The Voynich Ninja

The woodcut illustration is in a work by Andreas Capellanus.
There should be manuscript copies of it somewhere.

This link might help (but only for a very limited readership   ):

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There should be manuscript copies of it somewhere.

The edition is by Emil Trojel, Andreae capellani regii Francorum De amore libri tres, 

Kopenhagen 1892, reprint München 1972, he should have a list of the surviving mss.

(19-09-2018, 02:34 PM)Koen Gh. Wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. What I'd really like to read is a scholarly article that would cast some light on the representation in manuscript art, but I haven't found one so far. Compared to the standard christian tradition of uniting the right hands, the crossed arms are rare and specific. (Which is all the more interesting for VM research)

Yes, I also would like to find scientific sources providing well researched material on this issue but I have impression that no one interested with this before us 

Perhaps it is poorly studied because of rare examples. After all, not all the literature is available.

Different poses have been entered in this topic, but the symbolic meanings are often different. 
Since that is not always clear to everyone such forum topics can become chaotic in their coherency.

I can sum up these four different poses with the following symbolic context:

a* exchange of rings = marriage
b* alchemical wedding = mixing or merging of alchemical elements
c* zodiac symbol for Gemini
d* expression of love or erotic context

The specific symbolic context of crossed arms is not known to me and I have no time currently to look into that. 
If anybody has further insight and an example, please post.

(19-09-2018, 01:47 PM)Searcher Wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.

Quote:The Binding (or Handfasting) Cord
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The Celtic and British traditions called the practice Handfasting; to make fast the hands together to symbolize the wedding union.
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Quote:Woolgar, C. M. The senses in late medieval England, Yale Univ. Press, 2006, You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.
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ILLUSTRATIONS
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9 Handfasting as part of a clandestine marriage ceremony ( British Library MS Royal 6 E VI, f. 286v ).
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I've lost track of which images have been posted (here and on other threads) and which ones haven't and I'm bleary-eyed from lack of sleep, so if some of these are repeats, you'll have to forgive me:


Duke and Duchess of Brabant, Belgium


Walters W.281 Book of Hours Malet-Lannoy


British Library (marriage of King Alfour) and "Corniugium"


Handfasting ceremony, Melusine

 
Royal wedding, Italy, 1300s and wedding procession at the wedding of Fauvel



Wedding ceremony, Royal 15 E vi


Wedding ceremony, King Edward II


England 13c


John I, King Of Portugal 1385-1433 Marriage Of John I And Philippa Of Lancaster (joining right hand to right hand)




Wedding ceremony, Edward IV, Vol 6 of the Anciennes chroniques d'Angleterre by Jean de Wavrin

This one is interesting because it's the person joining the couple who has his arms crossed (Spain, Viscount Of Beziers Gives Daughter's Hand In Marriage To Gaufredo Count Of Rosellon, 13th c)





And, for reference to show cultural differences in iconography, an Armenian wedding couple, Palestinian wedding, middle eastern wedding celebration, and Indian wedding:


 






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PS. Why is it we can't size the images any more??

Handfasting, where hands are joined, often right and right hand, (sometimes left) 
either by handshake,  or by bonding them together by a piece of textile or by another method 
is not associated in particular with the crossed arms as we see in the VMS. 
There we see the crossed arms left to left hand and right to right hand.

@Davidsch: Yes, what I'm looking for is indeed crossed arms handfasting. There must be a tradition which is still alive in modern days ( secular Wedding ).

Celtic tradition ?

Yes, but the photo you show does not show the medieval symbolic meaning.

for example beth alpha mosaic comes closer to the tradition and time frame of the the crossed arms:

Beth Alpha Gemini are in line with a relatively common form which has parallels in eastern and western manuscripts alike.

Reg lat 1283


It has little to do with the VM crossed arms, which stem from images of courtly love scenes. 

It will have to be investigated further if this pose has a specific significance or whether it evoled from the ring-exchanging image Marco posted earlier.