[Article] The Voynich Manuscript, Dr Johannes Hartlieb and the Encipherment of Women’s Secrets

[MichelleL11]

Keagan and I believe that the large symbol in the middle represents thunder (loud noise).  

Are you familiar with Ensoulment in the tradition of Aristotle? Have you considered that as an option?

Hi, pjburshire:

Yes, Keagan and I have run into that tradition in our work.  Please understand that we are working in probabilities and not certainties with any of this -- unless and until the meaning of the text is determined (if there is meaning there).

But that being said, the argument that ensoulment is a very central part of the Voynich runs counter to our position at this time, as we are seeing the manuscript as in the more medical tradition of late medieval manuscripts.  In our experience, the ideas of ensoulment and various manipulations of the soul (at birth, death, judgment, etc) tend to be found in more religous works.  That's not to say that religion is absent from the Voynich (or it is not "Christian"), but it does not -- from the imagery according to our current thoughts -- appear to be a very central part of the manuscript.  As such, we see ensoulment as a lower probability to be a central theme of the manuscript than if there were more religious imagery present.

To be clear, we are not saying that ensoulment can't be involved (and there are likely aspects of it in the Rosettes page and perhaps Quire 13 if our interpretations are correct), we just find it to be of a lower probability to be a central theme than other broader topics that we propose in our paper.  

I am certain that this observation will not deter you from continuing to pursue your ideas, of course, but we did want to repond to your direct question from our current viewpoint.