The Arma Christi [General discussion]

[MarcoP]

Upon consideration, most exceptions or near-exceptions will probably be things like manuals, like treatises on hunting or war or trades.

I agree: manuals of that kind will likely contain little Christian imagery. I would also add medical manuals, like the Greek You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. (mentioned by VViews You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.), the English Ashmole 399 (discussed You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.), the Italian You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. you mentioned You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view..


Most of the people in Voynich illustrations appear in the Zodiac pages. My impression is that cycles illustrating the individual degrees of the Zodiac do not show much Christian content: I am thinking of Alfonso's Astromagia You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. (the zodiac wheels in particular), You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. and (even if this is not as fine-grained as individual-degrees works) You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view..

One can ask himself: why these manuscripts have fewer religious illustrations than others? Answers will vary according to the cases, but they can all be informative.
About the VMS, one could also ask: why so many women in the VMS, and why are they naked?
In general, I believe it is easier to answer the question about the lack of Christian imagery if one also considers what appears instead of Christian imagery: a good answer will likely explain both things (what is there and what isn't there).

For instance (undocumented speculation): 

• Fendulus is full of half-human, half-animal monsters. This could point to a cultural background where supernatural entities are strongly related to the animal world: something more ancient than the Christian religion.
  
• Images in Tacuinum Sanitatis seem to illustrate the elegance and splendour of the Milanese court: in this case, the scarcity of religious images is possibly functional to the exaltation of political and economical power.