The Voynich Ninja

(09-05-2017, 09:01 AM)Koen Gh. Wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.Just out of curiosity, what on earth is this thing? It appears to belong with the "De Tauro" section of the bestiary. If I didn't know any better I'd think it's just marginalia.



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@Koen

Just a guess, but maybe its a pipe from bulls horn.

(09-05-2017, 10:48 AM)Koen Gh. Wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.Also, I was looking at Herba Acantina You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.

It has a root "shaped like a foot", and it seems like a number of its properties are the kind of benefits one would rather expect of a talisman than a healing herb. This seems to be related to the stones' magical properties in the other herbs, though here as far as I can see there is no mention of a stone. Is this at all something one would find in other herbals? Victory over one's enemies and such?

Hello Koen, magical plants like this can be found in popular Italian herbals.
One example is Cadamosto's You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view..

Another example is plant 59 from the Alchemical Herbal, You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.. "ad faciendum ut ameris a qualibet persona...." - in order to be loved by any person you want. Take this plant, that must be collected in the 12th day of the moon and must be collected in the name of the person by whom you want to be loved. Then wear this plant upon yourself in such a way that it cannot be seen. Then the person in whose name the plant was picked will come to you and will love you much, whether man or woman. 

I don't know if anything similar can be read in earlier medieval herbals (e.g. those in the Pseudo-Apuleius tradition). I think they likely are more strictly medical.

That's pretty cool. It looks like we are seeing deeper roots of certain aspects of herbal traditions than anyone has ever noticed.

(09-05-2017, 06:26 PM)MarcoP Wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.Another example is plant 59 from the Alchemical Herbal, You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.. "ad faciendum ut ameris a qualibet persona...." - in order to be loved by any person you want. Take this plant, that must be collected in the 12th day of the moon and must be collected in the name of the person by whom you want to be loved. Then wear this plant upon yourself in such a way that it cannot be seen. Then the person in whose name the plant was picked will come to you and will love you much, whether man or woman. 

I don't know if anything similar can be read in earlier medieval herbals (e.g. those in the Pseudo-Apuleius tradition). I think they likely are more strictly medical.

I think that Bellelotis in the alchemical herbal is Mellilotis, which is a three-leaved plant (similar to clover) with yellow flowers. In Egyptian times it was a medicinal plant, a fodder plant, and a magical plant that was woven into garlands and, when given to someone you loved and worn by them, conferred protection and affection.

I was reading a bit about the number of plant species described by early botanists.

Some later owner numbered all plants in the MS, and got to 1150. At first sight, these numbers are reliable. But even if we allow for some mistakes and some double plant entries, there's still easily a thousand plants in this MS.

Now compare to the following quote:


It is estimated that in antiquity, at the time of the Romans 1,300 - 1,400 different plant species were known. Even closely related plants could be distinguished, although the arbitrary naming gave way to many errors and misunderstandings. From now on any scientific activity stagnated for centuries. Source: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.

Now if you consider the first section, you get what you'd expect from a decent sized herbal. The middle section is an exciting expansion. But then there's an 800 additional plants! How to explain this?

Is the last section fictional?
Adapted from an unknown older source?
Translated from a foreign document?

Whichever of those answers is true, it could be interesting to Voynich studies.

There seem to be 17 plants missing between fols 74 and 75. The otherwise more or less reliable numbering goes from 241 to 259, and if I'm not mistaken the text from f.74v does not continue properly on f.75r. Maybe these folios are placed somewhere else...

I'm almost certain that this is another author, because it says "D and P say....". Pliny?
It's from You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view..

[attachment=1397]

Yes, P may be Pliny.

The three most common references in herbals were Dioscorides, Galen, and Pliny.

(20-05-2017, 09:22 PM)-JKP- Wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.Yes, P may be Pliny.

The three most common references in herbals were Dioscorides, Galen, and Pliny.

I thought so, though this is the only reference to him I've seen so far. 
Now a less common one, which might help to pinpoint the author's frame of reference. On f.99v there is talk of one Petrus Magister Yspanius:

[attachment=1398]

(20-05-2017, 09:45 PM)Koen Gh. Wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.

(20-05-2017, 09:22 PM)-JKP- Wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.Yes, P may be Pliny.

The three most common references in herbals were Dioscorides, Galen, and Pliny.

I thought so, though this is the only reference to him I've seen so far. 
Now a less common one, which might help to pinpoint the author's frame of reference. On f.99v there is talk of one Petrus Magister Yspanius:

I'm not certain, but I think it may be a reference to You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.. He did write on medicinal herbs.

Here is a link to a searchable Middle English translation of his You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.. There's also an Italian translation online (and perhaps others).