[split] What is "a Zodiac" and does it apply to the VM section?

[Koen G]

For me those are two different discussions.

On the one hand, there is the question: are the central emblems Zodiac signs? 
And the answer is YES. Bull, fish, archer, maiden, scales... Now, I assume we can agree that their sequence is unusual and their appearance is rare, but that doesn't mean they are not the signs.

A whole different question is: does this section contain a Zodiac? 
And here the answer is NO. As I have demonstrated in my previous answer, a Zodiac is the full series in one diagram. Imagine a manuscript which contains a prince's horoscope, which uses images of the signs. Would we call this a Zodiac? No. It may or may not contain a full Zodiac diagram, but it is a horoscope. Similarly, a calendar may use all the signs in the right order and all, but that doesn't make it a Zodiac. We'd still call it a calendar.

This is not a Zodiac, it's a calendar. Wikipedia calls it Faltkalender mit Monatsbildern.



So I hope this clarifies my position. The term "Zodiac section" is the best we have for now since everybody knows what it refers to, and the section does contain most of the signs. But the whole thing is not a Zodiac. It's something else. Basically I'm saying that Zodiac section is a good name until we find out what it really is.

(All of this is speaking as a researcher, not as a moderator. Members can obviously use whatever name they prefer).