When were the last sea and land MONSTERS on maps??? Why were Old Maps FULL of SEA MONSTERS??

 

Why Were Old Maps Full Of Sea Monsters?

https://youtu.be/BiWwzKAM0os?si=i6qVtwC_q0YtfeAO

https://youtu.be/Spu0NlRvrWI?si=mtCE2JEoo2XIcrul

THE FOLLOWING IS JUST AI (not convincing):

Sea and land monsters began to disappear from world maps 

toward the end of the 17th century, with the trend fading out as advancements in navigation, science, and map printing improved. While the peak of these illustrations was in the 16th century—notably on Olaus Magnus’s Carta Marina (1539)—decorative sea monsters continued to appear on some maps as late as circa 1710. 

Key Historical Details on the Decline of Map Monsters:

• The Transition (Mid-1600s): By the mid-17th century, sea monsters were often replaced by more practical, realistic images like ships, which indicated safe passage or, conversely, pirate dangers.
• Last Appearances (Early 1700s): A notable late example is a 1710 map of the Kingdom of Naples by cartographer Johann Baptist Homann, which includes a sea monster in one of its decorative cartouches.
• The Shift in Meaning: As technology advanced, monsters stopped being used as warnings of unknown danger and became purely decorative elements, or were replaced by drawings of whales, which were then seen as natural resources ("marine storehouses of commodities") rather than monsters.
• "Here Be Dragons": The famous phrase "Here Be Dragons" (or Hic Sunt Dracones) was rarely used, with only one known surviving globe (the Hunt-Lenox Globe, c. 1510) featuring it.