Rather than label the VMs artist as unskilled and ignorant, we should always be questioning the extent of this person's knowledge and testing it against our own. While I would agree that the "beardless goat" is probably the best description of the VMs Aries depictions, I don't see the horns as particularly definitive. Granted there are no distinctive ram's horns, and the subject is potentially browsing.
Examples of sheep with horns show sheep with impressive horns. Other sheep may have smaller horns, either through breed, or gender, or age, but they don't count as photogenic..
In many versions of the zodiac, Capricorn is either a half-goat, half-fish creature or an animal with horns that make it look like an ibex. Perhaps the VMs artist took some contrary inspiration for the Aries illustrations from the chamois. The exact nature of the depiction isn't really that important, what matters is the communication of the ideas behind the depiction - according to relevant medieval interpretation.
We already know that the VMs artist does not follow standard formats. Cancer is two crayfish; Sagittarius is a human crossbowman. Gemini is heterosexual and clothed. The intent is to choose the unusual, without breaking tradition. Why quibble about the horns? The VMs artist should be known for trickery - not stupidity.
The significance of the VMs zodiac structure is to place *white* Aries in the *third* position, based on the religious significance of the Trinity. This coincides with the presence of paired heraldic elements: the red and white galeros and the paired "bendy, argent et azure" in disguise. White Aries takes on the aura of the sacred, celestial, sacrificial animal in the presence of the Fieschi popes. Appearance is secondary.
Examples of sheep with horns show sheep with impressive horns. Other sheep may have smaller horns, either through breed, or gender, or age, but they don't count as photogenic..
In many versions of the zodiac, Capricorn is either a half-goat, half-fish creature or an animal with horns that make it look like an ibex. Perhaps the VMs artist took some contrary inspiration for the Aries illustrations from the chamois. The exact nature of the depiction isn't really that important, what matters is the communication of the ideas behind the depiction - according to relevant medieval interpretation.
We already know that the VMs artist does not follow standard formats. Cancer is two crayfish; Sagittarius is a human crossbowman. Gemini is heterosexual and clothed. The intent is to choose the unusual, without breaking tradition. Why quibble about the horns? The VMs artist should be known for trickery - not stupidity.
The significance of the VMs zodiac structure is to place *white* Aries in the *third* position, based on the religious significance of the Trinity. This coincides with the presence of paired heraldic elements: the red and white galeros and the paired "bendy, argent et azure" in disguise. White Aries takes on the aura of the sacred, celestial, sacrificial animal in the presence of the Fieschi popes. Appearance is secondary.