I thought they were cannons at first sight and these paintings are very convincing comparisons. I have two back up guesses: organ pipes, and smoke stacks, both of which have some pictorial equivalents as well.
But the cannons still seem the most true to me. So why cannons?
If you regard the centre rosette as the world, and the page itself as involving prophecy (as I do - but long story), then the most likely interpretation is that they are defense against the anti-Christ and/or Muslims - one and the same to some Catholics. Roger Bacon has some very interesting insights about the kinds of things needed for this coming battle (they all, at every age or even decade, seemed to believe it was imminent). Moreover,while Constantinople had not yet fallen (to cannons!), the surrounding areas had fallen, lots of emigration to Europe, the Christian east was falling, etc. In this context, the cannons as defence seem apropos.
But the cannons still seem the most true to me. So why cannons?
If you regard the centre rosette as the world, and the page itself as involving prophecy (as I do - but long story), then the most likely interpretation is that they are defense against the anti-Christ and/or Muslims - one and the same to some Catholics. Roger Bacon has some very interesting insights about the kinds of things needed for this coming battle (they all, at every age or even decade, seemed to believe it was imminent). Moreover,while Constantinople had not yet fallen (to cannons!), the surrounding areas had fallen, lots of emigration to Europe, the Christian east was falling, etc. In this context, the cannons as defence seem apropos.