The Voynich Ninja

Full Version: [split] f35v parallels "oak and ivy"
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I just learned about this myself but it appears the practice of culturing vines on trees was used in Italy from Etruscan times to the 20th century. It's not exclusively medieval at all. Mostly on elms. Only the spread of the Dutch Elm disease ended this practice when all the elms died. But it is not exclusively Italian either and was practiced in the entire mediterranean region from Greece over France to Spain.
It appears there were 2 popular works contemporary with the VM that dealt with culturing vines on trees - the already mentioned Opus ruralium commodorum by Pietro di Crescenzi, which was only illustrated around 1493, and the Tacuinum sanitatis which was produced in several beautifully illustrated copies around 1400 for Northern Italian nobility. 

[attachment=9569]

Many other works are from 16th century or even younger.
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The oldest book mentioning growing vines on trees appears to be Pliny’s Natural History (Book. XIV). I have not looked for illustrations yet.
So far none of the illustrations I found apart from Peter Drach's woodcut from 1493 show the vine penetrating the tree. Which would not make sense from an agricultural point so it might be a figure of speech. Pliny speaks of 'marrying the vine to a tree' so the artist might have taken that literally.
Quote:In Campania they attach (lit. 'marry') the vine to the poplar: embracing the tree to which it is thus wedded, the vine grasps the branches with its amorous arms, and as it climbs, holds on with its knotted trunk, till it has reached the very summit; the height being sometimes so stupendous that the vintager when hired is wont to stipulate for his funeral pile and a grave at the owner's expense. The vine keeps continually on the increase, and it is quite impossible to separate the two, or rather, I may say, to tear them asunder.

On the other hand, Pietro de' Crescenzi's work seems rather down to earth and not poetic at all.
So no idea what to make of this. I'm not good at reading medieval texts, maybe someone can translate what Pietro de' Crescenzi has to say about vines and if there is any reference in the text that warrants the image of the vine penetrating the tree.
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There is a clear connection between Elm&Vine and Oak&Ivy, both symbolizing a male-female dichotomy. I would not rule out that the VM plant is a strange chimera of both. In any case it would help to find imagery or texts about a vine penetrating a tree.
I believe, that there is double meaning with the piercing of the vine through the other carrier.
This may be a hint for the distillation process of  the grapes to create "Aqua vitae", considered to be the quintessence of the Elixir.
Refer the attachment and the subconscious similarity-
Opus ruralium commodorum ("book of rural benefits") includes 34 pages about vines, wine etc. There are 46 titled chapters, usually with a woodblock illustration. The tree-and-vine engraving appears at Chapters 3, 6 and 19.

Chapter titles in Latin:
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ChatGPT translation:
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Google Gemini can transcribe the Latin from an image and then translate it. It makes a number of errors in the transcription, but fixes most of them in  the  translation, which however is probably not perfect. This is chapter 2, which is the  only place I spotted where vines-on-trees are discussed:

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(11-06-2021, 01:26 PM)Koen G Wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.By coincidence I came across this woodcut, where the vine very explicitly passes right through a hole in the tree.



Unfortunately it is without any reference, and I have not been able to find a source by image searching. You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.

ATIS Wine Label:
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Marriage of Wine vine to tree:
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