歐洲古地圖上常見的「人向地圖吹氣」的圖案有什麼含義？

01-26

在一些19世紀以前的歐洲古代地圖上，常常能見到在地圖的邊緣有一些裝飾，大致就是一些人的頭部，在向地圖部分吹出氣體。請問這些圖案是否有什麼特殊的含義？又是源自何時呢？
題主截了幾個例子：

(Waldseemüller map, 1507)
(Cosmographia Nicolaus Germanus, 1482)
關於圖中吹氣的人的數量，這個似乎不是確定的。有答主提到與希臘神話中風神或他的兒子有關，我認為有道理。但一些地圖中吹氣人的數量較多，且容貌也比較特殊，比如：

（創作者疑為Guillaume Le Testu，時間未知。注意此圖中共有八個人頭，且樣貌差別較大，可分為上部灰褐色毛髮的仨人，兩側金色毛髮的兩人，以及下部...有點像骷髏的三個人。本圖似乎無法用風神的四個兒子予以解釋。）
（Francesco Rosselli, 1508 本圖中出現人數多達12個）

--更新下評論區里對題主疑問的解答，中文原答案在下面

Boreas - the most coldest and powerful wind - was depicted in the dramatic poses, dressed in a short cloth, which was moving round his body, the same as his curling hair and beard which were like flying. But later on this curly hair and beard were depicted more and more spiky. The vase-painters pictured small wings around his legs, but Pausanias was saying that the god had snake-tails and not normal feet. Also his sons - Zetesand Kalais(the comrades of Jasonin the Argo) became winged as they became adults and they were presented again with these small wings around their legs.

Zephyrus, the west wind, was a very fine and a pleasant one. People called him the protector of the plants, because he brought humidity for them. He was represented as a young man with a lovely face and long grooved hair while keeping flowers and fruit in his light wrapper, which was encircling his body. Later on he was named Favoniusby the Romans.

The south wind Notus was known as a very dynamic, stormy and dangerous wind especially when seamen were sailing. The Greeks were afraid of him, mainly when he blew together with the north wind. Notus was represented as a young, beardless man with long hair, covered by a short mantle with one open arm. He kept in his hands a vessel for water - hydria- from which all the rain was gushing out.

Eurus, the east wind, was bringing the bad storms, but he was more kind to the people, than his brothers Boreas and Notus. He also was wearing a short mantle encircling his body. He was depicted as a curly-headed man with an unkempt beard and with some sadness in his face. Sometimes he was called Apeliotus and the Romans called him Vulturnus.But Apeliotus was in reality the name for the southeast wind, which was giving to people a refreshing rain. Therefore they pictured him as a curly-hair man with a friendly expression, dressed in a light cloth and keeping inside his draping cloths some flowers. And his brother Lips (Livos), who was a lukewarm southwest wind, was also bringing rain.

The northwest wind was called by the Athenians Skeiron. According to Pausanias it was a smart wind, which was blowing over the Skeirons" cliffs and Molourian rocks to the sea. The name Skeiron was taken from the mythological events, connected with the king"s son of Megara, who was described as an honest man, but according to the other myths Skeiron was a robber. Theseus, when he seized Eleusis, killed him and after established in his honor the Isthmian Games under the protection of Poseidon.

Kaikias, the northeast wind, had a bad name in Greece as the bearer of snow, coldness and blizzards. This was the reason, why he took this name and why he had this image. He was represented as a man with serious features in his face, with a long hair and a beard. Hail is dropping out from his round vessel, which he is always carrying.

所以地圖上應該最多會有八個不同的「吹氣的人」

原答案

如果全是一個人，應該就是Aeolus，希臘神話里的風神。

如果是四個不同的人，就是Aeolus的四個兒子，分別是東南西北風神。

圖貼不上來，算了。。

http://www.dl.ket.org/latin/mythology/1deities/gods/lesser/aeolus.htm

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aeolus

終於來了，你看第一張圖風格和地圖完全一樣對吧。。。至於含義，我想了下，第一就是標註風，第二是能用上這種地圖的，且看年代大概都算在地理大發現時期內，那麼主要是航海家使用這種地圖，aeolus在《奧德賽》裡面庇護了航海者，可能畫上去起個守護神的作用。。。。吧？

以上均來自答主不靠譜猜測，歡迎討論。

我以前一直理解為季風、信風什麼的……

就是給你解釋風是怎麼來的。