In order to orient themselves in the world, the human being has created maps. Points are used on the maps that help to establish routes and reference areas. These references are known as cardinal points. Many people wonder what is the origin of the cardinal points, who created it and how useful they are.
Therefore, in this article we are going to tell you about the origin of the cardinal points, their characteristics and usefulness.
What are the cardinal points
These four senses or directions are known as cardinal points and allow spatial orientation on a map or any area of the earth's surface in a Cartesian reference frame.
The cardinal points are East (E), West (W), North (N) and South (S). East is understood as the approximate area of the planet where the sun rises every day; opposite to the west, where the sun sets each day; North is the top of the Earth's axis, and South is the bottom of the Earth's axis.
This creates two axes, East-West and North-South, with intermediate points: Northwest (NW), Northeast (NE), Southwest (SW), and Southeast (SE), known as the minor cardinal points. "Rose of the Winds" is derived from this geometric operation and has been used in navigation along with the compass since ancient times.
The names of the four points are of Germanic origin: Nordri (North), Sudri (South), Austri (East) and Vestri (West), from Germanic mythology. These terms have recently been generalized and incorporated into other languages since before they were called by Spanish: North or Boreal (North), Meridion or Austral (South), East, Levant or Nascent (Eastern) and West or West (West).
For its part, the term cardus comes from the Latin term cardus, which was the Roman name for a direction axis, generally north-south, with which they built military camps and cities. Hence the expression "main" occurs when it comes to something central or very important.
In various Western traditions, the four directions have been incorporated into certain imaginations and concepts of nature, associating them with the four elements (water, earth, fire, wind), the four seasons (summer, spring, autumn, winter), the four liquid bodies (blood, yellow bile, black bile and phlegm), etc.
Origin of the cardinal points
Throughout history, different cultures have given different values and symbols to each direction represented by the azimuthal points, which also constitute the representation and main directions of the compass, these are the known east, west, north, south and these the directions form four ninety degrees. The angle, which is divided into northwest, southwest, northeast and southeast by the bisector in turn... If we repeat the same operation, we will obtain the wind rose, which has been widely used in navigation since ancient times, and it will cover the 32 main directions of movement on the earth's surface.
The names of the cardinal points are of Germanic origin (Nordri = north, Sudri = south, Austri = east, Vestri = west, according to Scandinavian mythology) and have only recently been incorporated into Spanish and other derived languages. Latin. Previously, the name of the base point was in Spanish:
- Northern or Boreal in the north.
- Meridion or Austral for the South
- Levante (and rising sun) in the east or east.
- West, or Poniente (sunset) in the west.
The term noon also refers to the southern regions of northern hemisphere countries, especially Italy (Mezzogiorno) and France (Midi), precisely because these regions are on the side of the sun at noon relative to other countries.
Some history
There are 4 directions mentioned in the Bible, which are related to the direction of the wind or the appearance of dawn. The ancient Greeks used 4 points, corresponding to the north, south, east and west winds. Wind charts appeared on maps around 1300, mainly to show the direction of the wind. Over time, it became the standard aid for showing directions on maps. The navigators of ancient civilizations used compasses to orient themselves in the ocean and only saw water around them.
Of course, in the past people had given directions based on the position of the stars or the direction of the wind, but the designation of footholds made sea navigation easier. Currently, the Compass Rose can only be displayed in 4 or more orientations. Some have 8, others 16 and others up to 32. Compass, a necessary instrument for orientation.
Utility and uses of the cardinal points
Obviously, the main use of bearings is to guide people. The good thing about this is that it is universal in nature: a map or a compass is enough to determine the north in any part of the world, whether you are in Siberia or Paris.
For ancient navigators, knowing the directions allowed them to explore and reach unknown territories. But there are not always maps, compasses or other artifacts that show azimuths. This was a common problem thousands of years ago, so humans managed to solve it. This was done by the position of the sun. Especially in areas close to the equator, the Sun King usually rises in the east and sets in the west. Knowing his address, you can learn other addresses.
How to orient yourself in the field
As we have seen, there are four cardinal points. To orient ourselves, we must know one of these cardinal points, and the sun will help us to do so, since it always rises in the east and sets in the west. To orient yourself with respect to the sun, you should cross your arms, with your right arm pointing toward where the sun rises, so you know that north is in front of you, south is behind you, and west is to your left. If you pay close attention to where the sun rises each morning, you'll know how to find your way anywhere on Earth.
Trees also help us orient ourselves. When we go to the field, we know where north is by looking at the tree, because the side of the trunk that faces north has more moss and is more humid.
The compass is round like a clock, and instead of numbers it has the initials of the cardinal points and a needle that always points north. GPS is a navigation system that works using satellites that orbit the earth and tell us where we are. Cell phones have GPS. If we see the moon in the sky and it is growing (D-shaped), its tip points to the east. If the moon is waning (C-shaped), its tip points west.
I hope that with this information you can learn more about the origin of the cardinal points and their characteristics.