Commonly referenced in Latin as, "hic sunt dracones," or in English "here are dragons," is the tendency of historical cartographers to include mythological beas

Commonly referenced in Latin as, "hic sunt dracones," or in English "here are dragons," is the tendency of historical cartographers to include mythological beasts and illustrations in uncharted areas of the map. The icons roughly represent the danger of going into uncharted waters or territories, and also to share knowledge about areas of which there is knowledge, but not enough to map. Serpents and dragons represent dangerous seas. Monsters for dangerous at lands, and so forth. You'll notice that the linked maps correctly identify the South Pacific as having no land, and North America as a body of unexplored land extending northward and westward of the mapped area. The article's title, if it's intended to be taken literally, is mostly off. It seems that people at the time fell into superstitious, uneducated camps and educated, skeptical camps -- Then as now it seems. The illustrations would then work to serve up both imaginary dangers to the superstitious and knowledgeable best guesses to the skeptical.* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Here_be_dragons https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Here_be_dragons *This second paragraph comes from my interest in charts and nautical history, but is mostly my own speculation. IANAH.