RE: Poll: Cosmic comparison
R. Sale > 25-03-2018, 01:00 AM
JKP & Koen,
Thanks for the nice quibbles. I suppose if we ignore the cosmic comparison, we can start again from scratch. And there always is that nagging possibility of a hypothetical third illustration that was an independent source for both Oresme and the VMs.
Actually I was hoping that someone might agree - or disagree. Clearly, however, I should have limited the options to the set of three part cosmic illustrations that fit the key with 43 undulations in the outer cloud band. At present there is only the example of Oresme (565) and that's it - unless we include the VMs f68v. And the question is whether, with a three part structure, using the same three parts, and the outer band of 43 undulations, there is a derivative relation of any kind, one from the other or both from a hypothetical third image, that no one has seen. And the point being that if there is this similarity, it is based of the comparative structure of the cosmic diagrams more than on the similarities of appearance.
The VMs is deceptive. It is not the product of a foreign culture presenting an alchemical-herbal as a normal, expository text - although it is surely intended to successfully appear as such to many who could not know otherwise. Instead it is a creation meant to represent an artificial world inside of which (certain elements) of the known world have been hidden. This is the lesson of the cosmic comparison.
Images of ambiguous appearance are used to create structure. Structure confirms the identity of the ambiguous images because it conforms to known tradition. It corresponds to historical facts
The trail of discovery is ambiguous. It is disguised and it is clearly marked at the same time. It is ingeniously obfuscated by visual trickery and it is clearly confirmed by structural similarity. Intentional trickery turns the VMs cosmic diagram into a deviant mimic, a representation that holds to the original structure of Oresme (565), but avoids the presence of close visual similarity as a method of planned deception. Structure takes precedence over appearance. And the validity of structure can only be evaluated against the correct example of the historical prototype from which the VMs representation was derived - either directly of indirectly.