大象传媒

Join Orcadian composer Erland Cooper on a late-night voyage around the Atlantic in search of Phantom Islands...

In 1558, the Venetian senator Nicol貌 Zeno published a text: "Dello scoprimento dell'isole Frislanda, Eslanda, Engrouelanda, Estotilanda e Icaria fatto sotto il Polo artico da' due fratelli Zeni, M. Nicol貌 il K. e M. Antonio" in which the writer claims that as a child he discovered letters and a map from his ancestors, two knights and expert sailors who travelled north to these unknown islands in the north in the late 14th century - but in his youthful ignorance he tore the documents up. Years later, on realising their importance, Nicol貌 recovered them.

The letters describe a voyage north to Frisland which is decribed as an island larger than Ireland. On Frisland, Nicol貌's ancestors encounter a Prince Zichmni - later suggested to be the Earl of Orkney - who had recently defeated the King of Norway. The accompanying navigational chart included islands called Estotiland, Icaria, and Drogeo - which would find their way onto major maps by leading cartographers of the early modern period such as Ortelius and Mercator.

Joining Erland on this imaginary journey to Frisland is Liz Horodowich, Professor of History at New Mexico State University. She also points to some of the personal and political reasons for the publication of Zen's text.

Score by Erland Cooper
Recorded at Studio Orphir
Violin, Freya Goldmark
Cello, Klara Shumann
Soprano, Lottie Greenhow and Josephine Stephenson

Reading by Keeley Forsyth from Thomas Elyot's The Boke named the Governour (1531)

Producer: Victoria Ferran
Exec producer: Susan Marling
A Just Radio production for 大象传媒 Radio 3