- Options
- Login
- Desktop Style
Options
Folio 10v Plant Identification
- Folio 10v Plant Identification
-
Folio 10v Plant Identification
Skoove > 24-11-2025, 02:21 PM
Recently I have been trying to take a 'fresh eyes' look at the plants in Herbal A to see if any of them stand out as stronger or useful matches. I know this has been done before (largely in vain) however I thought why not. My larger work is still in progress but I wanted to share my identifcation for You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. because it is one of the most interesting to me and I haven't seen it really discussed elsewhere. I believe that You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. actually is an identifiable plant and that if this identification is correct, it is potentially very helpful in shedding light on the VMS itself. So, here we go:
The roots are potentially pareidolic in nature, yet I immediately thought of a large wing with feet/talons. My first thoughts were to a griffin or eagle.
Although this seems thin, a plant that is commonly associated with the eagle is ‘aquilegia’ (a.k.a columbine). Aquilegia has the exact colouring and drooping flowers that we see in f10v. It however, does not normally have the drooping leaves which are shown in the VMS version, although I am allowing a little wiggle room. Here we can see the visual similarities between You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. and aquilegia.
Aquilegia is named as such because the latin for eagle is ‘aquila’ and the plant is said to resemble an eagle’s talons. Based on this strong visual and mnemonic connection, I am leaning quite strongly to this identification.
An important implication of this finding (if correct) is that the association with Aquilegia and the eagle are largely Italian and German, whilst French sources tend to use the name ‘columbine’ which comes from the latin for a dove or pigeon. From my perspective, the ‘wing’ in the root points much more to a large bird like an eagle rather than a dove or pigeon. This then points to the illustrator thinking of (or knowing it as) the latin for eagle rather than the latin for dove/pigeon, maybe pointing to a specific area.
We also know that Aquilegia was discussed by Hildegard von Bingen (she called it agleya) as useful for curing fever. Albertus Magnus also mentions it. Therefore, it would not be out of place to be discussed given its believed properties. Aquilegia vulgaris has also been connected to Christianity and been cultivated within monastery gardens in England, Germany and Italy during the 1300-1400s. Likewise, many Aquilegia species are native to Western Europe and the Alpine regions.
I'm happy to hear everyones opinion on this idea (and whether or not I am just retreading other's work). -
RE: Folio 10v Plant Identification
Ruby Novacna > 24-11-2025, 03:00 PM
(24-11-2025, 02:21 PM)Skoove Wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.I'm happy to hear everyones opinion on this idea (and whether or not I am just retreading other's work).
It would always be to your advantage to present the previous proposals and compare them with your own. -
RE: Folio 10v Plant Identification
oshfdk > 24-11-2025, 03:01 PM
I'm a total ignoramus when it comes to plants, but I've seen quite a few medieval herbal images thanks to this forum. My opinion (not original, this line of thought is certainly very old) is that all plants in the Voynich Manuscript are intentionally chimeric or fantastic and there is no practical way of making a certain identification of any of them. They may resemble this or that, but the resemblance is never perfect and never good enough to make any conclusions.
I think maybe it might be possible to figure out which plants in general the artist was familiar with (or which are conspicuously absent from the manuscript) and what were the inspirations for a particular plant image, this could yield some useful data. -
RE: Folio 10v Plant Identification
Skoove > 24-11-2025, 03:17 PM
(24-11-2025, 03:01 PM)oshfdk Wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.My opinion (not original, this line of thought is certainly very old) is that all plants in the Voynich Manuscript are intentionally chimeric or fantastic and there is no practical way of making a certain identification of any of them. They may resemble this or that, but the resemblance is never perfect and never good enough to make any conclusions.
I largely agree with you, especially when it comes to the roots. Much like with many medieval bestiaries, I don't think the illustrators had ever seen most of the things that they were drawing. That said, common plant species must have been routinely seen by the illustrators (unless they lived in a 'Silo' type environment).
I would say that most of the plants in Herbal A are too generic or too fantastical to be real but some are quite plausible (which doesn't mean that they actually are meant to be any given plant).
(24-11-2025, 03:01 PM)oshfdk Wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.I think maybe it might be possible to figure out which plants in general the artist was familiar with and what were the inspirations for a particular plant image, this could yield some useful data.
