Re: VMs: Lupus

[Andrew Sweeney <andrew@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On 15/10/2004, at 1:54 PM, Dana Scott wrote:

> I am beginning to wonder if what we are seeing in f73r might be the 
> author's
> rendition of Lupus, for unknown personal astrological reasons?

Could be. The VMS artist's poor technique makes identifications 
difficult, doesn't it?

Your suggestion about Lupus made me wonder whether the figure could be 
a dog, as in the constellation of Canis Major. The star connected by 
line to the figure's mouth might be Sirius, which is traditionally 
associated with the nose of Canis Major.

I'm tempted to read the word underneath the animal as a month name - 
November. The horizontal stroke above what could be the letters "ve" 
looks like the medieval sign for the omission of a nasal consonant (m, 
n). The letter that looks like "a" resembles another medieval sign, 
this time for "ur" (or rarely, "ru"). The world could be "Novembur" (a 
common spelling in the Faro Islands) or "Novembru" (Maltese).

Coincidentally, Canis Major rises in the northern hemisphere in 
November.

The squiggle that looks like a little superposed "s" near the figure's 
back right leg looks like another medieval abbreviation, this time for 
"er" or "re". Does "Novembure" make sense?

Regards,
Andrew

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