28-04-2022, 02:41 PM
Perhaps the focus is too much on the astronomical meaning of stars while the images throughout the VM are suggestive of an allusion to spiritual. In Greek mythology, some people had turned into stars after their death. This is interesting, because according to ancient Illyrian belief, people's souls were transported into stars after their death. This was also the medieval belief of the Bogomils, a dualistic sect (similar to Cathars) in Bosnia and Northern Italy. Many expressions, even in Slovenian language, are related to the stars, like: a comet means that another soul is ascending to the stars; if a person is knocked unconscious, the expression 'he saw the stars' is used. This is clear indication that this was a reference to a mystical religious experience, and that Bogomils explain 'heaven' as a spiritual state of mind, akin to mystical experience. There is an interesting inscription on one of the Bosnian tumbstone (steček) explaining that the deceased 'went to the stars and found nothing there, but when he came back, he found himself' (my rough translation).
There is a lot of star imagery in the works of medieval artists and mystics, like in the works of Hildegard of Bingen and Henry von Laufenberg (Regiment of Health). He placed one set of Zodiac on the earth, and another one in the heavens (among the stars).
This indicates that the subject of Zodiac and astrological fortunetelling was being challenged and eventually, the saints replaced the Zodiac signs.
There is also another peculiar thing in the VM zodiac - two animals are holding the star: salamander and fishes. Salamander was known as Bogomil sacred symbol. It was used all over Europe.
As for the stars next to the text: It seems unique to mark the paragraphs with a star. In the medieval Slovenian book, the author explained that the stars are the markers in the books. It could be that they were used in some pre-Protestant texts that did not survive during the Counter-reformation.
This are just a few ideas I came across.
There is a lot of star imagery in the works of medieval artists and mystics, like in the works of Hildegard of Bingen and Henry von Laufenberg (Regiment of Health). He placed one set of Zodiac on the earth, and another one in the heavens (among the stars).
This indicates that the subject of Zodiac and astrological fortunetelling was being challenged and eventually, the saints replaced the Zodiac signs.
There is also another peculiar thing in the VM zodiac - two animals are holding the star: salamander and fishes. Salamander was known as Bogomil sacred symbol. It was used all over Europe.
As for the stars next to the text: It seems unique to mark the paragraphs with a star. In the medieval Slovenian book, the author explained that the stars are the markers in the books. It could be that they were used in some pre-Protestant texts that did not survive during the Counter-reformation.
This are just a few ideas I came across.