64 replies to this topic

[Rakka]

Free Northman, on 03 April 2012 - 02:12 AM, said:

Instead, their manner of mapping is crude and direct. They measure distance by how long it takes to walk or ride or sail from one point to the next.  So from Winterfell to the Wall is say 20 days travel on the Kingsroad, at 30 miles a day, gives you 600 miles or whatever.

This is a map created with the abovementioned method:  http://cipher.uiah.f.../3b_lafreri.jpg
This is a satellite image of the region: http://www.virtualtr...8/09/sweden.jpg

So either the map is only vaguely accurate, or it is accurate as a tweaked equal angle projection goes. I don't know if Martin has said anything about the map in the books being the one that's mainly known to Westerosi, or whether it is indeed accurate, so I don't want to assume anything. (Is anyone else peeved that the maps in fantasy books are always accurate and the one that the protagonists use? At least in A:tLA it was addressed.)

[Free Northman]

Rakka, on 05 April 2012 - 02:05 PM, said:

This is a map created with the abovementioned method:  http://cipher.uiah.f.../3b_lafreri.jpg
This is a satellite image of the region: http://www.virtualtr...8/09/sweden.jpg

So either the map is only vaguely accurate, or it is accurate as a tweaked equal angle projection goes. I don't know if Martin has said anything about the map in the books being the one that's mainly known to Westerosi, or whether it is indeed accurate, so I don't want to assume anything. (Is anyone else peeved that the maps in fantasy books are always accurate and the one that the protagonists use? At least in A:tLA it was addressed.)

I think Martin has pretty much said that the maps are based on medieval knowledge. But the point is, Martin has also confirmed that the Wall is 300 miles long. So that pretty much tells us exactly how big the rest of the North is in comparison to it. At least insofar as the maps are accurate.

My point is not that the maps are accurate, but that the North's size is not overstated compared to the South. If the North is innacurate, then the South will be inaccurate to the same extent.

[Rakka]

If the maps are based on estimates, then knowing the lenght of the Wall doesn't help that much in determining the size of the continent. Also there's no reason why distortion would be constant: look at this medieval map, for example. This is a good one, too. The coastlines' forms are pretty accurate, but the dimensions otherwise are very wonky especially in the northern Europe. Unless Martin says whether the map is accurate or not, I wouldn't use the lenght of the Wall to say anything about the sizes of the continents there.
http://blogs.library...ts/worldmap.JPG

[Free Northman]

Rakka, on 06 April 2012 - 03:43 AM, said:

If the maps are based on estimates, then knowing the lenght of the Wall doesn't help that much in determining the size of the continent. Also there's no reason why distortion would be constant: look at this medieval map, for example. This is a good one, too. The coastlines' forms are pretty accurate, but the dimensions otherwise are very wonky especially in the northern Europe. Unless Martin says whether the map is accurate or not, I wouldn't use the lenght of the Wall to say anything about the sizes of the continents there.
http://blogs.library...ts/worldmap.JPG

We know of a few points of of consistency, actually.

The Wall is stated to be 300 miles long. And in Dance, we are told that Deepwood Motte is 300 miles from Winterfell, as the crow flies.

When you compare the distance between Winterfell and Deepwood Motte on the map, it matches virtually exactly the length of the Wall.

There is also the fact that Martin himself said that we can use the Wall as a rough measuring tool to calculate distances in Westeros.

So overall, the map seems to be pretty consistent with current information at our disposal.

Edited by Free Northman, 12 April 2012 - 02:47 AM.

[Darth Rivers]

So it is not adjusted for projection?