The Voynich Ninja

JKP:
I personally don't see a boar in that root, but Ellie V. also You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view., so maybe it's just me. I do think it's possible.

(09-03-2016, 01:33 AM)Oocephalus Wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.JKP:
I personally don't see a boar in that root, but Ellie V. also You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view., so maybe it's just me. I do think it's possible.

I doubt if I would have seen a boar in it before I had looked at a lot of medieval drawings of animals, but if you assume the longer-than-normal nose on the animal shape is part of the root on either side of the animal, then it does look like some of the boars drawn at that time. Some strongly emphasize the nose.


I don't know if I screensnapped it, or left myself a note about the MS ID, but I chuckled my way through about 10 pages of a bestiary once where every animal looked like a dog and was labeled boar, fox, deer, etc. The illustrator could draw a dog fairly well and was obviously trying to draw other animals but couldn't seem to break out of dog-mode. And yet, you could kind of make out what he was trying to draw some of the time (without looking at the label first) based on medieval conventions in general.

The Syrian elephant was still about during the 1stC AD.

An Indian elephant was brought to Charlemagne, and he sent it to St. Denys. The ivory also shows its Indian keeper.

Just for fun, I made this a postcard.

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JKP: I also enjoy these kinds of illustrations. Some of them also have a big problem with insects - drawing them more like miniature mammals.
Also the "out in the open" animals in the VM are rather crappy - I mean the ones at the pool. That makes this elephant leaf all the more fascinating.



Diane, If it is any type of Indian elephant, the plant probably stands for its dress, and not the elephant itself.
If we take it as representing the actual animal, which I do, it must be an African species - the plant matches the texture of the trunk, the size and shape of the ears, the curve of the head, even the fraying of the ears. Compared to the Voynich plant and African elephants, the Indian elephant is a totally different creature. 

Why not the North African elephant, that went extinct around 100 AD? It lived along large parts of the African Red Sea shore.
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JKP:

Quote:I doubt if I would have seen a boar in it before I had looked at a lot of medieval drawings of animals, but if you assume the longer-than-normal nose on the animal shape is part of the root on either side of the animal, then it does look like some of the boars drawn at that time. Some strongly emphasize the nose.

I've now looked at the collection of medieval boar illustrations You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view., and it's clear that some elephant drawings, such as the one in the Lombardy herbal, were strongly influenced by them. It seems the artist thought that an elephant was something like a boar with longer tusks and a very long nose. So maybe that's what we might be seeing in f55v.

There's some similarity between the detail in the root of You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. and one of the alchemical herbs:

(10-03-2016, 04:05 AM)ReneZ Wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.There's some similarity between the detail in the root of You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. and one of the alchemical herbs

I would add Palatino 586, Florence
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In my opinion, another interesting parallel for Voynich You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. is “Costanza” from ms You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view., Augsburg?, 1520 – 1530.
This manuscript is one century later than the VMS, the artistic quality is different and this page clearly represents a different plant. Anyway, I think this is as boar-like a root as it gets. 

This herbal is well known to those interested in the Voynich manuscript (it has been discussed by Nick Pelling You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.). It contains 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.. Most of this repertoire seems to me to descend from the earlier alchemical herbals mentioned by Rene; I don't know if this manuscript is considered a late member of the family.

That's a very interesting example, Marco. Do you know the function of the root figures?

(11-03-2016, 07:38 PM)Koen Gh. Wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.That's a very interesting example, Marco. Do you know the function of the root figures?

I think that the best way to answer this question would be to consult the books about the alchemical herbals. About one year ago, I read “Il giardino magico degli alchimisti”, by Vera Segre Rutz (about ms Aldini 211, Pavia). I don't remember reading specific comments on the rational of all these symbols, but I will visit the library and check again. Other books on the subject which could provide good answers are mentioned by Philip Neal You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view..
Others on this forum (Rene, for one) are certainly more qualified than myself to comment on the subject. 

My impression (to be taken with caution) is that this tradition is an example of “sympathetic magic”. The herbs contained in these manuscripts have medical and/or alchemical properties. The herbs are identified with objects thought to have similar properties. According to this principle, a specific state is cured by something similar (not by something “opposite”).

For instance, about the “hand plant” “You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.”, You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. says: “[Ricinus] has another common name, palm of Christ, or Palma Christi, that derives from castor oil's reputed ability to heal wounds and cure ailments” (I am not sure that the plant illustrated here is Ricinus, but the meaning of Palma Christi is likely the same). These plants have the shape of the hands of Christ because they share their curative power.

For You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. a better source is available: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view., Pseudo-Apuleius Platonicus, 1100 ca. According to this text, the plant grows from dragon's blood and cures snake's bites. This plant has the shape of a reptile because it shares the “reptilian” principle needed to cure snake bites.