(23-04-2026, 01:40 AM)Jorge_Stolfi Wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.I see two problems with this theory.
First, tubs only occur on the diagrams of Aries 1, Aries 2, and Taurus 1, on the inner band of Taurus 2, and on the outer band of Pisces.
Horizontal "barrels" occur only on the the inner band of Pisces.
What about Gemini and Sagittarius?
There is also an upright tub in Virgo although it is different.
Quote:If the tubs were not just decoration, why don't they occur also on the later diagrams?
Possibly they are related to the timing implied by the zodiac iconography?
Since this thread is titled "Double Lobster," I will state the most likely cause of this drawing.
The sign of Cancer is usually represented by a crab, which has the property of walking sideways, to the right and to the left. What we see in the Voynich in the sign of Cancer are two lobsters, each looking in a different direction, which represents the same idea.
The idea is that when the sun reaches the sign of Cancer, it turns around. It stops moving north and returns to the south.
(09-05-2026, 09:53 AM)Antonio García Jiménez Wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.Since this thread is titled "Double Lobster," I will state the most likely cause of this drawing.
The sign of Cancer is usually represented by a crab, which has the property of walking sideways, to the right and to the left. What we see in the Voynich in the sign of Cancer are two lobsters, each looking in a different direction, which represents the same idea.
The idea is that when the sun reaches the sign of Cancer, it turns around. It stops moving north and returns to the south.
That's an interesting interpretation. But then why don't more medieval manuscripts use this imagery?
Certainly, only one animal was depicted, whether it was a crab, a lobster, or a crayfish, depending on the geographical area of the manuscript.
The fact that there are two lobsters in the Voynich manuscript is yet another oddity, but I believe it implies a greater understanding of the astronomical nature of this zodiac sign. Duality is well captured in the symbol of Cancer as the number 69 seen from the side.
As I said before, the astronomical meaning of the sign of Cancer is that the Sun goes backward, returning to the south after reaching the summer solstice. For the same reason, the sign of Libra is a scale, since it represents the autumn equinox when nights become equal to days again.
(22-02-2026, 03:34 PM)Rafal Wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.Quote:Very interesting. Any ideas why one would duplicate crayfish? I thought duplication was reserved for twins, or fish.
Yes, it is weird. I have no better explanation than idea that the artist was drunk, drawing from memory and decided they if there are two fish
then there should be two crayfish (crayfishes???)
Maybe it was aslo somehow inspired by the Cancer symbol. These are symbollic pincers of the crab but someone very poorly educated could think these are two crabs:
♋︎
I agree that perhaps they are both considered fish to the makers? Catching things in a stream is different than catching them from the ocean. You might catch both fish and crustaceans in the same way from a stream. Maybe it is why they have "fish" in the name in our vernacular?
Also evidently Pisces, Cancer and Scorpio make up the water signs. Perhaps the animal in Scorpio is bigger, or is not considered to be on the same level, as it is not a fish, per se, and so is not doubled, but is still shown with a line to a star.
Worth re-surfacing JKP's super work on this You are not allowed to view links.
Register or
Login to view.
Perhaps having red and green crayfish has something to do with You are not allowed to view links.
Register or
Login to view..
The above illustration is for the month of October, so that is probably an attempt at a drawing of Scorpio/Scorpius.
(10-05-2026, 12:46 AM)ReneZ Wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.The above illustration is for the month of October, so that is probably an attempt at a drawing of Scorpio/Scorpius.
My bad, it is Scorpio indeed.
Indeed, although not very accurate, it is an attempt to depict a scorpion. Much worse is the case of the Voynich manuscript, where we see an animal that bears no resemblance to a scorpion. This single detail is yet another indication that the Voynich was made in a northern European country like Germany, where scorpions are not seen or are very rare.