Chart of the World Shewing the Religion, Population and Civilization of Each Country.
"Chart of religion, population and civilization by Wyld, 1815'. Wyld has graded the levels of civilization on a scale of I-V with Europe predictably at the top and Africa at the bottom. Canada comes off badly with the population being described as 'English and French besides some cann...
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| Format: | Map |
| Language: | unknown |
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Samuel Leigh
1818
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| Online Access: | https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~339973~90108160 https://media.davidrumsey.com/rumsey/Size4/RUMSEY~8~1/195/10900000.jpg |
| Summary: | "Chart of religion, population and civilization by Wyld, 1815'. Wyld has graded the levels of civilization on a scale of I-V with Europe predictably at the top and Africa at the bottom. Canada comes off badly with the population being described as 'English and French besides some cannibals'. To modern eyes the ethnographical categories are strange. While Greeks are mentioned Bulgarians and Romanians are assumed to be Turks. Likewise the categorisation of religious groups reflects a dismissive view of Hinduism and Buddhism as mere varieties of 'Idolatry and Fetichism'."(British Library, "lie of the Land, the Secret Life of Maps, 2001-2001.")"Large separately published chart of the world, focusing on the Religion, Population and Civilization of each Country, published by James Wyld in London in 1818. The map provides sweeping image of the world, subdivided into ethnic regions, colored by "The Principal Regions, with the presumed number of their Followers." West of the Coast of Spain, a note appears: There are among the Spaniards and Portuguese a number of Moors and converted Jews (at least in appearance). Below the Aleutian Islands, the following note appears: Among many American tribes their are neither temples no idol nor any external form of worship, Some worship the sun as a principal divinity, and some honour the moon under the title of mother. To evil deities they present offerings, and sometimes sacrifice slaves and prisoners, to avert their displeasure. The map also includes numerous smaller notes around the map, including the following note north of Hawaii: It is probable, that this babarous (sic) custom of offering human victims, prevails in all, or most of the Islands in the Pacific Ocean. In the South Pacific, east of New Zealand, the following note appears: It is highly probable, that the practice of feeding on the bodies of enemies was originally prevalent in all the Islands of the Pacific Ocean, through it is not known, by positive and decisive evidence, to exist in any of them, except New Zealand. To the west of South Africa, the following note appears: The chief worship of the Jagas consists in frequent sacrafices of human victims, particularly children. To the east of Labrador, the following note appears: Esquimaux or Iskimo, is said to imply an easter of raw flesh. The following quote appears describing the map in Leigh's New Picture of London; or, A view of the Poltical, Religious Medical, Literary, Municipal, Commercial and Moral State of the British Metropolis: This valuable Chart well deserves a place in every library; for young people in particular it will be found highly instructing and entertaining. " (Ruderman, 2019) |
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