14-08-2026, 06:11 PM
Stefan, it’s been a long time since you wrote to me. I appreciate you doing so now without thinking I’ve lost my mind.
What I have always striven for is coherence. The female figures in Quire 13 are the same as those in the zodiac, and they are holding stars. And, as you know, there are many stars drawn in the codex, so it seems logical to me to think that those female zodiac figures represent the stars or the degrees of each zodiac sign. Some of these figures are inside tubes; they are not bathing in barrels, because there are figures that are clothed.
Regarding Quire 13, the fact that there is a debate over whether it is a balneological or biological section indicates that the meaning of those images is not actually known. There are basically two types of scenes here: one featuring the female figures in pools or ponds, and another—which I find more revealing—in which we see the figures with their feet inside tubes. And not just their feet, for many of them also have their hands inside tubes. To me, this represents them traveling through those tubes, because I conceive of the figures as an embodiment of astral influence. Look at the bottom left of f80v: there is a figure that appears to have just emerged from the tube and is falling into the pond below.
You’re right to ask about the significance of the pools and ponds. I think the aim is simply to convey the idea of an unceasing current. Just look at how the figures are aligned; they seem to be filing past one after another. It isn't an image of people enjoying themselves in the water. I believe it metaphorically represents a continuous astral influence on Earth. And the scenes capture medieval humor very well.
What I have always striven for is coherence. The female figures in Quire 13 are the same as those in the zodiac, and they are holding stars. And, as you know, there are many stars drawn in the codex, so it seems logical to me to think that those female zodiac figures represent the stars or the degrees of each zodiac sign. Some of these figures are inside tubes; they are not bathing in barrels, because there are figures that are clothed.
Regarding Quire 13, the fact that there is a debate over whether it is a balneological or biological section indicates that the meaning of those images is not actually known. There are basically two types of scenes here: one featuring the female figures in pools or ponds, and another—which I find more revealing—in which we see the figures with their feet inside tubes. And not just their feet, for many of them also have their hands inside tubes. To me, this represents them traveling through those tubes, because I conceive of the figures as an embodiment of astral influence. Look at the bottom left of f80v: there is a figure that appears to have just emerged from the tube and is falling into the pond below.
You’re right to ask about the significance of the pools and ponds. I think the aim is simply to convey the idea of an unceasing current. Just look at how the figures are aligned; they seem to be filing past one after another. It isn't an image of people enjoying themselves in the water. I believe it metaphorically represents a continuous astral influence on Earth. And the scenes capture medieval humor very well.