03-11-2016, 09:55 PM
Diane & W. M.,
So the question is, why heraldry? One of the first things I read about the VMs was the Goldstones’ book “The Friar and the Cipher”. And while the Carbon-14 tests have eliminated any possible direct connection, the two parts the book were still interesting separately. Although some of the VMs portion would now be outdated, the other part about the Friar, a biography of Roger Bacon, was something I found interesting on its own.
I did some additional reading about Roger Bacon and other persons mentioned in the biography, one of whom was Ottobuono Fiesch, later elected Pope Adrian V. At one site online, I found a list of 13th Century popes, with brief biographies and illustrations of their armorial insignia. The Fieschi insignia is a diagonal pattern of alternating blue and white stripes, described by the blazon: bendy, argent et azur. There was also another pope, Innocent IV (Sinibaldo Fieschi), earlier in that century with the same familial coat of arms, along with a couple other examples of popes with a common familial insignia.
Having found a pairing of the Fieschi insignia in the historical record and returning to the Goldstones’ book, it was a surprise to find the two blue-striped tub patterns on the final color plate in the book, which was f71r, White Aries. Further biographical reading revealed that Sinibaldo and Ottobuona were uncle and nephew. That in 1251, as Pope Innocent IV, Sinibaldo made his nephew a cardinal. And that, earlier in his reign, Pope Innocent had granted the red galero to the cardinals as a sign of their office, a heraldic symbol, and this, of course, remains an ongoing tradition.
Further investigation of the White Aries illustration, shows that the figure associated with the blue-striped pattern in the inner circle also has something, a hat, on its head that appears to be a red galero. So, in a rough way (depending on orientation etc.), with two blue-striped insignia and a red hat, this is potentially an illustration of the event that occurred in 1251. And as soon as it is clear which of the blue-striped insignia belongs to the pope and which to the cardinal (because or the red galero), then it is also clear, in the celestial spheres of the White Aries illustration, that pope and cardinal are in the correct hierarchical positions in the spheres. Furthermore, it is clear that such positioning is an objective fact and not a subjective interpretation. And the illustration then provides further examples of positional confirmation of this identification through the use of favored heraldic placement, the unique celestial association with White Aries and celestial sacrifice, and the corresponding placement, in quadrant and in sphere of the papelonny patterns on the two pages preceding f71r.
Given the complexity, coordination and historical connections involved in these illustrations, I cannot accept that they are the result of an accidental concatenation of circumstance. I see this as an intentional construction. And one which was deemed to be too obvious to presented without certain steps toward obfuscation, foremost of which are the two possible determinations of orientation for the blue stripes, (either radial or not radial) in the first place. An optical illusion disguises the valid historical interpretation. Deception is intentional; identification is disguised, but not contradicted.
As to other heraldic patterns, in the outer ring of Pisces , a pattern of alternating vertical stripes corresponds to a paly, horizontal bands correspond to a barry. There is a bend sinister and a pattern with chevrons, multiple small circles are suggestive of a semy of roundels. Even 'plain' is a valid heraldic option (all blue on f71r). Of course, the individual investigators need to make their own determination as to whether they demand that the VMs illustrations present picture perfect accuracy, or whether an idea suggested is sufficient. If there were but a single instance, the interpretation would be more ambiguous. However, given the multiple examples in a concentrated location, I believe this could only have been done by someone who knew what s/he was doing.
So the question is, why heraldry? One of the first things I read about the VMs was the Goldstones’ book “The Friar and the Cipher”. And while the Carbon-14 tests have eliminated any possible direct connection, the two parts the book were still interesting separately. Although some of the VMs portion would now be outdated, the other part about the Friar, a biography of Roger Bacon, was something I found interesting on its own.
I did some additional reading about Roger Bacon and other persons mentioned in the biography, one of whom was Ottobuono Fiesch, later elected Pope Adrian V. At one site online, I found a list of 13th Century popes, with brief biographies and illustrations of their armorial insignia. The Fieschi insignia is a diagonal pattern of alternating blue and white stripes, described by the blazon: bendy, argent et azur. There was also another pope, Innocent IV (Sinibaldo Fieschi), earlier in that century with the same familial coat of arms, along with a couple other examples of popes with a common familial insignia.
Having found a pairing of the Fieschi insignia in the historical record and returning to the Goldstones’ book, it was a surprise to find the two blue-striped tub patterns on the final color plate in the book, which was f71r, White Aries. Further biographical reading revealed that Sinibaldo and Ottobuona were uncle and nephew. That in 1251, as Pope Innocent IV, Sinibaldo made his nephew a cardinal. And that, earlier in his reign, Pope Innocent had granted the red galero to the cardinals as a sign of their office, a heraldic symbol, and this, of course, remains an ongoing tradition.
Further investigation of the White Aries illustration, shows that the figure associated with the blue-striped pattern in the inner circle also has something, a hat, on its head that appears to be a red galero. So, in a rough way (depending on orientation etc.), with two blue-striped insignia and a red hat, this is potentially an illustration of the event that occurred in 1251. And as soon as it is clear which of the blue-striped insignia belongs to the pope and which to the cardinal (because or the red galero), then it is also clear, in the celestial spheres of the White Aries illustration, that pope and cardinal are in the correct hierarchical positions in the spheres. Furthermore, it is clear that such positioning is an objective fact and not a subjective interpretation. And the illustration then provides further examples of positional confirmation of this identification through the use of favored heraldic placement, the unique celestial association with White Aries and celestial sacrifice, and the corresponding placement, in quadrant and in sphere of the papelonny patterns on the two pages preceding f71r.
Given the complexity, coordination and historical connections involved in these illustrations, I cannot accept that they are the result of an accidental concatenation of circumstance. I see this as an intentional construction. And one which was deemed to be too obvious to presented without certain steps toward obfuscation, foremost of which are the two possible determinations of orientation for the blue stripes, (either radial or not radial) in the first place. An optical illusion disguises the valid historical interpretation. Deception is intentional; identification is disguised, but not contradicted.
As to other heraldic patterns, in the outer ring of Pisces , a pattern of alternating vertical stripes corresponds to a paly, horizontal bands correspond to a barry. There is a bend sinister and a pattern with chevrons, multiple small circles are suggestive of a semy of roundels. Even 'plain' is a valid heraldic option (all blue on f71r). Of course, the individual investigators need to make their own determination as to whether they demand that the VMs illustrations present picture perfect accuracy, or whether an idea suggested is sufficient. If there were but a single instance, the interpretation would be more ambiguous. However, given the multiple examples in a concentrated location, I believe this could only have been done by someone who knew what s/he was doing.