I'm not sure I agree with this because of how widespread plant species are around different parts of the world. I think that only being able to pinpoint a specific genus or species would provide a localised enough point to be useful. -
RE: Folio 10v Plant Identification
Bernd > 24-11-2025, 03:18 PM
(24-11-2025, 03:01 PM)oshfdk Wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.My opinion (not original, this line of thought is certainly very old) is that all plants in the Voynich Manuscript are intentionally chimeric or fantastic and there is no practical way of making a certain identification of any of them. They may resemble this or that, but the resemblance is never perfect and never good enough to make any conclusions.
I know a lot about plants (according to the Forum's reputation system at least
I think maybe it might be possible to figure out which plants in general the artist was familiar with (or which are conspicuously absent from the manuscript) and what were the inspirations for a particular plant image, this could yield some useful data.
) and I strongly agree. I would further add that we should not generalize. Some plants may very well have been fully (and badly?) copied from another herbal or even live or herbalised plant material like f9v , the majority however indeed appears to be a mixture of different sources + the author's own ideas. We should not look at this from a modern scientific perspective but through the lens of a 15th century 'artist' possibly one who himself had very little idea what the plants depicted in his sources looked like in real life.
-
RE: Folio 10v Plant Identification
Koen G > 24-11-2025, 03:32 PM
(24-11-2025, 03:18 PM)Bernd Wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.I know a lot about plants (according to the Forum's reputation system at least
) and I strongly agree.
It is an official qualification
I also agree, though I don't have the slightest idea which lens exactly we should view these plants through. Certainly not modern botany, as has often been done in the past. -
RE: Folio 10v Plant Identification
Bernd > 24-11-2025, 03:46 PM
I do have a certain suspicion for the reason of the overall 'weird style' and glitches but that's just my personal view.
The remarkable thing about the 'Viola' is that this is a weed that even a medieval city dweller would easily come across.
Regarding the 'armadillo' however, I have no idea. Maybe it really was just an especially bad doodle. -
RE: Folio 10v Plant Identification
Koen G > 24-11-2025, 04:27 PM
-
RE: Folio 10v Plant Identification
Mauro > 24-11-2025, 05:37 PM
(24-11-2025, 03:01 PM)oshfdk Wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.My opinion (not original, this line of thought is certainly very old) is that all plants in the Voynich Manuscript are intentionally chimeric or fantastic and there is no practical way of making a certain identification of any of them. They may resemble this or that, but the resemblance is never perfect and never good enough to make any conclusions.
I agree with oshfdk.
That said, and given I love Aquilegias...:
- Aquilegia flowers are very characteristic, having one spur, with hooked tip, for each petal (5 in total), pointing towards the back of the flower. They are impossible to miss and I don't know of any other flower with that characteristic but Aquilegia. Also, the plant on You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. has six petals.
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.
- Aquilegia leaves (which are very beautiful too) are completely different from the plant of f10v: they are multiply divided in segments, their edges are crenated, not smooth, they are alternate, not opposite.
(this picture should not be here.. the editor behaves weirdly at times... see the picture at the end for the leaves)
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.
- The most weird thing in f10v is the double swelling below the flowers. I can't remember any plant having such a double swelling, which to me looks as a fantastic element. Aquilegias flowers don't have any visible swelling: actually the receptacle forms a single, incospicuous swelling at the base of the flower but it's covered by petals and sepals until they fall. It's only noticeable in the fruits, and easily overlooked because it's quite small.
- The general appearance of the plant is completely different from the one on f10v. -
RE: Folio 10v Plant Identification
ReneZ > 25-11-2025, 02:47 AM
(24-11-2025, 04:27 PM)Koen G Wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.
(24-11-2025, 03:46 PM)Bernd Wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.The remarkable thing about the 'Viola' is that this is a weed that even a medieval city dweller would easily come across.
...yet absent from illustrated herbal traditions.
Actually, 'Viola' appears in the Tractatus de Herbis tradition, but it looks quite different from the Voynich MS drawing.
Unfortunately, it is not so easy to find a good direct link nowadays.
Egerton 747 f103r, Cas.459 f285v, Sloane 4016 You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. (left) and others.
Here is an entry link to Cas.459: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.