Re: AAH: Where is Cancer?

[Nick Pelling <incoming@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Bernd,

> One of the oddest symbols used in f57v is the sign for Cancer (EVA &199).
> After careful re-examination of the text, it seems not altogether unlikely 
> to me
> that EVA "dy" as well as EVA "oy" could be interpreted as shorthand 
> versions of
> EVA &199.

The AAH basically proposes that the 17 x 4 ring of characters represents 7 
planets (starting with "o" for the sun), followed by 10 star signs 
(starting with Capricorn, whose sign is basically unchanged). This links 
Cancer with a three-looped gallows-like character, similar (but not totally 
identical to) EVA &199.

Steve Ekwall has pointed out that, for two of the four instances of this 
character on that ring, the central loop appears deliberately filled in.

Noting that the normal sign for Cancer has two separate "69" shaped loops, 
I interpret the filled-in centre loop as an indication that we should view 
the symbol as being divided into two parts: ie, two separate Cancer-like 
loops. View this upside down if you want to see an even stronger 
correlation. :-) This reinforces my belief that the symbol represents 
Cancer (AFA this diagram goes, anyway).

As for what the VMS text version of it would be, I agree <EVA dy> seems 
most likely, as "89" visually contains "69" within it. After all, 
stenography (which was extremely popular at the time to which we generally 
date the VMS) is no more than the art of hiding things in plain sight. :-)

Thanks for your thoughts! :-)

Cheers, .....Nick Pelling.....