Alchemical Symbolism in the VMS

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It is conceivable that Michael Maier's "Atalanta Fugiens" respectively one of the emblems and a part of folio f86v3 in the VMS are based on a common template. After all, there are two birds on the folio in the VMS too ( though only one in the nest).

Atalanta Fugiens, Michael Maier, 1618, Emblem / Epigram 7th

Description: A young chick attempts to fly out of its own nest and falls into it again.
A German interpretation of the epigram, published by Georg Heinrich Oehrling (1708), can be read below the original Latin text. The explanation of the scene, also in German, can be found here:
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A discussion of the topic can be found here (Discourse 7th in english):
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Some time ago I made a few comparisons to Maier's and Milius's emblems. They really have a surprising resemblance to some of the VMs images. In fact, they are considered not actual because of their late date, therefore I searched for an earlier example. We discussed it at the You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.. But saying about the 17th century examples, my favourite one is the emblem from The Philosophia reformata of J. D. Mylius. 1622 - the two rocks, the birds in a nest, the Earth between the rocks (T/O map implies the Earth, as well).


P. S.But it was of course a few years later after Maier's emblem, the same as the image from the Clavis Artis:

The origin of the 17th century illustrations with two mountains and birds can be found in a much older text translated from a lost Arabic source under various names: Liber dabessi / Liber rebis / Secretum secretorum hermetis / Liber hermetis de blchkmkb (alchimia):

Dixit Morienes ad Fledium: Serva quod dicam tibi et scribe. Sume ex lapide ubique reperto qui vocatur Rebis et nascitur in duobus montibus ex quibus volucres iuvamentum sinunt. Non accipias ipsum nisi recentem cum sanguine suo. Et eius augmentum est in carne et cute cuius cibus ex sanguine et moratur in aere, et si hic lapis non esset aereus non coniungeretur mercurio, et quia sunt similes et coniunguntur et ignis non separat inter eos.

GPT-3.5-Turbo translation:

Morienes said to Fledius: Keep in mind what I tell you and write it down. Take from the stone found everywhere, which is called Rebis and is born in two mountains where birds allow its growth. Do not take it unless it is fresh with its blood. Its growth is in the flesh and skin, its nourishment is from blood, and it resides in the air, and if this stone were not airy, it would not join with mercury, because they are similar and unite, and fire does not separate them.