The Voynich Ninja

One possible parallel that goes well with the idea of the You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.: the symbolic trees in Liber Figurarum.

Quote:The Liber Figurarum is the most beautiful and important collection of the figural and symbolic theology of the Middle Ages. The "Figurae", conceived and drawn by Joachim of Fiore in different epochs, were collected in the Liber Figurarum soon after Joachim's death in 1202.

The complex and original prophetic thought of the Florensis Abbot, is perfectly illustrated in the figurae. It is based on the Trinitarian theology of history and on the concordist exegesis of the Bible. This masterpiece is well preserved into three wonderful codices: the Oxford codex, the Reggio Emilia codex and the Dresden codex. The reproductions exhibited in San Giovanni in Fiore, are taken from the Reggio Emilia codex, dated around the mid XIIIth century. The oldest manuscript is that of Oxford, produced between 1200 and 1230, by the Officina Scriptoria of a Calabrian monastery, probably the Abbey of San Giovanni in Fiore.

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To summarize outrageously, Joachim of Fiore was a kind of New Age prophet.

Quote:He theorized the dawn of a new age, based on his interpretation of verses in the Book of Revelation, in which the Church would be unnecessary and in which infidels would unite with Christians. Members of the spiritual wing of the Franciscan order acclaimed him as a prophet.

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After his death, his ideas (but not his person) were condemned at the council of Latran IV (1215).

From the nicest manuscript:

• REGGIO EMILIA, Biblioteca del Seminario Vescovile, You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view., ff. 1r-20v
  

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It represents the tribes of Israel (10+2 lower branches) then the apostles (only 10 middle branches, curiously) then it gets a little confusing (popes?) and the second coming of Christ at the top.

An inverted eagle:

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In the other manuscripts, there are some variations in the number of branches in the trees.

• Dresden, Sachsische Landesbibliothek, You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view., ff. 87r-96v
  
• OXFORD, Corpus Christi College, You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view., ff. 4v-17v
  
• CITTÀ DEL VATICANO, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view., ff. 198r-204v
  

The closest in the VMS are You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. and You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. which are similar in structure: 2 groups of branches/leaves and 3 blue flowers at the top. If the intention is prophetic, what are these flowers? I don't know. The Three Christs of Ypsilanti?
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. and You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. have the mnemonic menorah base.
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. , You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. , You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. , You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. , You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. all have 3 levels of similar leaves.

Interesting. The plant that looks most like it could represent some kind of diagram is You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. in my opinion. The way they alternate three colors in the stems would make them easy to count despite their relatively large number.

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Numbers are tricky though. Almost every number is significant in many ways..

Beautiful illustrations, nablator.

They're a bit like fancy variations on the Jesse Tree which was sometimes drawn in menorah form.

In fact, I've seen a Jesse Tree that looked a bit like the VMS "crozier heads" plant on You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. , the folio immediately following the "praying root" plant.

There are some plants in English herbals that look like You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. and the ostrich fern (I've posted a picture on an earlier thread) looks like this before the leaves unfurl, so it could be a naturalistic drawing, but it also has crozier qualities and I've always wondered whether they were mnemonic. And then I came across a Jesse tree drawn like You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. but I'm not sure I screen-snapped it (it was a few years ago) or if I can find it again.

Tree diagrams are available in many variants. A well-known form is, for example, the "tree of Science" (Arbor scientiae) by Ramon Llull. However, I would not see any similarity in the VMS. - Although one can not be sure


Milano, Biblioteca Ambrosiana, D 535 Inf., Arbre de ciència ( Tree of science ), 15th century, folio 37v

You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. ( 4. Arbre de ciència )

That's a good one. I've hunted quite obsessively for Llull diagrams, but I haven't seen that one. Thanks.

Another interesting variant of Lambert of Saint-Omer, Palm Tree (Tree of Virtues):

Quote:
Austin, A. M.; Johnston, M. D. & Ibarz, A. (Eds.), A companion to Ramon Llull and Llullism, Brill, 2018, Page 389

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Herzog August Bibliothek Wolfenbüttel, Cod. Guelf. 1 Gud. lat, Lambert of Saint-Omer, Liber floridus, mid 12th century, folio You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.

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Ah yes, this one I know and it's pretty cool, it's laid out like a peacock's tail.

For the sake of completeness, here is the "Tree of Love" by Matfre Ermengaud (see quote last post). Once in the more stylized form in the Royal 19 C I and in comparison the beautiful but unfinished variant in the Espagnol 205.



[1] BL, Royal 19 C I, Matfre Ermengaud, Breviari d'Amor, 1st quarter of 14th century, folio 11v ( tree of love )
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[2] BNF, MSS Espagnol 205, Matfre Ermengaud , Breviari d'Amor, 1400, folio 7bisv ( tree of love, unfinished )
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Thanks bi3. The second one solves a little problem I was dealing with. Will clarify when I'm home.