Interpreting the Figures in the Voynich Manuscript

[Quentin Da Silva]

I recently felt it was worth focusing more closely on the manuscript’s figures rather than on the text itself.

For some time, I’ve been exploring the historical context of Northern Italy and Central Europe in the early fifteenth century, with particular attention to Barbara of Cilli, Sigismund of Luxembourg, the Order of the Dragon, and related figures.

I realise this line of research may seem speculative, but I think this historical context is worth investigating.

I’ve already written quite a lot about this. After all, the Voynich Manuscript itself is what led me down this path.

I’d be very interested in discussing this further. The chronology appears broadly compatible, and several of the figures and motifs have caught my attention.

Even if this line of investigation ultimately turns out to be wrong, I think the figures themselves deserve closer attention, especially when compared with early fifteenth-century Central and Northern European material.

I’d also be interested to know what others think about the so-called “pangolin” figure. Could it possibly be related to, or inspired by, imagery associated with the Order of the Dragon?

At this stage, I’m treating this only as a visual and historical comparison, not as an identification.

       

MS 408, fol. 80v.

[DG97EEB]

The Order of the Dragon is mentioned in relation to the Voynich Manuscript, with one theory suggesting that the "Voynich armadillo" resembles the official insignia of the Order of the Dragon. [18] This connection is further supported by the observation that the classical Voynich crown matches that of Queen Barbara of Cilli, who founded the Order of the Dragon. [18] Additionally, the Order of the Golden Fleece, founded in 1430, has been proposed as a possible interpretation for an illustration on You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. of the manuscript, with Rudolf II later being a member of this order. [20] Vlad Dracul, father of Vlad the Impaler (Dracula), became ruler of Wallachia in 1436. [1] Recent proteomic analysis of Vlad III the Impaler's documents has been conducted to draw conclusions about his state of health. [2][6] Sigismund of Luxembourg, who was King of Hungary and Croatia from 1404, King of Germany from 1411, and Holy Roman Emperor from 1433, is also discussed in relation to crowns depicted in historical chronicles and potentially the Voynich Manuscript. [4][10][13][16][45]

Sources:
[1] Historically significant events in Europe between 1404 and 1438 — You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.
[2] Proteomic Analysis of Vlad III the Impaler’s Documents — You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.
[4] Historically significant events in Europe between 1404 and 1438 — You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.
[6] Proteomic Analysis of Vlad III the Impaler’s Documents — You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.
[10] Some Voynichy crowns — You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.
[13] The crowns of the Zodiac — You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.
[16] The crowns of the Zodiac — You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.
[18] A match for the famous Armadillo? — You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.
[20] Dragons, Dogs & Amadillos? — You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.
[45] Some Voynichy crowns — You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.

[JustAnotherTheory]

Great summary @You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.

[R. Sale]

Barbara of Cilli is an interesting person, without doubt, but is she relevant to the VMs?

Is the VMs critter a dragon, armadillo, fleece, or something else? Why is there a nebuly line underneath?

The crown is also problematic. The VMs examples appear to be an Eastern crown, with a triangular points rising from the headband. Illustrations of Barbara show a "cloverleaf-style" element instead. Basing the comparison on the presence of imperial arches is much less precise. Eastern crowns are found in Austria. Possibilities exist, but nothing specific without new evidence, AFAIK.

[nablator]

Why is there a nebuly line underneath?

Rafal's chameleon, eating nothing but air.
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[Radim Dobeš]

I like the resemblance to the dog Viricanus (Qitmir) from the old Christian and Islamic legend of the Seven Sleepers of Ephesus.

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[R. Sale]

Der kosmische Schlummerhund.

[Quentin Da Silva]

Thanks for all this information, it's really amazing! I'm looking forward to checking it all out! Thanks again!

[Linda]

Hi Quentin, 

Thought I would put in my two cents worth also, regarding this animal. I believe it represents the Alps. I would like to gather all my thoughts about this to date, sorry if it is long and not exactly related to your initial thoughts, although I see similarities in the dragon drawing to the Alps also, and some of the people you mentioned might figure in as well.

I see the animal as an Ibex, in the shape of the mountainous area to which it is endemic, including morraines for feet. It lacks the Austrian portion of the Alps, as these drain into a different watershed (the Danube). The nebuly line underneath is to show the marshy (but fertile) area below, which extends approximately to the shoreline to the east.

Strabo conceptualizes the Po Valley as a massive triangle bounded by the Alps, the Apennines, and the Adriatic coast.The Role of the Po (Padus): He explains that the Po River originates as a violent torrent in the high Alps. As it hits the valley floor, it slows down, expands significantly, and absorbs numerous tributaries rushing from both mountain ranges.

