The Voynich Ninja

I tend to agree with Davidsch's point about it coming from the flower, although I think it is more pragmatically a depiction of the scent of the flower than any symbolic emanation.
The pleasant smell around the holder of the fragrant thing acts as a protection against pestilence and disease.
As I explained on my blog this would tie in with my proposed interpretation of the figure below as holding a pomander purse.
It may be relevant that the etymology of the word perfume is related to that of smoke (per fumare). So a scent might be portrayed as a smoky looking thing.
ETA: Ah, I see that I had already argued a similar point about smell/smoke in an earlier You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. to this thread back in 2017...

For what is worth, the nymph's attribute seems to me a sheaf of corn, like one can see in some medieval illustrations of Virgo. I find the three distinct stems to be particularly suggestive of this.
(images from Morgan ms M 389 and [font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]Schifanoia Palace)[/font]

(01-08-2019, 03:23 PM)MarcoP Wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.For what is worth, the nymph's attribute seems to me a sheaf of corn, like one can see in some medieval illustrations of Virgo. I find the three distinct stems to be particularly suggestive of this.
(images from Morgan ms M 389 and [font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]Schifanoia Palace)[/font]

Agreed, but this could track back to Demeter et al. 

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Indeed Marco, looking at the figure again now two years later I must agree that grain is the most likely meaning of the attribute. It being held by a young woman would also suggest some relation to a Virgo figure, or some harvest goddess.

I maintain that the curls hanging from the triangle are likely references to such a woman's hairstyle. The manuscript image you posted has something similar. I like the fresco as well, good examples.

The nymph has unusual hair, falling down past her waist. What could that symbolise? Can anyone think of another nymph with such long hair?

There are a few and they look like they might represent younger nymphs.

For example You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. right top.
Red Taurus has a couple.
There's one in Libra (I'm trying to choose only the ones where it really looks like hair, there are also some that are hard to distinguish whether it's hair or a veil or both).
Maybe a couple in Leo although they are not quite as long.
A couple in Virgo near the bottom.
Scorpius has one to the left of the inner figure that's at least elbow length.
Another long one above the crossbowman.
75r has one with very long hair in the bottom pool. You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. also very long hair in the middle-bottom. You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. middle-left
third from left on You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. f79r bottom-left You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. bottom-right is very long (past the butt) You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. three top-left are all long You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. 2nd and 6th nymphs You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. bottom-right
f82r, bottom-left You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. top-middle and bottom-right

et al

I raced through these, probably missed some and stopped at You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. because I have to go. Long-haired nymphs are in the minority, but not rare.


I'm pretty sure long hair is younger nymphs in the zodiac-figures section, perhaps mid- or later teens but as yet unmarried (for the most part) because there are some sequences where it goes through the age progression and in those it gets shorter as the nymphs get older. They might mean specific people in the pool section (e.g., Venus).

I don't have time to tally them but maybe 10% or 20% or so have long hair.

Disheveled hair would have been a telltale sign to medieval eyes, of one of two opposite things:

- Desire of or result of intercourse
- Mourning or severe distress

Often when women are depicted bathing, they still have their hair up, with or without headgear.

I don't see her hair as being particularly discheveled, and as JKP said it is very possible that she is in fact wearing a veil. Like in many other examples it is hard to tell.
No matter what the case may be, nude with extra long loose hair does not carry meaning in and of itself. After all, this is Virgo (BNF Lat 7321, 1485, Flanders):



Those guys aren't looking at her funny because she's nude and discheveled, btw, they point at all the signs in the same way.

(01-08-2019, 09:06 PM)davidjackson Wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.The nymph has unusual hair, falling down past her waist. What could that symbolise? Can anyone think of another nymph with such long hair?

There are quite a few. To me they all correspond to seafaring nations or colonies thereof.

(02-08-2019, 07:02 AM)Linda Wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.

(01-08-2019, 09:06 PM)davidjackson Wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.The nymph has unusual hair, falling down past her waist. What could that symbolise? Can anyone think of another nymph with such long hair?

There are quite a few. To me they all correspond to seafaring nations or colonies thereof.

The only nymph I can think of this morning is Virgo, but there is an actual person from the later 1400's You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. who kinda fits the bill.