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+--- Forum: Imagery (https://www.voynich.ninja/forum-43.html)
+--- Thread: f88 hidden images (/thread-1394.html)
f88 hidden images - Koen G - 03-01-2017
With the advent of 2017, I decided to have a look back at the small-plants section, where I started my Voynich research about a year ago. After many months spent almost exclusively looking at nymphs, it was a bit strange to see "my plants", as I somewhat affectionately call these monsters, back.
I couldn't help but sense how this section, just like the large plants, breathes a completely different atmosphere than the nymphy sections. It is almost as if the only thing connecting them is the script, and the fact that they are bound in the same book. And above all, perhaps, a decent amount of Voynich special sauce.
This special sauce, in this section, appears to be the fact that the plants are not what they seem at first sight. Others before me have noted a number of examples: the elephant leaf, the faces in the roots of two plants, the one that looks like a claw, the one with the snake in the root...
![[Image: snake.jpg?w=616]](https://herculeaf.files.wordpress.com/2016/12/snake.jpg?w=616)
I like these obvious examples, because they show beyond any doubt that non-botanical images have been worked into the plants, for whatever reason.
Then, about a years ago, I dug deeper. I noticed that especially the f89 foldout contained a high concentration of non-botanical imagery, which I believe relate to various mythological figures and creatures.
Now, a couple of days ago, I had a closer look at the preceding page, f88 (both sides). I wasn't expecting anything special, just a "random" hidden image in some plants. But I am becoming more certain that the f88 hidden images also have a theme: animals.
For example, You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. , have a look at these three:
![[Image: sea1.jpg?w=616]](https://herculeaf.files.wordpress.com/2017/01/sea1.jpg?w=616)
Octopus with eight arms and suction pods:
![[Image: octopus.jpg?w=616]](https://herculeaf.files.wordpress.com/2017/01/octopus.jpg?w=616)
Another kind of octopus or squid:
![[Image: squid.jpg?w=616]](https://herculeaf.files.wordpress.com/2017/01/squid.jpg?w=616)
A jellyfish?
![[Image: kwal.jpg?w=616]](https://herculeaf.files.wordpress.com/2017/01/kwal.jpg?w=616)
On the revers, You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. , there is the hind part of a monkey:
![[Image: monkey.jpg?w=616]](https://herculeaf.files.wordpress.com/2017/01/monkey.jpg?w=616)
The animal theme also blends over into the adjacent foldout, where we find a rearing cobra:
![[Image: snakes.jpg?w=616]](https://herculeaf.files.wordpress.com/2017/01/snakes.jpg?w=616)
A snake, two animals in the leaves, a fishy tail...:
![[Image: rest.jpg?w=616]](https://herculeaf.files.wordpress.com/2017/01/rest.jpg?w=616)
Those are the obvious examples, they are the evidence I use as a base to launch the hypothesis that the plants on f88 are drawn to include animal parts. The other plants are more cryptic though, so I was hoping if anyone saw something else in them. For example, there is this one which looks like a spine (of a fish?):
![[Image: spine.jpg?w=616]](https://herculeaf.files.wordpress.com/2017/01/spine.jpg?w=616)
This one looks like a quadruped animal with antlers ??
![[Image: untitled-1.jpg?w=700&h=&crop=1]](https://herculeaf.files.wordpress.com/2017/01/untitled-1.jpg?w=700&h=&crop=1)
Two wings that are crossed for some reason?
![[Image: wings.jpg?w=315&h=500&crop=1]](https://herculeaf.files.wordpress.com/2017/01/wings.jpg?w=315&h=500&crop=1)
A fish tail or fox tails??
![[Image: tails.jpg?w=700&h=&crop=1]](https://herculeaf.files.wordpress.com/2017/01/tails.jpg?w=700&h=&crop=1)
This thing is intriguing as well. Beneath the paint it looks scaly or hairy:
![[Image: untitled-21.jpg?w=370&h=&crop=1]](https://herculeaf.files.wordpress.com/2017/01/untitled-21.jpg?w=370&h=&crop=1)
And what to make of something like this, which clearly looks sculpted and twisted somehow to make a certain shape, but what is it?
![[Image: untitled-2.jpg?w=700&h=&crop=1]](https://herculeaf.files.wordpress.com/2017/01/untitled-2.jpg?w=700&h=&crop=1)
One last intriguing bit. Several plants have been hit hard by the "heavy painter", obscuring the line work or any writing below, and on at least one plant apparent writing is visible:
So... any ideas?
RE: f88 hidden images - Linda - 04-01-2017
maybe it's what they taste like, a lot of roots are said to taste of seafood, oysters, shrimp, etc.
and a lot of people say things that aren't palatable taste like monkey butt...
couldn't resist...
but now that you lay them out like that, it does seem there are a lot of animals in there.
could it be they are all water animals? could the monkey butt be a frog butt? the antlered animal could be daphnia. could it be laying out edibles in a watery environment?
RE: f88 hidden images - Koen G - 04-01-2017
No, they definitely aren't all water animals. The monkey even has appropriate monkey feet
(See this post for how I think this all works: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. ) But the monkey is on the verso side - it is possible that the recto side is water themed. At least the grouping of three tentacle-animals can't be a coincidence. But I think there are also birds and so on.
What I find fascinating is that you won't find many octopus images in medieval manuscripts, let alone three similar creatures. Some first-hand experience is the best explanation, since the shapes are remarkably accurate even though they are worked into plant drawings.
RE: f88 hidden images - Sam G - 04-01-2017
The sea creatures are interesting. Perhaps it's coincidental, considering that to some extent roots just look like that, but some of the proposed matches are pretty close and it would be consistent with the other obviously animal-inspired shapes in the botanical imagery.
Now, I'm definitely not saying this is a correct identification at all, but on the topic of sea creatures in the VMS, am I the only one who thinks the "dragon" on You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. looks a bit like a seahorse?
The snout, the overall body shape, and the fact that the dragon only appears to have only one "foot" are a pretty good match, though admittedly the arms are hard to explain and the foot/tail is curling the wrong way, and also it appears to be "walking" on land.
RE: f88 hidden images - Ruby Novacna - 04-01-2017
See also You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.
RE: f88 hidden images - Koen G - 04-01-2017
(04-01-2017, 08:52 PM)Ruby Novacna Wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.See also You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.
Very interesting, Ruby. Is it known whose blog that is? Seems like they haven't posted since 2012
RE: f88 hidden images - Ruby Novacna - 04-01-2017
I don't know anything about the author except his blog name annemiekallan.
RE: f88 hidden images - Davidsch - 05-01-2017
it seems she is dutch annemiek kallan, but I'm not sure if she is single Koen
