I just clicked on the link you posted, Koen and when I saw VView's Agnus Dei pics, I thought to myself, did I get the Agnus Dei idea from here and not credit VViews? It does matter to me that people get credited and VViews has posted many good links and blogs.
But then I looked back to see when I posted about the golden fleece and theriac (which includes the castorum beaver) because I was already collecting fleeces, beavers, pangolins (not my idea), and Agnus Dei pics as potential candidates for 80v, plus I was hunting for dragons (which I still haven't posted) and long-necked bulls.
I remember being annoyed that I couldn't figure out which of the many possibilities might be better for 80v, and thought if I found more pics the fog would clear...
.
... that didn't happen.
Years later, hundreds more medieval pics, and the fog is as thick as ever—I find the "pangolin" as frustratingly ambiguous as the first time I saw it.
And here's the other side to it... I'm not even sure 80v is meant to be an animal in the literal sense. Apropos this thread, I think the ideas of Konstellations or of classical narrative (e.g., Ovid) deserve real consideration, even though some people have expressed skepticism about them. I think it's possible the critter on 80v might be some abstract or allegorical extension of those ideas.
(I also really like Marco's examples in posts 23 and 24 of how one might interpret medieval iconographical arrangements.)
But then I looked back to see when I posted about the golden fleece and theriac (which includes the castorum beaver) because I was already collecting fleeces, beavers, pangolins (not my idea), and Agnus Dei pics as potential candidates for 80v, plus I was hunting for dragons (which I still haven't posted) and long-necked bulls.
I remember being annoyed that I couldn't figure out which of the many possibilities might be better for 80v, and thought if I found more pics the fog would clear...
.
... that didn't happen.
Years later, hundreds more medieval pics, and the fog is as thick as ever—I find the "pangolin" as frustratingly ambiguous as the first time I saw it.
And here's the other side to it... I'm not even sure 80v is meant to be an animal in the literal sense. Apropos this thread, I think the ideas of Konstellations or of classical narrative (e.g., Ovid) deserve real consideration, even though some people have expressed skepticism about them. I think it's possible the critter on 80v might be some abstract or allegorical extension of those ideas.
(I also really like Marco's examples in posts 23 and 24 of how one might interpret medieval iconographical arrangements.)