Re: VMS Botany -- Colors

[Philip Marshall <philip.marshall@xxxxxxxx>]

Dear Dana et al.,

Actually, Robert did write to me to ask just that, and I'd be happy to
oblige. I still can't say when I will get to look at it -- my advisor is
trying to make arrangements with Beinecke to get extended access to the
MS, but academic politics can be tricky. I hope to goodness it will be
before the end of the month. As many of you on the list will know,
Beinecke is very protective of its treasures, and the VMS and Vinland Map
in particular get so much public attention that they have become almost an
annoyance to the curators, who are now reluctant to let anyone look at
them.

-Philip

On Sun, 11 Feb 2001, Dana F. Scott wrote:

> Hello Robert,
>    Perhaps Philip Marshall will be willing to include your request as an
> item on our wish list, if he manages to get a peek at the VMS. Philip is
> at Yale and has expressed an interest in viewing the document at the
> Beinecke Rare Books and Manuscript Library. I currently live in
> California. Others who have been fortunate enough to examine the VMS may
> also be able to help with the colors. I believe there is some
> documentation on this area of interest.
>
> Regards,
> Dana
>
> "Robert G. Comegys" wrote:
>
> > Hi Dana,
> >
> > Great! I am especially interested in the colors of the cosmology section, the
> > nine mandalas. The colors might give a clue as to any possible cardinal
> > direction to the mandalas. If my memory serves the east is red (just like
> > Chairman Mao said), west is black, south is white or yellow and north is blue.
> > Or something like that. If you can get the colors I'll  look up the
> > significance. Best regards, John Comegys
> >
> > "Dana F. Scott" wrote:
> >
> > > Hello Philip,
> > >      Thank you for your comments. If you do manage to view the VMS then you
> > > will have a unique opportunity to see the drawings in color. Black and white
> > > copies do limit our skills of observation. I am thankful for the samples in
> > > color that are available on the Internet but I feel that we are somewhat
> > > restricted without full color copies of the VMS.
> > >
> > > Regards,
> > > Dana Scott
> > >
> > > pm232@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
> > >
> > > > I'm not familiar with f25r, but my undergraduate training was in botany
> > > > and I must point out that Triadenum virginicum (formerly Hypericum
> > > > virginicum and commonly called "marsh St. John's wort") is native to
> > > > eastern North America only. The plant on f25r may very well be Triadenum
> > > > virginicum, but if it were it would carry all the implications of Hugh
> > > > O'Neill's sunflower and Capsicum ids. Triadenum virginicum is indeed
> > > > considered medicinal -- it is one of the "St. John's worts" sold as
> > > > antidepressants. I'm currently a grad student at Yale, living three
> > > > blocks away from Beinecke, and I hope to get a look at the VMS "in
> > > > person" in the next week or two. I'll report back on what it looks like
> > > > to me.
> > > >
> > > > -Philip Marshall
> > > >
> > > > ---------Included Message----------
> > > > >Date: Sat, 03 Feb 2001 19:11:24 -0800
> > > > >From: "Dana F. Scott" <dfscott@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> > > > >Reply-To: "Dana F. Scott" <dfscott@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> > > > >To: <voynich@xxxxxxxx>, <AFScott@xxxxxxx>
> > > > >Subject: VMS Botany
> > > > >
> > > > >Without having direct knowledge of which plants were used for the
> > > > >botanical drawings in VMS it is certainly a very challenging task to
> > > > >make accurate identifications when compared to today's available
> > > > >specimens; however, there is value, I think, in making at least a best
> > > > >guess comparison or finding a close approximation. What makes this
> > > > >particular folio very difficult to identify is that I imagine that
> > > > there
> > > > >are probably numerous other examples of plants that look quite a bit
> > > > >like this drawing. While you may not all have access to f25r in the
> > > > VMS,
> > > > >here is a picture of the plant called TRIADENUM VIRGINICUM which
> > > > appears
> > > > >to be a very close match to f25r. Unfortunately, the base and roots of
> > > > >the plant cannot be seen in this picture, but I am impressed by the
> > > > fact
> > > > >that  the leaves even seem to be oriented as drawn in the VMS.
> > > > >
> > > > >http://www.csdl.tamu.edu/FLORA/dcs420/a/hdw23109902s.jpg
> > > > >
> > > > >Regards,
> > > > >Dana Scott
> > > > >
> > > > ---------End of Included Message----------
>

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

tel: 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