13-08-2026, 05:24 PM
I have always thought that understanding this iconographic element—which recurs so frequently in manuscripts to separate the celestial from the terrestrial—is crucial for comprehending various parts of the Voynich, such as the central circle of the Rosettes. I would not call this lobed strip we are discussing a cloud band or Wolkenband, as that would be misleading. The most fully realized form of this iconographic motif is the one seen in the famous illustration of the cosmos by Oresme, which resembles that of the Rosettes.
It consists of a wavy, scallop-shaped band, in which the scallop motifs alternate in opposing directions. I believe the intention is to represent a closed sphere—hence the scallops facing both ways. This is undoubtedly how the enclosure of the universe—the outermost sphere—was depicted in the Middle Ages. Beyond it lies the realm of God.
This sphere is, therefore, the one in which the fixed stars are embedded. The fact that this same motif has been used by some illustrators to depict the sphere of air does not contradict its primary use and is compatible with it, given that those illustrators may not have been aware of its true meaning.
The lobed band seen on folio f68v3 of the Voynich manuscript is another, more simplified way of drawing the scallop-shell band, and it serves the same purpose of marking the boundary of the medieval universe.
It consists of a wavy, scallop-shaped band, in which the scallop motifs alternate in opposing directions. I believe the intention is to represent a closed sphere—hence the scallops facing both ways. This is undoubtedly how the enclosure of the universe—the outermost sphere—was depicted in the Middle Ages. Beyond it lies the realm of God.
This sphere is, therefore, the one in which the fixed stars are embedded. The fact that this same motif has been used by some illustrators to depict the sphere of air does not contradict its primary use and is compatible with it, given that those illustrators may not have been aware of its true meaning.
The lobed band seen on folio f68v3 of the Voynich manuscript is another, more simplified way of drawing the scallop-shell band, and it serves the same purpose of marking the boundary of the medieval universe.