Why the Voynich Zodiac - isn't

[arca_libraria]

Lions in medieval art are all a bit hopeless if we want to evaluate them in terms of their naturalism, but there is a visual language that is remarkably stable in the Middle Ages, and based on that I don't think the VMS lion is especially bad. If you have twitter then you might enjoy searching the #notalion hashtag which is where a lot of medievalists post their favourite lions from medieval art.

One thing to note, and to all non-native English speakers I extend my sincerest apologies for this mess: scholarship written in English can be particularly confusing because the use of the terms "lion" and "leopard" has changed, but not everyone uses the most up-to-date terminology. If you are reading about a lion/leopard depicted in a medieval book or on a coin or altarpiece etc., check to see if the author is writing in terms of heraldic symbolism or just regular medieval art. Medieval people knew that lions and leopards were not supposed to be the same thing, which is why they have different entries in bestiaries but in terms of art, they were often drawn in very similar or even identical ways. In addition, the terms "lion" and "leopard" in heraldry have meanings that are more to do with the specific design rather than the taxonomic classifications of the animal(s).

A very rough guide
Older scholarship and heraldry: lion = big cat with face in profile, leopard = big cat with head fully facing towards the audience of the piece
Newer scholarship = try to work out if the intention of the artist was to depict a lion or a leopard, but be aware that tail position, manes, and spots on coats are not always diagnostic.

Link to the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) with its guide to classifying lions: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.

The PAS is responsible for managing any treasures found in England and Wales by members of the public during metal detecting, building work, or general discovery. The PAS database is huge and I know that the team spends a lot of time thinking about search terms, metadata, and useful descriptions.

Finally, the V&A museum has a post which includes some lions on textiles in their collection that you might enjoy You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.