Alchemical Symbolism in the VMS

[Barbrey]

In this short video, which does not offer much in terms of content, the following statement is made (0:50):

A theory links the manuscript to German alchemist Hieronymus Reusner and his work "Pandora".

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A direct connection to Reusner's work is not possible, as it was not published until 1588. The only reference to the theory mentioned can be found on You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.. Adam D. Morris does not appear to have published anything himself, or has someone else more luck in a search than I have?

Alchemy expert Adam McLean has also studied Reusner’s Pandora, and concludes that it is the coloured drawings in The University of Basel, MS L IV 1, UB (entitled ‘Alchemistisches Manuscript’) that were very probably “the original for the woodcuts in Reusner’s ‘Pandora’, rather than their being directly derived from an early manuscript of the ‘Buch der heiligen Dreifaltigkeit’.”

However, I find the similarities in the illustrations between German MS 1 and L IV 1 very remarkable. Most of them are; here is one examp
John Rylands Library, Buch der heiligen Dreifaltigkeit, Alchemica (German MS 1), 15th century
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Universitätsbibliothek Basel, Alchemistische Sammlung, L IV 1,1550
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So here we have motifs that appear continuously from the 15th century to 1588. The origin is the “Book of the Holy Trinity.” If one wants to establish a connection with the VMS, then one would have to refer to this manuscript and not to Reusner's Pandora.

Exactly. I still find it surprising that people dismiss potential alchemy in the VMS because its illustrations don’t resemble other alchemical illustrations. But when the VMS was created, there was no alchemical illustration history to refer to aside from a few drawings of lab vessels. The VMS, the Book of the Holy Trinity, and the Aurora Consurgens are all from the same time period and similar locations (Germany, Austria, and in VMS’s case, likely Germany)  The latter two’s pictures get regurgitated for centuries, but not so the VMS. Of course no other alchemical illustrations resemble it. The images likely would have been based on similar concepts to the other two - location, time period - but they would look different, based on figurative language not image. 

Which is why it would be far more productive to actually read the main alchemy texts rather than look at alchemical illustrations, which in any case would have been drawn too late. They’re boring as hell, but not so bad when you’ve got a purpose. Many of them were written in vers (rhymed endings). Some included repetitive incantations (ochokedy choked choked t). All included metaphorical language. Most had transitioned in this time period from the search for gold to the search for the elixir of life and various health remedies aimed at prolonging life, but the metaphors for the processes were still couched in the same philosopher’s stone language. Most alchemists were well-educated, many were monks and deeply religious. Some of the most well-known were considered prophets, particularly prophets of the apocalypse. The quintessence or water of life was the main goal, predicated on pseudo-Arnauld de Villanova, pseudo-Bacon, Rupescissa. Most of them were quoting wise men of the past - Avicenna, Aristotle, Geber, pseudo-Dionysus, Mercurius(Hermes), Galen, Zosimus, Maria etc. Almost all of them were referencing Ovid as an icon of transmutation. And most of them were equating the process of transmutation with the process of Christ’s death and resurrection. Lastly, at a time when heresy was on the rise, a surprising number of them seem to have been accused of it and imprisoned, not for alchemy but for heresy. 

So for myself, these are the strands of thought and concepts particular to alchemy in exactly this time period and location, so if this were a medico-alchemical text it should show signs of many if not all of these concepts as well as practical alchemy itself.

Which brings us to the rosettes page … lol.