VMs: Re: Libro de Astromagia

[Rene Zandbergen <r_zandbergen@xxxxxxxxx>]

Dear all,

--- "Rafal T. Prinke" <rafalp@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> I have just bought a new book by Prof. Ewa
> Sniezynska-Stolot
> on the iconography of zodiacal degrees in the Middle
> Ages
> (I wrote about her earlier books some time ago) 

Very interesting. Is it dedicated to the MS
described below, or are there more general
descirptions in it too?

> ... and was
> quite interested to find reproductions from a MS now
> in the Vatican Library _Libro de Astromagia_ by
> Pseudo-Pythagoras, which originates from Spain and
> is 
> dated to 1280. It contains diagrams for all signs
> with images for every degree, vaguely reminiscent
> of the layout of the VMS signs. There were 2
> critical editions
> of it (the last one by Alfonso D'Agostino, Napoli
> 1992, the earlier
> one by Diman and Winget, Madison 1980) and quite a
> number
> of studies.
> 
> I have taken liberty to scan the Libra image (the
> only one reproduced
> in color in the book) and put it at (c. 380 KB):
> 
>     http://hum.amu.edu.pl/~rafalp/TEMP/waga.jpg
> 

This clearly belongs with the Scorpius image
I have at my web site: can you use that to check
whether it is the same MS, or another copy?
( http://www.voynich.nu/img/extra/scorpius.gif )
I also have a copy of Gemini at home (in colour).

The meaning of the text written near each degree
is well studied, and with a few exceptions (for
individual degrees) well understood. These refer
to stars (or small groups of stars, like eg.
the flies) that rise at the same time as the
degree of the zodiac. It is therefore strictly
valid for one latitude and for one period of 70
years. Typically, the latitude is that of
either Alexandria or Rhodos, but in the ME 
other catalogues were also set up. This one
predates that, but post-dates Al-Sufi's work,
which would have been known in Spain at that 
time. All this would be discussed in the
reference hinted at by Rafal.

Kind regards, Rene


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