The Marshy Landscape: Because of the heavy volume of water coming from alpine rain and melting snow, Strabo notes that the lower parts of the plain were naturally prone to heavy waterlogging and lagoons.

Here is a grouping of Ibex drawings, many showing the story of how they land on their horns. I think this drawing would be of a female, in winter, but shows a much more realistic stance of horns on the ground than is usually portrayed.

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I know it is an anachronism to show a satellite picture in a comparison with something from the 15th century, but they were only beginning to draw such things in a realistic way at the time and i have not found a surviving example within the time frame of the vms beyond the Lake Garda area. I think they were trying to visualize the Alps from above, like a map. To do that myself I have tools to do so, so I use them.

This 1440 map also tells the story of the Venetian fleet going up the Adige river to Lake Garda in 1438-9, the second image is a satellite image marked with that route. Note that again we have a drawing that is a little less than 45 degrees off north. I find this interesting also. I read that local maps were generally drawn from the perspective of viewing from the southwest, this may explain some of these 45 degree differences from north up.



More recently, a 3d version of this work has been created. Seems quite realistic.


The original at least shows the morraine to the south of the lake that I think the front paw is based on. (have to turn it 45 degrees). The middle foot is I think this morraine, (again, look at it with a 45 degree turn)



and for the hind foot you can see the protrusion created in the shoreline at that point.

If you look at the creature, above the gap between the chin and the leg, there is something that looks like a set of insect wings, I think this denotes the Bolzano area. You can see why that might be, when you look at the rivers in that area, and they are also shown on the 1440 map at the top left, and you can see it in the satellite image also.



We can see the shape of the Alps now with our technology of today, and it is about the same as it was then, so it is a visual aid of comparison, therefore i refer to it. I am quite certain they could see many of these features from various vantage points and could have been able to draw its main parts, just as they did in the Lake Garda drawing. I do think the creator of this image was skilled in cartography, if not the drawing of animals. Who knows how many such maps could have been drawn and lost over time. 

This drawing, if accepted as representing the Alps, corrects the rather strange tradition of Alps drawn on Portolan charts, although scales representing mountains have been used, which is a much older tradition hundreds of years prior, such as Beatus Maps and various mappa mundi over time. They have been drawn to point the majority of flow towards the Adriatic Sea, although the tail end would flow toward the Bay of Lion, and the Lake Constance flow and other flows on the north side would continue to the North Sea via the Rhine.

This is a facsimile of a portolan version of the Alps using similar scale iconography.


The shape of the drawn animal is more akin to the Pietro Vesconte mappa mundi Alps, for example (circa 1320). (The semicircle near the bottom with the open end at a 45 degree angle)


The drawing below the creature on You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. has a nymph pointing to another, she is on the top of Lake Garda, which we saw in full on f80r.



(I just looked closer at this comparison and even the angular divot in the shore seemed to be there, but it is just because the sediment dots start there. However it is still a very good match, no?)

The other nymph is standing on Lake Constance, and where she is standing is also the portion nearest the Alps.

 

Both are approximately central when looked at in line with the Appenine peninsula. (There is that 45 degree angle again, so look at the image of a North up map on the diagonal to see that they align in this way). Lake Garda would be located approximately between the chin of the animal and its leg, Lake Constance is at the pointy angular scale on its back, directly above the chin. (The Alps satellite is also rotated, as it is in line with the main shore being horizontal, as it was in f80r).



A similar route of approximately 300km (200 Roman miles) was traveled in November 1414 by Leonardo Bruni (1369-1444) (Humanist, historian, and statesman) from Verona to Constance. His route and things he noticed along the way are recorded here, in Latin: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. (continues from f48 to f51). I find this route and things he notices, like fast water arising from the rocks themselves, very similar to items being described on this page, including the possibility of other routes, like to the Danube, or starting from one of the lakes to the west instead of Garda. Many others would have gone to Constance from all over Europe to attend the Ecumenical Council there from 1414 to 1418, including Barbara of Cilli and Sigismund of Luxembourg, as you mentioned.



The whole of quire 13 is to me to be a periplus or itinerary of seas, lakes and rivers of the known world. The page before showed the shoreline from Cartegena to Genoa, the one after (I have determined the facing page to this one to be f84r) returns to that point and describes the Tyrrhennian and Adriatic shores of the Appenine peninsula and Sicily, along with another large lake which is also central to the peninsula in the same line as these two. I think the rest of this page (f80v) discusses other important lakes in the Alps, as well as the Rhine.

Re your interpretation with the Order of the Dragon, this badge also strikes me as having mountainous connotations.



Someone else has equated the creature with the fleece from the Order of the Golden Fleece, perhaps it combines the two.

Luxemburg would be included in my theory of world coverage by this quire, as the Moselle river connects with the Rhine.