They are personifications of stars, if you like. Or since there are about 30 nymphs in each of the Zodiac houses, perhaps they are also days, or nights, or whatever seems reasonable in a 'Middle Ages' construct. That's the thing about VMs ambiguity. Somehow, it's just built into this 'clumsy' artistic style. And it's being used to advantage. The VMs nymphs and stars are connected. That much is clear.
The female personifications are a result of linguistic determinations, in languages in which nouns have genders: masculine, feminine and neuter. The actual word for star [Latin: stella] is feminine in Romance languages, but masculine in German. The majority of star names are not masculine, but there are some. The majority of VMs nymphs are not masculine, but there are some. (Latina "anima" is also a feminine noun.)
The VMs nymphs are a set of figures, a pool of characters. They serve as a hiding place for a number of historical and literary 'personalities.' Do you know Lady Bertilak, the wife of the Green Knight?
Without the history of the era, there is no historical connection. This is where heraldry plays a part. Heraldry makes the historical connection.
The female personifications are a result of linguistic determinations, in languages in which nouns have genders: masculine, feminine and neuter. The actual word for star [Latin: stella] is feminine in Romance languages, but masculine in German. The majority of star names are not masculine, but there are some. The majority of VMs nymphs are not masculine, but there are some. (Latina "anima" is also a feminine noun.)
The VMs nymphs are a set of figures, a pool of characters. They serve as a hiding place for a number of historical and literary 'personalities.' Do you know Lady Bertilak, the wife of the Green Knight?
Without the history of the era, there is no historical connection. This is where heraldry plays a part. Heraldry makes the historical connection.