but tends to inflate high latitudes quite a bit:

It's useful as a political or economic tool, but it gives the impression that Greenland has the same land area as Africa when it's only about a 10th the size.

I never actually read of Mercator , I have one of those nifty National Geographic huge wall maps right next to me & you're abso. right - Greenland is tiny comparatively , actually a lot of the map shows huge differences from the ones I recall in textbooks back in school & that one you posted above . It actually makes Africa look even much bigger than all of Europe in comparison too , almost the same as Europe & Asia together .

Then again, I'm not a cartographer by trade, so I guess I could be cut a little slack.

Obviously I'm not one either , hope I didn't sound like I was critiquing . I guess I still wonder about different folks ideas of the nature of/shape/geography/movement or lack of , etc. of Hyboria . To me it still seems like it should be some sort of prehistoric amalgamation of land-masses still smushed together , but in the later stages of breaking apart & shifting ( including the rising & sinking of areas like Howard said before , probably during & after the Hyborian age obviously , but not 'only' that ) Even though Deuce just about tore me a new one for my 'pangaea' ideas a while back , & he made perfect sense in his arguments & I know how he sees it , that's still what Howards 'cataclysms' mean to me , & I still can't rationalize areas of the entire globe just rising & sinking up & down but never shifting , moving , creating mountains , lakes , seas , continents etc as they do so , like how 'real' geography always has worked . & If a country or region just drops 'straight' down & fills over with water - that creates a seperation still , the land is no longer on the map , seperate continents form regardless of how shallow that water might be in the spaces between . If 'not' , then the next logical statement to me is that we still 'do' live on Pangaea - because technically every continent is 'still' connected together , only at different levels under the seas , unless one or two go spinning off into space ( but I hate sci-fi ! )

That might just be my stubborn artists eye & mind that only sees the continents as parts of a big jigsaw puzzle that fit neatly (almost) together . Even forcing that willing suspension of disbelief to try & imagine it differently my admittedly quirky 'intellect' side of my brain just doesn't seem to overide the 'visual' side that is how I usually percieve things . I think that has a lot to do with the way Howard wrote too , mixing cultures , races & time-periods in mix & match , sometimes almost anachronistic ways . There's never any major problems with travel , people just ending up from one exotic alien place to another , or what feels like one age or empire to another in Hyboria , so it has some kind of organic 'oneness' to it in my mind I think . Okay , now I'm sounding like some kind of hippy , so I'm gonna stop trying to figure it out here before I end up talking about the finer points of Pict compared to Elven grammar or just what those hobbits were smoking in their pipes . Anyhow , like I had said that is def. one of the best Hyborias I've seen . Maybe one day you might try your hand at an animation of how you see the world evolved from pre-history through Valusia/Atlantis/Thuria/Hyboria/Cataclysm-ia(?)to today , now THAT would be cool to see !

- Just curious , does anybody else imagine Hyboria evolving the same way as I imagine it described above ? I'd like to hear as many members ideas about that as possible , it is a really interesting subject . I don't want to sidetrack Taranaichs topic thread tho - so should I start another thread , or is anybody even interested at all ? That's why I'm always leary of starting topics - I hate boring folks or just talking to myself ( I never get a word in edgewise !)

Edited by PAINBRUSH, 03 April 2007 - 08:06 PM.

[Taranaich]

Since the Hyborian map does not show the whole wide world, the projection is not that critical, as long as relative sizes are not distorted.

Excellent map! I would stick with one font or maybe two. You don't want your map to be mistaken for a ransom note.

The reason I used different fonts is to make a sort of distinction between cultures, as a quick reference. The scratchy ones are sort of a homage to Conan's "filling out" the rest of the royal maps.

Obviously I'm not one either , hope I didn't sound like I was critiquing .

Not at all big lad, in any case I welcome criticism.

That might just be my stubborn artists eye & mind that only sees the continents as parts of a big jigsaw puzzle that fit neatly (almost) together . Even forcing that willing suspension of disbelief to try & imagine it differently my admittedly quirky 'intellect' side of my brain just doesn't seem to overide the 'visual' side that is how I usually percieve things . I think that has a lot to do with the way Howard wrote too , mixing cultures , races & time-periods in mix & match , sometimes almost anachronistic ways . There's never any major problems with travel , people just ending up from one exotic alien place to another , or what feels like one age or empire to another in Hyboria , so it has some kind of organic 'oneness' to it in my mind I think .

