Folios 57v, 67r, 68r

["GC" <glenclaston@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I?m trying to get back up to speed since I?ve been
away from this project for too long, but the time
away has allowed me to mull a few thoughts and
make some observations, a few I've already
presented, and a few more I collect here.

The two diagrams on folio 67r, one of the sun
divided into 12 segments, and one of the moon
divided into 12 segments, are most certainly a
calendar involving solar and lunar calculations.
Standard astronomical fare.

The moon device has 12 moons in two colors, one
color for waxing moon and one for waning moon.  If
we go by the start marker at 8:00, we find that we
have a double set of light moons in months 7 and
8, and then a double set of dark moons in months 9
and 10.  I?d have to double-check myself on this,
but if memory serves this only happens once every
17 years or so.  This may not be enough
information to determine a probable dating, but
there is certainly enough information to determine
probable content of the included text.

The one observation that may be the most
controversial concerns folio 57v (Beinecke image
labeled 54v.)  This device has the central section
equally divided into four human figures.  The
inner ring is composed of strings of 17
characters, evenly spaced through approximately
270 degrees of the ring, with the last 90 degrees
consisting of ?text?.  The middle ring is
surrounded by fairly evenly spaced characters.
The outer ring is surrounded by very short
sections of ?text?.  It should be noticed that the
^ ?caret? character evenly divides the middle ring
into 4 quadrants (I believe these each contain 17
characters, but its been awhile since I?ve
counted.)

The inner ring on this diagram is the information
bearer, since there is an astronomical parallel to
this ring.  There are several variations of a
volvelle (usually engraved on the back of
compasses) that were used for telling time at
night by the stars.  These devices consisted of a
circle with 17 points that took up approximately
270 degrees of the circle, (roughly equivalent of
the stellar horizon at a 45 degree angle).  The
other 90 degrees usually contained the name-label
for the circle.  The outer circles varied
depending on the use, but two I?ve seen also have
17 numbers on them.  This particular device may
have a middle-ring cross-section of 4x17 to
account for unequal hour variations of the four
seasons, versus the more modern volvelle that
attempts to calculate time in 24 equal hours.
Die-hard astrologers after the invention of the
time-piece sometimes preferred unequal-hour
calculations over equal-hour calculations, and
often referred to equal-hour calculations as
"artificial".  Oddly enough, the more
mathematically inclined found symmetry in equal
hours, and in turn referred to unequal-hours as
"artificial"-choose your team an rah.  Ultimately
both learned how to calculate time in both equal
and unequal hours, and their preference was
personal, as two astrologers from the same college
can be demonstrated to adhere to two separate
schemes.

The relevant part of this observation is that the
?key sequences? on this device would be numbers,
hours of night.  Again, we have a really good idea
of the context and content of the text.  I?ve got
my fingers out trying to come up with good images
of the variations of these nocturnal timepieces,
but few of them seem to be available for
unequal-hour calculations, so this may take
awhile.

Take this as you will-
68r has something to do with the constellation
Lion Heart.  I know this because the first 4 words
are ?Strewes deny Leonis Hert?, which had earlier
been mistranslated as ?Strewes deny Leonix Yerx?.
Since then I?ve made a few minor corrections in
the alphabet through other sequences, and I now
have high confidence in the corrected reading.
(Strewes is easily translatable to Sterres, as
variations of words and their spellings occur
because it was important to the author to maintain
surface consistency of the cipher text, and not
all words are those that would have been spoken by
the author in natural language.)

Over all we?re back to the basics, that there is
nothing here that is inconsistent with the
knowledge of a 15th or 16th century herbal
astrologer from a western school.  Solar calendars
and lunar calendars were necessary to his art.  A
means of calculating time at night was necessary
to his art.  Herbs and their properties, whether
gathered from books or by experience, were
necessary to his art.  A list of antidotaries
(usually secret knowledge) was a necessary part of
his art.  Understanding and calculating the
influences of the minor constellations for each
latitude was a necessary part of his art.  And I
truly believe the final answer lies somewhere
within a deep understanding of this art.

Francis Bacon once said that no man can conceive a
thought or dream an image that does not have its
roots in that with which he is already familiar.
All we do and dream falls within our sphere of
knowledge, and the only way to expand our
understanding or our dreaming is to expand our
knowledge.  This book will never have an answer as
long as we are unfamiliar with the subject matter
that was so familiar to its author.

GC