My main research focus on the technical aspects of the text and on the balneo section.
I am confident that the drawings are related to the text. It shows a bathing ritual.
That is actual what you see and that is what you get: bathing.
The extra detailed parts, such as the stick, the sponge, the umbrella's
(these depictions are wrong but that is not important now)
are symbolic.
That means, not the whole drawing is symbolic, but only the details.
That is the same in the entire ms: the drawings itself are real.
F.e. it really is a herb, but it is a fantasy herbal with some symbolic parts and text.
Why i came to that conclusion is rather obvious: RRC: research, reading & comparing.
I have many pictures and descriptions of bathing woman, based on professional (often paid) research
between 1200-1600 and they share specific elements in many countries.
I am talking many hundreds of pages.
These elements are related to the bathing experience during those days.
For example some general items: heating rocks, oven, drinking, eating, bikini, tools for cleaning.
Not even 1 of those elements can be found in the balneo section in the ms.
and that is the basis for my conclusion that it does not display "normal bathing" but "ritual bathing".
I am confident that the drawings are related to the text. It shows a bathing ritual.
That is actual what you see and that is what you get: bathing.
The extra detailed parts, such as the stick, the sponge, the umbrella's
(these depictions are wrong but that is not important now)
are symbolic.
That means, not the whole drawing is symbolic, but only the details.
That is the same in the entire ms: the drawings itself are real.
F.e. it really is a herb, but it is a fantasy herbal with some symbolic parts and text.
Why i came to that conclusion is rather obvious: RRC: research, reading & comparing.
I have many pictures and descriptions of bathing woman, based on professional (often paid) research
between 1200-1600 and they share specific elements in many countries.
I am talking many hundreds of pages.
These elements are related to the bathing experience during those days.
For example some general items: heating rocks, oven, drinking, eating, bikini, tools for cleaning.
Not even 1 of those elements can be found in the balneo section in the ms.
and that is the basis for my conclusion that it does not display "normal bathing" but "ritual bathing".