The Modern Forgery Hypothesis

[proto57]

The recent casual dismissal of the "armadillo vs pangolin" investigation is indicative of a misinterpretation based on a lack of known evidence.

There is yet another option which was once suggested at Nick Pelling's blog.
It could be catoblepas, a mythical creature:
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.

You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.

Hi Rafal! Yes I mention the catoblepas in "You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.". The list of of the alternatives given by others by the time I wrote that was "wolf, sheep, pangolin, catablepas, sea monsters, ibex, capricorn goat, sea-goat, [and] hedgehog".

But not only do I think the armadillo is a good match, because:

1) It hits on many points of comparison (the tail is a poor match, but it is for the other "contenders", also, especially the pangolin with its fat tail):

   

2) It fits the context of my hypothesis, as the armadillo was one of the items which found in various Kunstakammer, along with other New World animals, plants, objects and clothing. As a book to reflect, in part, New World items, as I propose, it fits that context, along with the other noted New World plants and animals believed to be in there.

3) The armadillo illustration it "happens" to match best is the 16th century Conrad Gesner version, with the upturned snout, "backwards" scales, pointy ears, and curve of the top of the head. The thing is, this illustration is in Conrad Gesner’s Historicum Animalicium, which is mentioned in "Follies of Science at the Court of Rudolf II", which was one of You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view., from which many Vms items also "happen" to have good comparisons from:

   

As I wrote in "You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.", this mention appears on page 212 of "Follies...":

“Conrad Gesner, Professor of natural history at Zurich, whose “History of Animals,” published in 1551, is the basis of all modern zoology; his younger contemporary, Ulysses Aldrovandus, who held the chair of natural history at Bologna, published six large folio volumes illustrated with wood cuts of many of the animals, his descriptions being in part taken from the work of Gesner.”

The other suggestions for alternative possible You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. animals do not match on all these points, and they do not have any context to the Voynich as whole. Why a catoblepas in a genuine 1420 Cipher herbal? With zodiac, and these plants, and every other things we see in there. Modern forgery, using "Follies..." as the Primer, explains most of the comparisons I and others have felt best for the Vms illustrations. They are virtually all mentioned in Follies, or tangentially mentioned in it: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.

Here are my other two posts on the poor armadillo:

You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.

You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.

All the best, Rich