Alchemical Symbolism in the VMS

Alchemical Symbolism in the VMS - Printable Version

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RE: Alchemical Symbolism in the VMS - bi3mw - 12-12-2017

(12-12-2017, 10:04 AM)Helmut Winkler Wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.I rather think it is a R, Rott for rot/red, the opposite term is wijssz/weiss/white and I read Rott Mercurius noster wijssz

I thought of Craton and a dialogue with Mercurius about gold / money and stuff, but considering "Occam's Razor", "R" is most likely correct and "G" is wrong.

RE: Alchemical Symbolism in the VMS - Searcher - 12-12-2017

O, that's R, after all. Of course, therefore the bird-glyph means R (Regulus).

RE: Alchemical Symbolism in the VMS - bi3mw - 17-12-2017

There's a work on the Vossius codicies. Raptor is definitely the word you are looking for. It is the subject of the text passage on folio 73r ( death and revival ).

Quote:Boeren, P. C., Codices Vossiani chymici, Univ. Press, 1975, pp. 86-87

f.73: Peinture de la Sagesse. Déb. du texte: Ich byn sere betrubet umb den Raptor, ... [ You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. ]

As expected, the theme can also be found on the folio presented by van Lennep.

[Image: cod_16752_fol_21_v%20.png]

Germanisches Nationalmuseum, Cod. 16752, Giano Lacinio, Straßburg, 1578/1588, You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. .

Edit: Maybe it doesn't matter, but my first thought about the lower right part of the illustration was a scene in "Splendor Solis". An angel who wants to give the swamp man a red robe is depicted in all the editions I know. Here's a comparison with the Solothurn version [1]. I have chosen this illustration because, in contrast to all other variants, he moves Voynich-style Wink

[1] Alchemical Compilation, Solothurn, Zentralbibliothek, Cod. S I 185, Splendor Solis, 1593, You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. .

RE: Alchemical Symbolism in the VMS - bi3mw - 25-12-2017

I'll try an interpretation of the scenes / process in the illustrations in Voss Chym. F 29 (f73r) and Cod. 16752 (f21v). The clothing of the three figures on the top right already give me enough motivation ( keyword: umbrellas / pine cones, maybe a comparison with the VMS is not as hard as I thought ) Wink

The interpretation is based on a blog [1], Telle [2] and Jung [3].

First of all, the question arises whether a relationship between the illustrations and the VMS can be established at all. In fact, you can already see in Voss. Chym. F 29 that the illustations of the Aurora Consurgens (folios 37v to 71v) are comparable with the Zürich edition 1:1 (15th century , You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. , folio 2r to 38r ). The Leiden manuscript did not interpret new, but took over "standard works" from the 15th century ( Aurora Consurgens, parts of "Buch der heiligen Dreifaltigkeit" ). The same applies to Cod. 16752 and the copy of Donum Dei.

Here`s an example ( Cod. Rh. 172 vs. Voss Chym. F 29, Sower and King / Queen in the cauldron ):
[Image: comp_ao_01.png]

The interpretation is certainly not complete, but at least a beginning.

Top right:
The three putties represent the three principles of mercury, sulfur and salt.

Venus ( Libra ) or Queen:
Interestingly, in some alchemical texts Venus represents the queen at wedding. That would make sense in Voss Chym. F 29 ( f 73r ). So the same figure appears twice. In Cod. 16752 ( f 21v ), this connection is only made between the red dress and robe the angel hold ready ( see previous post ). In the upper part she pours the mercurial "water" on the dead Raptor ( Knight or Saturn ) to bring him back to life after the [Putrefaction]. The raptor`s blood flows on the king [rubification].

Bottom left:
The illustrationss of "fox and fire" in Voss Chym. F 29 (f 73r) and Cod. 16752 (f 21v) are identical. The fire stands for [distillation] and the fox for sublimation. That means the reunification of the volatile substances [fixation].

Bottom right:
In Cod. 16752 the scene seems pretty clear ( see above ). The uncrowned king will receive the red robe from an angel ( the "heavenly purple" ). In Voss. Chym. F 29 it looks like the final conjunction of king and queen. They personalize the purified opposites. This creates "the third" ( lapis ).

Central motif in Voss Chym. F 29:
Saturn, surrounded by 4 + 2 + 1 planet metals, stands for lead (prima materia). Lead is the least of all metals. He is pierced by a sword and spits out a crowned child (gold). By the way, in a recent illustration, You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. (1617), Saturn allegorically spits out the philosophers stone.

In Cod. 16752, Saturn is missing as a central motif. The knight, also pierced by the sword, takes his place.

Sources:
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. Telle, J. Kahn, D. & Kühlmann, W. (Eds.), Alchemie und Poesie, De Gruyter, 2013, pp. 347 - 348
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. Jung, C. G., Hull, R. F. C. (Ed.), Mysterium coniunctionis, Princeton University Press, 1970, Rex and Regina (416)

Edit: Finally, some astrological fun: If you look at the striking size and position of Saturn and the areas in which alchemical "actions" takes place, then you can actually recognize the Libra in f 73r Wink

[Image: Voss_Chym_F%2029_f73r_libra.png]

RE: Alchemical Symbolism in the VMS - bi3mw - 18-09-2018

Does anyone know from which manuscript this illustartion is? I can not remember. [Image: hochzeit.png]

RE: Alchemical Symbolism in the VMS - nablator - 18-09-2018

Some edition of the Rosarium Philosophorum ?

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There you go. It's the Rosarium Philosophorum by Jaroš Griemiller z Tøebska, Prague, 1578.

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Chemical marriage between Sun and Moon, by Jaroš Griemiller, translation into Czech of the Rosarium Philosophorum, f. 177r, Prague, 1578

RE: Alchemical Symbolism in the VMS - bi3mw - 19-09-2018

Thank you @Nablator, Rosarium Philosophorum did not come to my mind !

Edit:

I have found the manuscript by now. For those who are interested:

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RE: Alchemical Symbolism in the VMS - bi3mw - 03-02-2020

Does anyone have any idea what this illustrated tubular object should represent ?
It doesn't look like an alchemical device to me.

[Image: strange01.png]

Beinecke Digital Collections, Mellon MS 16, Johannes de Rupescissa, De consideratione quinte essentie, anonymously translated into German, p. You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. , ca. 1475

RE: Alchemical Symbolism in the VMS - Aga Tentakulus - 03-02-2020

These are vessels for distillation

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RE: Alchemical Symbolism in the VMS - bi3mw - 03-02-2020

Hmmm, I have seen some illustrations of distillation plants (though mostly recent date), but this one would make no sense at all in terms of construction. The connection of upper and lower part seems to me quite strange. But maybe it's just an inability to draw.

@Aga: There are also good quality illustrations from the late 15th century such as this one:
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Anonymous, Ymage de vie, plus miscellaneous alchemical receipts, Late 15th century