Sao Feng's navigational charts
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| "We are an unimaginative lot when it comes to naming things…" The title of this article is conjectural. |
- "Nothing here is set. These can't be as accurate as modern charts."
"No. But it leads to more places." - ―William Turner and Tai Huang[src]
Sao Feng's navigational chart was a nautical chart that could be used to locate some of the world's more obscure and mystical places, including the Furthest Gate. The chart was created at some point after 1513, as it included the location of the Fountain of Youth, discovered in that year.
This navigational chart was believed to have been painted on washi-handmade Japanese rice paper[1]. It was comprised of several rings upon which a map of the world was etched. By rotating the rings and lining one up with another, a reader could use the chart to find any number of mystical locations.
The Chinese symbols on the map could be deciphered to reveal such locations as "Ghosts of Lost Souls at Sea to be Shepherded Through the Watery Passageway,” “Forgotten Sailors Sleep with Eyes Open Dreaming of a Salt Water Death” and “The Rich Man Finds No More Hope of Continued Life-Death Will Always Be A Stairway Behind".[1] Images of dragons—harbingers of good fortune in war—and tigers—devourers of evil spirits—could be found on the chart. The central ring depicted an intrepid junk surrounded by the phases of the moon.[2]
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[edit] History
- "Up is down…well that's maddeningly unhelpful. Why are these things never clear?"
- ―Jack Sparrow on the navigational chart[src]
The chart was stored in the temple of Sao Feng's wizened uncle, as Feng did not want the salty air of his waterfront lair to damage the chart's delicate pigmentation. He was also known to carry it on his back when using them for navigation. The chart was moved to Feng's bath house after William Turner tried to steal it for Hector Barbossa. During the battle in Sao Feng's bath house, Will made a deal with Feng that procured Barbossa's crew the chart, leading them to World's End and Davy Jones' Locker beyond.
Jack Sparrow later deciphered the chart's cryptic message, "Up is Down" to escape from the Locker and return to the land of the living. Following the death of Lord Cutler Beckett, Jack stole the charts from Barbossa and set off on a quest to locate the Fountain of Youth. The charts postulated that it was located in Florida.
[edit] Behind the scenes
- The navigational chart prop was created by conceptual consultant James Ward Byrkit. He included several mythological creatures on the chart, as well as a Hidden Mickey[1] (lower right quarter) and images of Elizabeth Swann and Jack Sparrow (lower left quarter).
- In the first screenplay draft of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, Barbossa starts to search the Fountain of Youth using captain's journal of Juan Ponce de León given to him by a mermaid.
[edit] Appearances
[edit] Sources
[edit] Notes and references
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 At World's End production notes: Chapter 15 - Props: Weapons, Maps, Rings or Whatever
- ↑ Pirates of the Caribbean: The Complete Visual Guide p86-87 "Sao Feng's Map"
