R. Sale > 27-12-2020, 11:03 PM
I trust you've seen the recent mosaic from the Pompeii: the nymph, the sea horse, and various fish.
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Very similar content and structure occur in the example of Harley 334 f 57 and the two Lauber illustrations. The Roman nereid has become a mermaid, and the 'intent' of the illustration is to show the 'hypothetical' sea creatures which most certainly would include a mermaid.
This subject / topic of representation has nothing to do with the myth of Melusine. Harley makes no mention of Melusine and in Lauber there is only a generic mermaid - not one with a name.
Unfortunately, there is the contemporary rise (through the C-14 dates) of the Melusine mythology and her ancestral connections. There is also a confusion and conflation of images, particularly because the of Valois Melusine of Luxembourg is described as being a mermaid.
So what's with the VMs? It's another example of a VMs illustration that combines essential elements from separate sources. In this example, there is the basic structure of a mermaid and her companion sea creatures, but this is not a generic and nameless mermaid. She is special because she has knees. Generic mermaids do not have knees. VMs You are not allowed to view links.
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Another difference in VMs You are not allowed to view links.
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Login to view. is that the sea creatures have sort of shifted from being *sea* creatures. The fish are gone. These creatures have legs. Get it? Sea creatures with *legs*! This helps identify Melusine. It also helps provide a disguise for another bit of deception. And that is the potential representation of the Golden Fleece. It was not my discovery, nor was the second proposed interpretation on f80v. However two examples do make a pair, and pairing is part of finding a pathway in the VMs. The Golden Fleece of You are not allowed to view links.
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At the same time, I can see the nymph below the You are not allowed to view links.
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