RE: what is your personal theory on what the VM is?
R. Sale > 12-08-2023, 08:52 PM
Given the C-14 dates, a closer inspection would include the end of the Hundred Years War, the end of the Great Western Schism, the ongoing rise in Mariology, and the growing revival of Classical influence, for starters.
From 1420 to 1435 the Anglo-Burgundian alliance held Paris. Paris is also of interest because it was the source for the unusual cosmic illustrations of BNF Fr. 565 and Harley 334. By comparison, the VMs cosmos contains the same parts in the same structural relationship, but with a maximum of visual differences. The change in the representation of the inverted T-O Earth from pictorial to linguistic is a total alteration of appearance.
BNF Fr. 565 was first owned by Jean, Duke of Berry (d. 1416, Paris), a noted bibliophile. There are a number of connections between him and the medieval mythology of Melusine (in reference to the VMs "mermaid" of f79v). These connections involve the flying dragon version, the Melusine of Lusignan. He even possessed the Lusignan castle. But more than this, he and his siblings were born to Bonne of Luxembourg. They were the first Valois generation. They were the purported descendants of Melusine of Luxembourg, a creature much more like a mermaid in appearance, and not like a dragon, who did not sprout wings and fly away when discovered but seeped into the ground like water.
These and other examples reveal the artists familiarity with events concurrent with the C-14 dating. And they also show that the appearance of these relevant examples is often modified and visually altered on purpose. Where there is intentional disguise, there is some level of trickery.