245 - Love’s Topography: la Carte de Tendre
One of the earliest, and most influential examples of sentimental cartography is the Carte de Tendre, an example of the highly refined imagination prevalent in 17th century French literary salons. (another one is entry #59 on this blog, a German map of the Empire of Love)
The fictional country of Tendre (‘Tender’) was inspired by Clélie, Histoire romaine, a novel by Madeleine de Scudéry (1607-1701), whose much-frequented and tone-setting salon was one of the focal points of Préciosité, a rarefied literary genre noted for its effusive erudition and gallantry.
The map of Tendre is a topographic allegory, representing the stations of love as if they were real paths and places.
The country is bisected by the Inclination (‘Disposition’), a river that runs south to north, joined by two smaller rivers, the Estime (‘Respect’) and the Reconnaissance (‘Gratitude’), before plunging into La mer dangereuse (‘the Dangerous Sea’), which is separated from a reef-ridden narrows from Terres inconnues (‘Unknown Lands’). To the west are the decidedly choppy waters of the Mer d’Inimitié (‘Sea of Enmity’).
The smooth flow of the rivers symbolises the control over passions, the perils of the sea the danger of unbridled emotions. Straddling the rivers are three eponymous capital cities: Tendre-sur-Estime, Tendre-sur-Reconnaissance. Places along those rivers mark the waypoints of ‘civilised’ love – and some of its pitfalls:
Marking the road from Nouvelle amitié (‘New Friendship’) to Tendre-sur-Reconnaissance are the following towns, purportedly representing a gradual increase of affection:
- Complaisance (‘Kindness’ or ‘Smugness’)
- Soumission (‘Submission’)
- Petits soins (‘Care of Small Things’)
- Assiduité (‘Attentiveness’)
- Empressement (‘Eagerness’)
- Grands services (‘Great Favours’)
- Sensibilité (‘Sensibility’)
- Tendresse (‘Tenderness’)
- Obéissance (‘Obedience’)
- Constante amitié (‘Constant Friendship’)
However, close to the forbidding rock fortress of Orgueil (‘pride’) in the extreme south-west are places to be avoided, such as:
- Meschanceté (‘meanness’)
- Medisance (‘disparagement’)
- Perfidie (‘betrayal’)
- Indiscretion (‘indiscretion’)
Equally avoidable are the localities leading from Nouvelle amitié towards the Lac d’Indifference (‘Lake Disinterest’):
- Négligence (‘Negligence’)
- Inesgalité (‘Inequality’)
- Tiédeur (‘Lukewarmness’)
- Légèreté (‘Levity’)
- Oubli (‘Oblivion’)
Leading towards Tendre-sur-Inclination and beyond to Tendre-sur-Estime are the towns of:
- Grand-esprit (‘Great Wit’)
- Iolis Vers (‘Beautiful Verse’)
- Billet galant (‘Gallant Letter’)
- Billet doux (‘Sentimental Letter’)
- Sincérité (‘Sincerity’)
- Grand Coeur (‘Magnanimity’)
- Probité (‘Probity’)
- Générosité (‘Generosity’)
- Exactitude (‘Punctuality’)
- Respect (‘Respect’)
- Bonté (‘Goodness’)
This map was found at this page of the University of Richmond (Virginia, US).
*Ahem*
I feel compelled to tell you that it should actually be spelt “La carte du tendre”.
I was actually considering sending it to you, it is well-known amongst French Litterature students (the book is plain horrible, by the way. Don’t read it).
Great blog, keep up the good work, and good luck with the book !
Comment by pKp — February 19, 2008 @
AUGH, nevermind, I was wrong. “Carte de Tendre” is the original spelling, and it is mistakenly called “du Tendre” today.
Here’s a better-resolution picture of it :
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6b/Carte_du_tendre_300dpi.jpg
Sorry :/
Comment by pKp — February 19, 2008 @
In some respect, this map looks very similar to France. Unconcious drawing of the most familiar map or has it been made like this on purpose?
Comment by Madis — February 19, 2008 @
[...] Read more (Strange Maps) | Annotated map (in French) [...]
Pingback by Frogsmoke.com - Behind The Gallic Fumes — February 19, 2008 @
I like the way the villages are all lined up in north/south rows. In the American Midwest, that usually means that towns developed on a railroad line, but in this case I’m guessing that they are all built on a low terrace at the edge of the flood plain of the Inclination River.
Or would be, that is, if this was an actual map.
Comment by michael5000 — February 19, 2008 @
I agree there is some similarity with France (relationship of Paris and the Dover coast is striking) but I also think there is a semblance to female anatomy although I wont go as far as to say that exact locations have intentional significance.
Comment by JB — February 19, 2008 @
Is it just me, or does the top of the map, where the Fleuve Inclination meets la Mer Dangereuse look a little like a female pudenda?
Maybe it’s just me (or maybe I have a dirty mind)
Comment by David — February 20, 2008 @
It’s not just you - you’re in good company, David. There have been scholarly articles published on the symbolic meaning of this very similarity.
Comment by Angela — February 20, 2008 @
The map in some form has also been used for the design of at least one garden in France. My novel (’A New History of Love’ - unpublished - anyone interested?!)) was inspired by it. More info here
http://debutnovelist.wordpress.com
Ali B
Comment by Ali B — February 20, 2008 @
“To the east are the decidedly choppy waters of the Mer d’Inimitié (‘Sea of Enmity’).”
ITYM “to the *west*”.
There are some similar maps in Post’s _An Atlas of Fantasy_.
Comment by Rich Rostrom — February 21, 2008 @
@ Rich Rostrom:
Right! (Left!) Thanks, I am a bit horizontal-orientationally challenged - a bit annoying, not to say embarrassing for a cartophile. Error corrected…
Comment by strangemaps — February 21, 2008 @
I too noticed the resemblance to female anatomy and wondered if someone would comment along those lines. I guess a resemblance to male anatomy would not be very romantic…
Comment by antman — February 22, 2008 @
More a piece of art than a map but I guess that was the idea.
Comment by cyclepromo — April 9, 2008 @