26-09-2026, 10:18 PM
"The place where all those things existed" was in the mind of the VMs artist. The VMs illustrations, when interpreted on the basis of 15th century information, show a surprising diversity of sources. A diversity that might only be attained through travel to various cities and study at various libraries.
The difficulty with VMs interpretation is twofold. The interpretive identity of specific elements depicted by the VMs artist can be based on obscure historical information and might be something unknown to the investigator. No one can recognize something they do not know.
The VMs artist didn't plan that far ahead. S/he figured that contemporary people would know the historical facts, so s/he chose obfuscation. Obfuscation: ambiguity, trickery, disguise, deception, duplicity, even a code shift, not to mention heraldic canting. Funny thing is - from the sleeves and hats to the Parisian cosmic structure, to the Order of the Golden Fleece, to Colette of Corbie - there is evidence contemporary with the C-14 results. There are also interpretations based on earlier history, religion, and literature.
The difficulty with VMs interpretation is twofold. The interpretive identity of specific elements depicted by the VMs artist can be based on obscure historical information and might be something unknown to the investigator. No one can recognize something they do not know.
The VMs artist didn't plan that far ahead. S/he figured that contemporary people would know the historical facts, so s/he chose obfuscation. Obfuscation: ambiguity, trickery, disguise, deception, duplicity, even a code shift, not to mention heraldic canting. Funny thing is - from the sleeves and hats to the Parisian cosmic structure, to the Order of the Golden Fleece, to Colette of Corbie - there is evidence contemporary with the C-14 results. There are also interpretations based on earlier history, religion, and literature.