I personally think it does look a bit smushed together like you describe. One thing that I haven't put on the map yet is the elevation: I think that land levels were much more disparate than in modern times, with the mountains higher and valleys lower. The Himelians in particular would make the Hindu Kush look like molehills!

Anyhow , like I had said that is def. one of the best Hyborias I've seen . Maybe one day you might try your hand at an animation of how you see the world evolved from pre-history through Valusia/Atlantis/Thuria/Hyboria/Cataclysm-ia(?)to today , now THAT would be cool to see !

I did consider that, but it would seem "incomplete" without including the Thurian age, but it would be nice. I often thought an animated short film of the Hyborian Age essay would be nice, considering all the stuff that happens. I'm also eager to do an army animation now that I've figured out how easy they are to do!

Edited by Taranaich, 04 April 2007 - 04:24 PM.

[Spartan198]

Very cool map,Taranaich. I like the use of different fonts,as well.

Just out of curiousity,has anyone ever thought about creating a Hyborian "world map",with Antillia,Mayapan,and the like present? I've always wondered what lands and people resided north of the Vanir,Aesir,and Hyperboreans,for example.
Would any of you be offended if I were to ever attempt such a feat and create some new peoples? Not all cultures of the world are represented in Hyboria,like the ancient Hawaiians,Samoans,and the Easter Island civilization.

Edited by SpartanGlory198, 14 February 2008 - 09:51 AM.

[Spartan198]

Wow, this thread basically died after I posted...

[Fernando]

Wow, this thread basically died after I posted...

No, my friend! The thread won't "die" after your last post. I've noticed... Vendhya goes too southward, because Taranaich forgot of including the Ghanara Homeland in southern India. Anyway, it's a very good map, as other persons said here.

[Fernando]

I forgot to ask ('cause I haven't noticed it until a few seconds ago)... When Taranaich called Madagascar of "Nameless Isle", was he thinking about the island found by Conan and Sigurd, in the LSDC/LC's pastiche Conan The Buccaneer?

[Taranaich]

Just out of curiousity,has anyone ever thought about creating a Hyborian "world map",with Antillia,Mayapan,and the like present? I've always wondered what lands and people resided north of the Vanir,Aesir,and Hyperboreans,for example.
Would any of you be offended if I were to ever attempt such a feat and create some new peoples? Not all cultures of the world are represented in Hyboria,like the ancient Hawaiians,Samoans,and the Easter Island civilization.

I believe Dale Rippke (and possibly Deuce) are attempting something like this: Dale Rippke's doing the Nameless Continent, at least. And though I can't speak for everyone, I don't see any problems with you making your own map: the more the merrier.

I've noticed... Vendhya goes too southward, because Taranaich forgot of including the Ghanara Homeland in southern India.

Yep. I also think I made Nemedia and Stygia far too small, and the Isle of the Black Ones really shouldn't be there at all (it should be off in the Antilles).

I forgot to ask ('cause I haven't noticed it until a few seconds ago)... When Taranaich called Madagascar of "Nameless Isle", was he thinking about the island found by Conan and Sigurd, in the LSDC/LC's pastiche Conan The Buccaneer?

No, I didn't, oddly enough: I haven't read it. I just called it the "Nameless Isle" for the mythos connotations.

Anyway, it's a very good map, as other persons said here. biggrin.gif

Cheers!

[Angel]

Nice work!!! :-D

[Sean]

I really wish I could see the full map. The thumbnail looks intriguing, but the link doesn't work for me. Could you repost it?

[Taranaich]

Hmm, seems to have disappeared for me too. I'll see if I can get it put back up.

[Sean]

Awesome, thanks.

[Sean]

Any luck, Taranaich?

[Sean]

I am assuming that the file was never found?

[Ant]

I am assuming that the file was never found?

It?s there:


Cheers,
Ant