Talk:Bünting cloverleaf map
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The Bünting cloverleaf map is a historic mappa mundi drawn by the German theologian and cartographer Heinrich Bünting. The map was published in his book Itinerarium Sacrae Scripturae in 1581. The map depicts the three continents of the Old World, Europe, Africa and Asia, as three leaves forming the shape of a clover, with Jerusalem at the centre. The three continents include captions for some of their countries and illustrations of cities. The clover is surrounded by the ocean, with its surface including illustrations of sea creatures, monsters, and a ship. England and Denmark are represented as two island-shapes above Europe's leaf, while the Americas are shown as a mostly unrevealed shape in the lower left corner, captioned Die Neue Welt (the New World). Map credit: Heinrich Bünting
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"The shape symbolizes the Christian Trinity"
[edit]The article asserts that the shape of this map is based on symbolism related to the Trinity. As best I can tell, the only basis of this claim is the now-defunct Yale Map Collection website (archived version) listed at the bottom of the article, which asserts that:
"In Bunting's map of the world as a clover leaf, representing the Trinity, each of the three continents of the Old World forms a section, with Jerusalem in a circle in the center. England and Scandinavia appear separately at the northern edge of the mpa [sic], and the new continent of America can be seen in the lower left corner. It has been suggested that the cloverleaf design represents not only the Trinity, but the arms of Bunting's native city of Hanover."
I have been unable to find anything corroborating this assessment, and the last sentence here, indicating that it has merely been "suggested" that the cloverleaf might also represent Hanover, casts serious doubt on the credibility of this source.
The very title of the map in Bünting's Itinerarium Sacrae Scriptura states clearly that the shape of the map is based on the coat of arms of Hanover: "Die ganze Welt in einem Kleberblat / Welches ist der Stadt Hannover meines lieben Vaterlandes Wapen"
Furthermore, the accompanying text reiterates that the cloverleaf shape has been chosen in honour of Büntings home city of Hanover. No mention is made of the Trinity, nor indeed is there any discussion of Christian symbolism whatsoever, save for the explanation that Jerusalem has been set in the centre of the world because this is where God established his Church:
"Die erste Taffel begreisst die gelegenheit des ganßen Erdbodems / in der gestalt eines kleberblats.
Damit man die gelegenheit es ganßen Erdbodems desto besser einnemen und begreiffen möge / hab ich des ganßen Erdreichs gelegenheit / in einem Kleberblate abgemalt / und das meinem lieben Vaterland / der Stadt Hannover zu ehren / denn die füret ein grün Kleberblat im Wapen / So kan mans auch zwar nicht einfeltiger und simpler vorbilden.
Der Kern in diesem Kleberbnlat / ist das heilige Land / darin ligt die Stade Jerusalem / gleich als im mittel der Welt. Denn die Stadt Jerusalem ist der reichte Kern des ganßen Erdbodems / und Gott hat daselbst seine Kirche hingesetzet gehabt / gleich als in das mittel der Welt.
Die drei Bletter an diesem Kleberblate / sind die drey Theile der Welt Europa / Asia und Africa. Den is diese drey Theile / wird das Erdreich abgetheilet. [etc.]"
Finally, the actual scholarly sources cited for the cloverleaf shape in the article (viz. Hiatt, Terra incognita, 187 and Carlton, Worldly Consumers, 42) make no allusion to any Trinity related symbolism, but highlight simply that this map is a depiction of the traditional, medieval tripartition of the world:
Hiatt is miscited, but on page 184 he explains that: "The fully formed tripartite world of the medieval ecumene is divided between the elegant leaves of Europe, Asia, and Africa, with Jerusalem in the centre of the trefoil. At the bottom left of the map emerges the inchoate of of ... [sic] something new." And the remainder of the discussion is devoted to the role of America on the map.
Similarly Carlton notes on the page cited that: "The map [viz. Bünting] used the Jerusalem-centered view of the medieval mappaemundi with the three continents of Europe, Asia, and Africa surrounding the much-enlarged city of Jerusalem. The New World [etc.]"
As such, unless a better source can be found, this claim should be removed from the article and from the article on Bünting himself. Inlieuofarandomstring (talk) 09:34, 6 March 2025 (UTC)