R. Sale > 30-05-2022, 08:33 PM
An interesting bit of historical etymology I saw recently, that might connect with the VMs. As usual, the devil is in the details. So, let's look at the details and try to find the little devil. And there he is, on f67v1, in the lower right.
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It's the smiley face with the pointy hat.
John Duns Scotus, (d. 1308) was a medieval philosopher and theologian on a level with Aquinas and Ockham. Incidental to all that, he is known to have promoted a sort of long, conical hat - a "thinking cap". He taught at Oxford and Paris, then briefly at Cologne, before he died.
By the mid-1600s, he was somewhat too conservative and out of date. And this is when the change took place from Duns' cap to dunce cap. However, from the perspective of the VMs C-14 parchment dates, this change had not happened yet. So, the cap must be considered in a favorable interpretation, and potentially a subtle reference to Duns Scotus, himself.
A couple other points of potential connection. Duns Scotus was a Franciscan, as was Colette of Corbie, with her mystical ring and cross. And it is said that perhaps the most influential part of his theology was his defense of the immaculate conception of the Virgin Mary, herself. So, this is another item in the VMs that has a strong but subtle connection with the rising tide of Mariology that was happening throughout the early 1400s.