Re: VMS -- Botany (f94r) Botrychium lunaria,Finland

[Philip Marshall <philip.marshall@xxxxxxxx>]

Dear Dana,

It is not clear to me either which plant on folio 100v O'Neill had in mind
as Botrychium, but here is the reference:

O'Neill, Hugh. 1944. Botanical observations on the Voynich MS.
	Speculum 19(1): 126.

This is also the paper in which he makes the famous "sunflower"
identification on folio 93r. I'm not convinced though.
	On the subject of the association of Botrychium and the
moon, M. Grieve in her 1931 'Modern Herbal' (reprint available from Dover
Publications, New York), a great store of European ethnobotanical lore, has
this to say:

"The Ancients regarded it as a plant of magical power, if gathered by
moonlight, and it was employed by witches and necromancers in their
incantations. Parkinson says that it was used by the alchemists, who thought it
had power to condensate or to convert quicksilver into pure silver."
(p. 309)

So much of what we believe we know about the practices of the alchemists
has been shaped by hearsay and speculation that I wonder if the presence
of Botrychium lunaria (and we seem fairly convinced that is what it is)
among so many indistinct or fantastic plants is one more piece of evidence
for the origin of the MS as a clever fabrication, a ruse. There is always
just enough to intrigue, to grab the attention of the well-informed reader
(if that's the right term, given that no one can read the thing) who may
have certain preformed concepts in mind (i.e. "alchemy", or "astrology",
etc.), while the rest is nonsense. Witness the two "sorrels" on folio 42r,
whose association is not botanical but rather linguistic. I think someone
from the 16th century is playing a game with us.

-Philip Marshall

On Sat, 5 May 2001, Dana F. Scott wrote:

> Hello Philip,
>    Folio 100 verso contains a collection of sprigs in what is referred to as the
> Pharmaceutical section of the VMS. A number of these appear to be miniature versions
> of plants found in the Herbal section. It is not yet clear to me which plant Hugh
> O'Neill was referring to? Where did you see the reference? Mary D'Imperio on p.114 in
> "The Voynich Manuscript -- An Elegant Enigma" includes a drawing of Lunaria from
> Ashmole ("Theatrum Cemicum Britannicum", p.348).
>
> Interesting English Verse:
> http://www.library.upenn.edu/etext/science/ashmole/362.html
> http://www.library.upenn.edu/etext/science/ashmole/130a.html
>
> Thank you for the reference on folio 35 verso concerning Ophioglossaceae fern. I will
> see what I can dig up.
>
> http://www.csdl.tamu.edu/FLORA/cgi/gallery_query?q=Ophioglossaceae
>
> While I am now a bit familiar with Linnaeus, my knowledge of European folklore is very
> limited, though I do find it very interesting.
>
> Regards,
> Dana Scott
>
> Philip Marshall wrote:
>
> > I am fascinated. In 1944, Hugh O'Neill identified an illustration of
> > Botrychium lunaria on folio 100 verso -- how do they compare? (I don't
> > have copies of either one on hand at the moment.) I have also wondered
> > myself if the plant on folio 35 verso might be an Ophioglossaceous fern as
> > well. Is there a widespread folk tradition in Europe identifying
> > Botrychium lunaria with the moon? Apart from the English common name
> > "moonwort", the Latin binomial, penned by a Swede, Carolus Linnaeus,
> > suggests that indeed there may be.
> >
> > Philip Marshall
> >
> > On Fri, 4 May 2001, Dana F. Scott wrote:
> >
> > > It seems to me that Botrychium lunaria is a reasonable match for this
> > > plant with its trophophore lamina leaf-like opposing appendages. Who
> > > would believe this is a fern? This Moonwort (Ophioglossaceae) is also
> > > referred to as grapefern. You can find it in the beautiful Siitama
> > > meadow in Finland. Except for the 'grapes' which are not a perfert match
> > > I think we are on the right track here.
> > >
> > > Photo:
> > > http://www.terra.hu/haznov/jpg/Botrychium.lunaria.1.html
> > > http://ifdf.free.fr/containers/detail/1998070506_gen.htm
> > > http://murman.ru/flora/data/1200034.html
> > > http://www.com-nature.com/~fougere-fern/libraryGB/fernpagesGBtext/botrycheGB.htm
> > >
> > > http://www.em.ca/garden/nat_botrychium_lunaria.html
> > > http://www.terra.hu/haznov/htm/Botrychium.lunaria.html
> > > http://herba.msu.ru/images/Ophioglossaceae/Botrychium_Sw./lunaria_Sw./1.jpg
> > >
> > > http://www.csdl.tamu.edu/FLORA/dcs420/c/hdw130299os.jpg
> > >
> > > Botrychium species: (Siitama meadow in Finland; page down for species
> > > selections)
> > > http://www.helsinki.fi/~korpela/botrychium_meadow.html
> > >
> > > Botrychium matricariifolium:
> > > http://www.helsinki.fi/~korpela/BOTRMATR.HTML
> > >
> > > Description:
> > > http://www.gardenbed.com/B/6779.cfm
> > > http://www.lineone.net/dictionaryof/animalsplants/m0049532.html
> > > http://www.or.blm.gov/surveyandmanage/MR/VascularPlants/section4.htm
> > >
> > > Illustration:
> > > http://caliban.mpiz-koeln.mpg.de/~stueber/lindman/511.jpg
> > >
> > > Scientific Classification:
> > > http://www.bf.uni-lj.si/ag/fito/sistemat/rastline/8Botrychium.htm
> > >
> > > Regards,
> > > Dana Scott
> > >
> >
> > --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > Philip Marshall
> > Yale University
> > School of Forestry & Environmental Studies
> >
> > tel: +1(203)436-2137
> > email: philip.marshall@xxxxxxxx or pmm8@xxxxxxxxxxx
> >
> > "The pig was not merely a pig but a creature bound among other things to
> > the fence, the dandelion, and a very special definition of property."
> >                                         -William Cronon
>

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Philip Marshall
Yale University
School of Forestry & Environmental Studies

tel: +1(203)436-2137
email: philip.marshall@xxxxxxxx or pmm8@xxxxxxxxxxx

"The pig was not merely a pig but a creature bound among other things to
the fence, the dandelion, and a very special definition of property."
					-William Cronon