The linguistic text and the many illustrations are two components of the VMs. The language is unknown and remains unread. The other part is the host of illustrations. How do we understand the VMs illustrations?
We need to know the *relevant* history. There has been much speculation. The C-14 dating provides significant guidance. A general time between 1400-1450 seems highly probable, but where does the VMs originate?
Some years ago, there was the comparison of the VMs cosmos with the cosmic illustration of BNF Fr 565. There is a clear similarity for a very unusual cosmic structure: a three-part cosmos (Earth, stars, and cosmic boundary with a three-part, inverted T-O Earth, and a wolkenband with 43 undulations.) The provenance of the BNF text, the so-called 'Oresme' cosmos, starts about 1410 in Paris, and it was owned by Jean, duc de Berry (d. 1416).
There was another historical ms., Harley 334, that is relevant for its cosmic structure, and also has a 'mermaid and her friends' illustration. It was made in Paris 1425-1450. And Paris, incidentally, was not held by the French between 1420-1435
There's more going on here besides flowers and stars. The problem in matching the VMs to historical events is discovering sufficient detail about the *relevant (to the VMs)* parts of history, religion, "science", and traditions such as heraldry. The VMs artist has made the choices and we need to 'catch up' with those different references. The VMs mermaid is Melusine of Luxembourg.
We need to know the *relevant* history. There has been much speculation. The C-14 dating provides significant guidance. A general time between 1400-1450 seems highly probable, but where does the VMs originate?
Some years ago, there was the comparison of the VMs cosmos with the cosmic illustration of BNF Fr 565. There is a clear similarity for a very unusual cosmic structure: a three-part cosmos (Earth, stars, and cosmic boundary with a three-part, inverted T-O Earth, and a wolkenband with 43 undulations.) The provenance of the BNF text, the so-called 'Oresme' cosmos, starts about 1410 in Paris, and it was owned by Jean, duc de Berry (d. 1416).
There was another historical ms., Harley 334, that is relevant for its cosmic structure, and also has a 'mermaid and her friends' illustration. It was made in Paris 1425-1450. And Paris, incidentally, was not held by the French between 1420-1435
There's more going on here besides flowers and stars. The problem in matching the VMs to historical events is discovering sufficient detail about the *relevant (to the VMs)* parts of history, religion, "science", and traditions such as heraldry. The VMs artist has made the choices and we need to 'catch up' with those different references. The VMs mermaid is Melusine of Luxembourg.