In a Circle—The Hereford Map as a ‘Cosmic Clock’

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article presents an alternative approach to reading the temporal layer of medieval mappaemundi by comparing its shape to that of a sundial rather than superimposing a vertical chronological axis on the map. The possible uses of introducing such an analogy are discussed with regard to the late thirteenth-century Hereford world map. While this article does not seek to override established findings, it argues that adding this new interpretation to the existing research could potentially enrich our understanding of the ties between time and space in medieval cartography.