The Voynich Ninja

I'm hesitant to speculate too much since I don't completely understand this drawing yet. But I'm strongly inclined to consider the possibility of a connection to Egypt. I wasn't even going to propose it since it's too exotic for many, but most significant details have been mentioned already by others:

* Dead figure looks like a mummy (JKP). 
* Alive figure wears a blue, wig-like headdress (Anton). This was precisely the headgear of the Pharaohs, up until the Roman period, and it looked more like a fabric construction than actual hair. Caesar himself made a baby with someone who dressed like this.
* Belief in star-related / cosmic resurrection (Anton). It must be noted as well that the color green was significant in this respect. As the color of new vegetation, it symbolized resurrection. That is why Osiris often has a green skin (especially i the Greco-Roman period as well). It also explains images like this:



The huge problem is, as so often, that this image looks too well-informed to have been invented in the 15th century. So either it is derived from an earlier image, or a textual description. I'm thinking an author like Herodotus, who wrote about contemporary Egyptian custom (though colored through a Roman lens).

Obviously the drawing in the VM has been made in the 15th century, which is why it's hard to recognize. It is indeed possible that they imagined it like a headdress they were more familiar with. In Egyptian drawings, the thing also doesn't look like much more than a blue headscarf. 



To make matters even more complex, there is the shape under the Pharaoh-nymph's base. I've noted before that it looks like the mysterious "ivy leaf" asterism which appears in a family of constellation manuscripts based on exceptionally authentic sources. Even the foremost experts don't know what this asterism is, but a connection to Coma Berenices is likely.

Coma is the only constellation based on a real person. A pharaoh's wife.

It's been mentioned a couple of times that the nymph's base is heart-like. It can certainly also be seen as amphora-like.

Arrow-like ?

Leaf-like

The vertical line of dots on the "stem" makes me see it as if the yellow heart-shaped thing is framed in metal (the dots are nails keeping the frame together).

(28-07-2017, 05:27 PM)MarcoP Wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.The vertical line of dots on the "stem" makes me see it as if the yellow heart-shaped thing is framed in metal (the dots are nails keeping the frame together).

The dots could also be the kind of rivets that were used to seam together vessels made with thick leather.

Note that the dots appear in other bases as well, so they might be a feature with separate meaning.

In Ancient Egypt, it was believed that the circumpolar stars, called You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. because they never went below the horizon, were home to the spirits of the deceased. When the king died, his spirit went to the circumpolar region. 

One famous fragment from the Pyramid Texts reads: May you go to those northern gods, the imperishable stars.

So for what it's worth, it is certainly possible to see in this drawing the Egyptian concept of resurrection. The idea that the pharaoh's spirit would join the stars at the pole is even implemented in the design of the pyramids, which appears to be something respected Egyptologists agree upon (one always needs some caution when examining these things, more nuts than in Voynich studies).

The problem is that this belief is mostly attested during the pyramid age, which is way too early for us to assume any form of transmission. It would be interesting to see whether this belief still existed in the Greco-Roman period, since the Ptolemies and certain Roman authors took an interest in Egyptian custom and beliefs. Transmission through a Roman text is somewhat more plausible.

While I see nothing here hinting to the Northern celestial pole, the idea of a connection between the star and the soul of the deceased is something I can understand.

Of course, blessed souls were also thought to reside with the stars in Christian culture. You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. the empyrean sky is the site of God and the blessed. The blessed often appear together with stars in You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view..
But I see no trace of Christian belief in this Voynich illustration. My impression is that the star could represent the soul: the star is the soul of the deceased, or the soul becomes a star after death (this is of course wild speculation). A similar belief is expressed inYou are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. in which the soul of Diogenes is identified with the star Sirius.

The origin of this idea is clearly very ancient. I currently don't know if this identity soul/star could have any relevance in the context of the XV Century.

Another major problem is what to do of the "cannon" on the left. What is it? How does it fit?

We need to decide upon the direction.

Is the stuff emanating from the "cannon", or is it sinking into the "cannon"?

Marco: As suggested before, the cannon might indicate the four cardinal directions or winds - those are basically the same in certain contexts. If it is tilted to the side in either direction, this places the travelling soul/star on the north-south axis.

The contents need not have any relevance to the 15th century. We know that Roman authors wrote about Egyptian custom and religion, and we know that many Roman works were still known in the 15th century, by tradition or by discovery.

I'm just putting the elements contributed by others (resurrection, blue wig, mummy, travelling stars...) into a known framework.